Hip hip hooray! Creative Heritage is turning 2 years old today! It's hard to believe that 731 days rolled just like that (we had a leap year, guys!), but all that time really went in a blink of an eye. Looking back at what we have done during this period, all the events we organised and all the people we brought together, it makes our hearts swell. Here is a short reminder of our best highlights.
Maghiya & Sutton Schools - Christmas Magic, December 2022
Our first collaboration with local primary schools was one that created a real world magic in the coldest day of the year. Beautiful English and Bulgarian Christmas carols filled the Thomas Wall Centre hall and the hearts of our guests. We had All Saints Carshalton CofE School, Manor Park Primary School and Choir Maghiya warming us all up with their beautiful voices. One of the last performances featured a rendition of Sia's Snowman as our wish for a snowy Christmas. Guess what, when your intentions are strong and pure and you put your energy and love into something so powerful as music, magic does happen. As our guests were leaving the hall they were met by the most exciting flurry we had seen in many years around here. Real snowmen were made that evening by many children and adults, who went home still humming the carols, like in the good olden days.
Around The World Festival - June, 2023
We created Creative Heritage because we wanted to celebrate world cultures through music, dance and drama. All of us at the governing committee, have either attended or been part of such international festivals, where different cultures and traditions are presented. We wanted to bring this here in Sutton, because we see how diverse and colourful our borough is, but that diversity is not always celebrated, or not celebrated enough. Diversity is not just a buzz word that politicians use. Actually, it is a cornerstone for better education, community acceptance and mental health. When different individuals feel accepted and seen, they are more likely to integrate successfully, protect and enjoy the local community, enrich the lives of others in our borough. This is especially true and important for children and young people, who are our best hope for tomorrow. They need to know their roots, the traditions of their ancestors and the long-lasting history and culture of the country they live in. Around the world festival, in its first edition, brought together 140 guests and over 60 performers from diverse backgrounds at Cryer Arts Theatre, Carshalton. The energy generated that day was enough to keep us going for a whole year and create some of our most impactful community events.
Light of Souls - November, 2023
Because of the success of ATW Festival 2023, Creative Heritage was noticed by the local council and we received a lot of support from cultural services. We applied for funding to deliver Sutton Community Unity - a project that comprised from 5 different events in the space of 1 year. The first of these events was Light of Souls - a first-of-its-kind fusion celebration of the Indian Diwali festival and the Bulgarian All Souls Day, which reveres the souls of all our dearly departed. The event was held at Sutton Central Library and featured dance performances and a play, specially created to present the story of Orpheus and Eurydice from the Greek-Bulgarian-North Macedonian mythology. Our guests also had the chance to join in creative workshops for candle making and rangoli art. There was a photo booth where people could dress in traditional clothing and take pictures and a henna tattoo booth, which was extremely popular. All in all, this was a very entertaining and educational experience for most of our guests, who shared they discovered new facts about their own and other cultures they didn't know before.
Candlelight Christmas Songs & Stories - December, 2023
Just 3 weeks after the Diwali-All Souls celebration we were ready to create more magic, joy and beautiful memories for the residents of our borough. Our Candlelight Christmas concert featured 5 European nations and their Christmas traditions through songs and storytelling - England, France, Italy, Ukraine and Bulgaria. Although the old, jolly man in a red suit didn't make an appearance (you understand he is quite busy this time of year), he did send some of his personal elves to deliver gifts to all children in the audience. Of course, they had to put in some effort in order to receive their presents. We asked them to listen to the clues in the programme very carefully and fill a pass card they were given at the entrance. The highlight of the evening for our team was, however, the Wish Wall. Children and adults wrote their non-tangible wishes for Christmas. It was so pure and charging. It was positive energy generation for our community and the world at its best.
The Martenitsa Tree at Trinity Square - March 2024
Many Balkan nations celebrate Baba Marta day and the spring festival of the nature's rebirth. It is marked by wearing a bracelet or a small adornment made of red and white thread. These threads symbolise vitality and happiness. Creative Heritage wanted to bring more awareness of the festival to the borough and we decorated one of the trees on Trinity Square on the High Street with red and white fabric. For International Women's Day, we also added 24 portraits of remarkable women from all walks of life and cultures, some of which born and raised in Sutton. The Bulgarian community celebrated its National Holiday on 3rd March under the tree with some traditional songs and dances.
Care for the Hair - April 2024
Our next event from the Sutton Community Unity project was Care for the Hair - a seminar and workshop on practical tips for caring for different types of hair. We know that hair has deep cultural and personal significance in many ethnic communities, but it is especially strong in the communities from African and Caribbean decent. Our aim was to bring awareness, equip people with more knowledge about their hair and how it behaves, give them some practical advice on how to save money while taking good care of their hair, and most importantly, to instil in them self love, acceptance and confidence. It was really heart-warming reading the feedback forms from our attendees, who said they left the event feeling a lot better about themselves and they way they look. For us this was a clear sign we had achieved our objective. Later in the year, this event was brought to some local primary schools on request of their PTAs. We hope to continue holding these seminars and workshops in more community spaces and schools to educate and empower children and their adults from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Around the World Festival 2.0 - May, 2024
ATW Festival 2024 was bigger and better than its first edition, welcoming close to 300 attendees and 90 performers in 2 shows at Cryer Arts Theatre. It represented over 10 world cultures and created lasting memories for everyone involved. Although Creative Heritage produces all events, we take special pride in 2 of the performances we produced especially for the second edition of the festival. The first one was the adapted play of the Netflix hit series Bridgerton. The production brought together 20 local children to play the roles of the characters in Julia Quinn's first book, describing the lives of the British high society from the Regency era. The play was adored by the audience and it won 2 awards - Most Educational and Most Creative Performance. The second special production was a fusion dance and song medley to represent and unite two cultures currently at war - Israeli and Palestinian. We are firm believers that ordinary people of any nation deserve to live in peace and receive equal opportunities to simply live and enjoy their lives. And if anything can bring people together and help them embrace their differences, it is art in all its forms.
Community Schools Fair as part of Manor Park Fete - July, 2024
Our latest event was a collaboration between us, Sutton New Town, Manor Park Friends Group and Paws2Rescue. It was a fantastic family day out, attracting over 1500 attendees from the borough. There were many local charities, businesses and community schools represented. We all enjoyed an array of performances from dancers, singers and musicians. One of the highlights of the day was the dog show, organised and managed by Paws2Rescue. Our team met many new people and formed connections with other groups and local service providers, birthing new ideas for future events with high impact on the community.
So, that's how 2 years went for us in a nutshell. But as every 2-year old toddler, we are full of energy and urge to explore more of what's in for us in the world. In the Creative Heritage world, there are a lot more concerts, festivals, workshops, sporting events and the list goes on. So, instead of throwing a birthday party this year, we are getting straight back to work to bring you the community unity, recognition and joy you all deserve!
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