30th June 2023 – The Power of Unity!

30th June 2023 – The Power of Unity!

Cumbria Unity Festival is back this summer, in 4 venues across the county-supporting and encouraging people of all backgrounds & communities to come together and celebrate the many things that unite us!

The very first Cumbria Unity Festival was held in Carlisle in 2016-hosted by AWAZ Cumbria and supported by a wide range of statutory and third sector organisations. Over the next three years, the festival grew and reached a pinnacle in 2019 before it had to be cancelled in 2020 and held online in 2021 because of the Covid-19 epidemic. It returns once again this summer, in four venues county-wide and it’s bigger, cooler and more vibrant than ever before-members of the public are being encouraged to join in their local Unity Festival and Explore this year’s theme of ‘The Power of Unity.’

Cumbria Unity Festival consists of four individual free to attend festivals, held in Barrow, Carlisle, Kendal and this year, we also had a presence at Harbour Fest in West Cumbria. Each Unity Festival provides a unique space and welcomes people of all communities and backgrounds to:

Meet; Converse; Learn; Have fun; Explore new ideas; Find understanding and Build connections with each other.

Local Unity Festivals are open to all-there’s space for everyone, individuals, groups and families- festivals are free to visit in Barrow on 8^th July; Carlisle on 15^th July and Kendal on 22^nd July. We also had a presence at Harbour Fest, Whitehaven on 1^st July.

We truly believe there will be something of interest to everyone, with workshops, talks, entertainment on topics including:

Poetry; Music; Singing lessons and dancing; Architecture; Environmental projects/issues; History and art;

Arts and crafts and much, much more!

Guy Tirvengadum, Chair of AWAZ Cumbria and Chair of Cumbria Unity Festival, said “…The Cumbria Unity Festivals not only celebrate diversity but are a great opportunity to help build unity in our community. There are a wide variety of activities on offer like Boxability, learning how to challenge prejudice and an immersive experience of the journey of a refugee. The Cumbria Unity Festival continues to grow and in 2024 will include Eden/Penrith.”

Marcia Fotheringham, Patron of AWAZ Cumbria, said “As Patron for AWAZ, I am proud of our continuing Unity Festivals. We want Cumbria’s diverse community to do what they are good at – come together to celebrate us all!! It is a chance to get together, as individuals, couples, families and friends, to learn even more about each other. There are many things on offer – including great food and activities. The Unity Festivals are held over different weekends in different Cumbrian locations. Find one near you – and come along….. We’d love to welcome you!”

Cumbria Unity Festival brings people together in a unique and powerful way, to celebrate all that is good locally and explore ideas on how we can live in even better ways.