Festival will celebrate 'vibrant cultures and communities'
A FESTIVAL celebrating the town's vibrant cultures and communities is returning this weekend.
Ferham Festival is set to be packed with activities, live performances, workshops, stalls, and creative showcases at the event at Ferham Park on Saturday, August 17 from 10am to 4pm.
Entertainment and educational experiences will include Mughal Miniatures – a series of pop-up, living pictures inspired by the traditional art of Indian and Persian miniature painting.
Fussy Foodies will perform The Battle of The Pans, an interactive game show celebrating food history, music, roots, and culture.
Giant puppet Hope the Hedgehog, born from an Artful project in March 2023, will spread her message about climate change and nature recovery, and the Bombay Baja Brass Band, Europe’s leading Indian brass band, will perform a unique blend of popular Indian melodies and powerful dhol drum rhythms.
Additionally, attendees can enjoy dance performances by the Tamil Group, as well as and Right to Play with Pif-Paf Theatre, along with a series of workshops including flag-making, Mandala art, traditional music, weaving, and ceramics.Rotherham United Community Trust will be hosting a sports area including boxing demonstrations and BMX riding sessions.Noor Salih, creative engagement officer at Flux Rotherham said: ‘I’ve spent my entire life in Ferham – since the 90s I’ve been attending Ferham Festival – I’d rock up first thing in the morning to help set up tables and chairs as a kid!‘To have worked with communities, international partners and be part of the team that supports the festival has been a childhood dream. This festival is vital to our communities, one of the first in Rotherham to celebrate the identities of the people at a grass roots level.’
As a part of the pre-festival community engagement programme, Flux Rotherham, in collaboration with the Children’s Capital of Culture, has been working with primary schools in the area to create original songs that celebrate both Rotherham and the upcoming festival.
The heartfelt compositions, crafted by young students, will be showcased on the festival stage.
Children’s Capital of Culture has also supported Rationale Arts in developing a dynamic dance routine, featuring the talents of Liberty Church, which will make its debut on the festival stage, too.