The Leicester Belgrave Mela is one of the largest Asian cultural festivals in the country, and is held in the city’s Abbey Park 12th & 13th July    
   
 
 
 

Attractions
  
 
  Attractions during this year’s event include the newly developed Health Zone, the Voluntary sector marquee and the Art-zones which include a new attraction titled ‘Bollywood Masala Masti’ supported by EMDA. Attractions will consist of a wide range of interactive workshops for everyone to try including health information, advice on careers, mu lti-media music-making, traditional art forms, there will be plenty to capture your imagination.

    
THE MAIN STAGE
  
As ever the Main stage will be the beating heart of the Mela. Performers will take to the stage to bring you electrifying performances. Whether they’re classical or Bollywood the performances will be of the best quality. Local, national and international Asian music and dance groups will perform routines in front of thousands of visitors. Sony, Rubicon, BBC Radio Leicester/Asian Network and Sabras Radio will present their roadshows, with a cavalcade of competitions, give-aways, special performances and prizes. Live music and dance performances from groups within the community will be profiled on the main stage.
 
                                         
Times + Dates Will Go here OF SHOWS WILL GO HERE          
           
           
           
           
           
 
THE MELA HEALTH ZONE
    
The Mela Health Fair is run in association with the Health Promotion Agency, Eastern Leicester Primary Care Trust and the Health Action Zone. A range of health providers, community organisations and health project will provide information, advice and workshops in healthy living. Diet and exercise will be covered through workshops demonstrations with particular emphasis on diabetes and heart disease.
 
 
 
MELA COMMUNITY VILLAGE
    
VAL and Belgrave Association have teamed up to present the largest voluntary event in the midlands. Visitors will get a chance to find out what’s happening in the local area in terms of voluntary/community projects. The Mela community village has provided a chance for small voluntary organisations to display their work free of charge from a small stall. Funding agencies including East Midlands Arts and the Community Fund will also display information on grants and scheme they run.
 
 
FASHION & DANCE
  

The Mela Fashion & Dance will explode of the stage in a blaze of colour and energy. Models and choreographers have been working for months to bring you a show that promises to thrill and excite. The stage will be filled with crazy colours and dazzling dance for the thousands of visitors. The Mela Fashion & Dance is this year, supported by Lifelong Learning & Community Development Education Department, Leicester City Council.


Local models will make you go weak at your knees in the East meets West fashion and dance, as they show of the latest fashions from Bollywood and England. This year we have incorporated a dance element choreographed by Urban Flame dance group into all routines, which will see models strutt their stuff on the catwalk. The clothes this year have been supplied by:- Topshop Life & Leisure, First Lady. The co-ordinators of the Fashion & Dance show are Bev, Bally and music mixed by Mayur

 
MELA ART ZONES
    

The Mela Arts zones have been designed to give people the opportunity to take part in the Arts and concentrate on different area in promoting Asian Arts & Culture. This project has been financially supported by East Midlands Arts Regional Arts Lottery Programme

The Mela Art Zones have been designed to cover a variety of themes including performance arts, history, film, drama, theatre and play. One of the main aims of the Arts and Cultural programme is to encourage and promote creative practice though providing access and opportunities that would otherwise not exist.

  
BOLLYWOOD CINEMA
   

 
 
Natak Nyritia Central
  

Natak Nyritia Central is being run in association with Leicester Haymarket Theatre. Natak means dramatic production and Nryitia means dance. The zone features a range of Asian performances and workshops developed with young people from the community.


  
MULTIMEDIA    
ALL MIXED UP AND NOWHERE TO GO?
MIX-IT UP AT THE MELA

The City Gallery, Phoenix Arts and De Montfort University have joined forces for this year’s Mela to create three multi-media projects within one marquee.

The City Gallery have built a large wall, The Music Mix-It Wall, which City Gallery and Mela visitors will be encouraged to paint on, whilst listening to the music created by the De Montfort University Re-Mix project. Here the public will be able to take part in 'live' mixing of music that will be played over a PA system. Each participant will be able to record their mix on to a CD that they can take home. Phoenix Arts will be capturing all this activity on film through time lapse photography which will be projected at periodic intervals throughout the event. Phoenix will also be screening a show reel from DMU Multimedia Design (BA Hons) graduates, and animated films by Vikaas Mistry.

 
THE ACCESS ZONE    
WORK
STRESS
HOME
STRESS
 
Had enough of the hustle and bustle? Of work and home? And all you want to do is unwind and relax?
Then come and join us at the CHILL ZONE. Where the whole family can experience the relaxing effects, Indian head message by Moon Beauty salon, feng Shui by Linda, reflexology by Smita. How specific colours influence stress levels by Jane, aromatherapy by ---- and mediation and relaxation techniques for the home as well as work by Martin Reed
  
CIRCUS
JUNIOR ART ZONE
  

 

MELOR PRIMARY
   

 

 

 

 

 

  

Let the children go wild and wacky as they equip themselves to participate within a circus. Whilst they dance their way through the circus machine. Making masks with stephon Jon, extravagant flags with Paul Barrand, colourful tactile instruments with Deepak Vara and create glow in the dark clown accessories Debbie. Then learn to walk the walk of the stilt walker, as they prepare to join circus troop. The Leicester Belgrave Mela is working in conjunction with NEW Cross Corners and Children Play Support Sevice
      
TRADITIONAL ARTS & CULTURE
    

KINNETIKA
Mela Bollywood Carnival
WATCH THIS SPACE!

 

The whole Mela will come to a stand still on 13th between 4pm – 5pm as the colourful, energetic Carnival will wined its way through the thousands of people on to main stage. The Carnival will explore the multiple cultural influences that shape the art form, drawing references from India, in particular traditional art forms from Kolkata, and Carnival/ festival traditions in Trinidad influenced by the Indian Diaspora.

The colourful, extravagant costumes and dance routines will be created by young people from Leicester. Led by artists from India such as Ashis Kumar Bagchi Dakshaj and Tansuree Sanker. The Leicester Belgrave Mela is working in conjunction with the NEW Peepul Centre project and Youth Voice

  
YOUTH VOICE
  
 
MIRCH MASALA
  
                                         
  FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD  
Finally we couldn’t talk about the mela without mentioning food! A wide range of stalls offers a mouth-watering fusion of Asian and English cuisine. Tangy, sweet, hot, spicy – you name it, you can try it! Why not taste mogo, a take on English chips, or sample some kulfi, a form of ice cream? Discover an unusual range of drinks too, from Lassi (a sweet yoghurt drink) to exotic fruit juices.

Taste the mouth-watering foods from the South Asian sub continent. Enjoy the spicy recipes such as bhel puri, pakoras, pau bhaji and kebabs or try the ice cool kulfis and faloodas.

 
                                         
   

 
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