Mela means ‘to meet’. Every year thousands of people across the country flock to these large scale festive events, to meet friends and family, to celebrate and to engage in cultural activity. Melas highlight the discoveries, delights and challenges of our shared cultural identity, they are a welcoming place in which different ethnic and cultural communities can come together.
Melas, have been part of the UK’s cultural landscape for over 30 years. They attract attendances of over 500,000 people a year, for many of whom the Mela may be the only arts event they visit.
The Mela Partnership was initiated and has been led by Nutkhut for the past five years. It’s a national network of festivals and producers working within the Mela sector..
The Partnership shares learning and advocates for Mela as a vital cultural activity. It supports eight festivals in towns and cities with Diaspora communities. The partnership increases understanding and awareness of Mela and highlights its important contribution to social cohesion.
The current Mela Partners are: Eden Arts, Creative Black Country, Bournemouth – Arts By The Sea Festival, Bradford Mela, Coventry Mela, Eden Arts, Hull Indian Mela, London Mela, Luton Mela, Manchester Mega Mela, Newcastle Mela, Preston City Mela, Sandwell and Birmingham Mela, Art Asia – Southampton Mela Festival, Cohesion Plus and Tunbridge Wells Mela.