Crawley Fusion Street Festival wows shoppers and residents

Produced by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Crawley Borough Council and supported by Arts Council England, the event saw shoppers turn out in their hundreds to watch the colourful festivities despite the ever fluctuating Great British weather.

Audiences saw exciting acts such as Phase 5 Steel Band who delighted with their signature Reggae and Calypso hits and Celebration Samba who wowed everyone with their high energy carnival beats.

Also in attendance were the Electric Cabaret Street Mimes who processed around the town centre taking pictures with fascinated onlookers.

The Dancing Maharajas brought the house down bringing a festival feel to the area despite the rain and wowed standers by with their interactive and vibrantly dynamic performances.

Gurvinder Sandher, artistic director of Cohesion Plus, said: “We were so proud to bring the Crawley Fusion Street Festival to Crawley and were completely determined to put on a good show regardless of the weather.

"Life during a pandemic has certainly been difficult and challenging for all so we wanted to bring some colour and energy back to public spaces in a safe and responsible way, celebrating diverse arts and shared values.

"We also wanted to bring people together after such a long time being apart, regardless of their background, ethnicity, faith or gender.

"We would like to especially thank Crawley Borough Council for their partnership on this event.

"Planning and delivering outdoor activity now comes with its own set of challenges post lockdown and we are grateful to the council for their help and support.

"Further thanks goes to Arts Council England for their unwavering support of our work.”