Holi in Hilltown - Bringing Indian and Irish cultures together

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Looking forward to the Holi celebration in Hilltown are from left: Mollie Cummins, Irish Dancer; Kathy Black, Eden Community Network Developer NI, Sanjay Ghosh; Martina Byrne and Dibya Basu, Indian Dancer.

Hilltown will come alive this month with a fantastic colourful festival celebrating the arrival of spring. Three community organisers from across Northern Ireland are coming together to put on an immersive event to celebrate Holi, the iconic Indian festival of colour.

Holi in Hilltown takes place on Saturday 11 March from 12-4pm at Hilltown Hall and is a chance to embrace community, be open to opportunities and find a fresh new way to come together. Tickets for the event are available from the link below.

The trio met last October during a lifechanging weekend at the Eden Project in Cornwall, where they attended a Community Camp along with over 50 others from across England, Scotland and Wales. Immediately striking up a connection, Martina Byrne, Mollie Cummins and Sanjay Ghosh found they shared a love of music, dancing and bringing people together, and came home determined to collaborate.

Mollie Cummins, Irish Dancer & Dibya Basu Indian Dancer.

Having continued to build connections with each other and people in Eden Project Communities’ network across the country over the last few months, the group are now combining their years of experience making a difference where they live to put on Holi in Hilltown, in the Mournes – the midpoint between their hometowns.

Holi in Hilltown aims to immerse local people in authentic Indian culture, with Mollie, Martina and Sanjay inviting the community to join in with a celebration filled with music and dance. Combining Indian and Irish traditions, attendees will have the chance to dance to the beats of Chenda drums and Kerala mixed with traditional Irish music, enjoy Bollywood dance and Irish dance performances, dress up in colourful Indian costumes and henna body paint and take part in Indian art. The event will culminate in families and friends playing Holi together at a colour party where the arrival of Spring will be celebrated by a scattering of powder in every colour of the rainbow.

Accompanying the vibrant mix of activities, Holi in Hilltown will also see the community coming together for an Indian Big Lunch, full of delicious sweet and savoury treats, in anticipation of Eden Project Communities’ annual Big Lunch weekend on 6-8 May, when people across the country are invited to share food and friendship in a fun act of community.

Organiser Martina lives in Hilltown where she was one of the founders of Hilltown’s Women of Clonduff group, and is hosting co-organiser Sanjay’s community group ImageNation NI.

Launching the festivities are Back L-R Mollie Cummins (O’Malley Maguire School of Irish Dancing), Kathy Black (Eden Community Network Developer NI), Souvik Ghosh (ImageNationNI), Chair of NMDDC Council Cllr Michael Savage, Barbara O’Hagan (Women of Clonduff) and Dibya Basu (ImageNationNI). Front L-R Pauline Brown, (Women of Clonduff), Sanjay Ghosh (ImagenNationNI), Eimear Byrne, Caitriona Doyle and Martina Byrne from Women of Clonduff — Launching the festivities are back from left: Mollie Cummins (O’Malley Maguire School of Irish Dancing), Kathy Black (Eden Community Network Developer NI), Souvik Ghosh (ImageNationNI), Chair of NMDDC Council Cllr Michael Savage, Barbara O’Hagan (Women of Clonduff) and Dibya Basu (ImageNationNI). Front: Pauline Brown, (Women of Clonduff), Sanjay Ghosh (ImagenNationNI), Eimear Byrne, Caitriona Doyle and Martina Byrne from Women of Clonduff

Martina Byrne said: “We are all living in different areas, but wanted to do something really special that links us all together. We realised there were so many Indian festivals and that a Holi celebration would be a perfect way to welcome in Spring to our community, as well as marking International Women’s Day (8 March).”

Sanjay Ghosh said: “Holi in Hilltown is a chance to embrace community, to be open to opportunities, and find a fresh new way to come together. We’re so looking forward to immersing the whole community in the culture and traditions of India with an afternoon filled with Holi music and dance.”

With each organiser bringing something unique to the table, Mollie is part of the Rooney O’Malley Maguire School of Irish Dancing with classes across South Down and Armagh area. She’s excited to be able to share her passion for Irish Dancing and bringing people together to inspire others to become active in their community.

The Eden Project’s Community Camp, made possible by The National Lottery, aims to equip people with the skills and knowledge they need to put their dreams into action. Available to attend in Cornwall or from home several times a year, Community Camp’s jam-packed, fully-funded programme offers a mix of practical activities, workshop sessions and network opportunities.

Funding for this event was partly sourced through Newry Mourne & Down District Council. Tickets are £8 and include lunch, with free entry for children (up to 12yrs old). Guests are advised to bring a packed lunch for children.

Tickets

Tickets are available at: www.eventbrite.com

Get involved with The Big Lunch by ordering a free digital pack full of ideas and inspiration from TheBigLunch.com. To join the Eden Project Communities network, contact Kathy Black, Community Network Developer for Northern Ireland, at kblack@edenproject.com