PATACC is once again pleased to be organising the 2018 Harlow Black History Multicultural celebrations. The celebrations is a community festival organised by the group for the benefit of the people of Harlow and the surrounding areas.

As already known to most people, the purpose of the festival is to provide an opportunity for local people from diverse backgrounds to come together and celebrate the area’s rich cultural diversity.

The festival takes place at the Harlow Town Centre Market Square on Saturday the 27th October 2018.

This year they are organising the event with Rainbow Services. The theme for this year is “70 years of UN Declaration of Human Rights” What does it mean for the ordinary person on the streets of Harlow?

Chair of the Council, Councillor Maggie Hulcoop will open the event and Harlow MP Mr Robert Halfon will give a goodwill message.

There is a rich line-up of activities, all having history and culture as integral part of their purpose. Many local groups including local schools continue to contribute in diverse ways. The acts this year include The Fireman who eats fire, Passmores Academy Steel Pan, Belly dance by Belly Bells, Rainbow Supreme Twirlers, Columbian dance by Talentos, African drumming and dance by Efua Sey Cultural Academy, Poetry, singing, traditional artwork, food, information stalls and many more.

PATACC aims to make the event a great cultural diversity celebratory event in Harlow and the neighbouring areas. Our aim in this regard is:

●To bring together the people of Harlow to celebrate the area’s rich cultural diversity
●To contribute towards a community where people from different backgrounds feel they all belong and can come together to celebrate a shared sense of belonging
●To support communication, interactions and engagement between all sections of the community, particularly between local Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) citizens and service providers
●To promote community cohesion and respect between people of different backgrounds by providing a friendly and relaxed opportunity for people to come together and learn from and about each other
●To provide an opportunity for local people to make a positive contribution towards their community by acting as volunteers, exhibitors or performers
●To provide a source of entertainment and activities for a family day out

As a small not for profit organisation, PATACC is only able to host the festival and maintain its success due to the generous support of the local community. This ranges from support in-kind from voluntary, private, public organisations and security services in the area, the commitment and dedication of members of the planning committee as well as the volunteers on the day.

As the festival enters its 12th year this year, we are seeking more partners to support in making the festival bigger and better. We hope individuals, organisations and businesses will kindly consider becoming partners, sponsors or supporters. We also encourage all arts and cultural groups in and around Harlow to participate and contribute ideas to make subsequent celebrations even better and more participatory.

They look forward to welcoming you all to the 2018 Harlow Black History Multicultural Festival to celebrate our proud heritage. If you have any questions about our Group, the festival or our other activities, please do not hesitate to get in touch