London Mela 2012 – “A secret to be shared with the wider community”

In celebration of the creativity of London’s Asian community, the London Mela is returning to Gunnersbury Park this year for a cultural festival like no other. In an event that grows is popularity and prestige every year, London Mela 2012 will hold an impressive line-up of vivacious performers from all over the world as the park comes to life with a colourful mesh of dance, art, music, comedy and theatre.

On Sunday 19 August between 1pm and 9pm, Gunnersbury Park’s nine zones will be geared up for a celebration inspired by South Asian culture rejoicing London Mela’s tenth anniversary. In what the Evening Standard cited as being “A secret to be shared with the wider community”, this free festival is there to be enjoyed by every generation, which, in hosting a children’s area and a giant funfair, is geared up to be attended and enjoyed by children.

According to the London Mela website, the word ‘Mela’ derives from the Indian sub-continent from the words ‘sanskrit’ ‘to meet’ and ‘milana’ ‘to tune’, and is commonly used to describe a large gathering of people, typically at a festival.

The London Mela first took place in 2003 and became an immediate success, attracting a crowd of more than 60,000 people, with 90,000 attending the second year. Part of London Mela’s phenomenal success is that not only does it bring classical and traditional South Asian art to a wide audience, but it also provides a podium for up-and-coming British artists to become established.

On top of this the London Mela is one of the only melas in the United Kingdom to commission new work.

With a third of the visitors to the London Mela being from non-Asian communities, this highly acclaimed festival is a truly inter-cultural event and with cabaret, comedy, street circus, theatre, art exhibitions, dance, urban artists, a giant funfair and food from all over the world, this one-day event is there to be enjoyed by all the family from every community.

For more information on London Mela 2012 visit the official website at londonmela.org.