Cohesion Plus were invited to take part of a panel discussion hosted by Margate’s People Dem Collective discussing creative programming specifically for Black and Brown led organisations and groups.

The panel discussion took place at Olby’s Creative Hub and panel members included Gurvinder Sandher MBE, Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus, Victoria Barrow – Williams, co-founder of People Dem Collective and Eli Thompson, owner of Olby’s and social activist.

The aim of the panel was to demystify the programming process and discuss ways of providing much needed platforms for Black and Brown artists, organisations and groups. Discussions also focused on funding, best practice and empowering small organisations to shape their content using their distinct voices.

Gurvinder Sandher MBE commented, “I was so pleased to not only work with our partners People Dem Collective again but also be a part of this panel. Back when we were starting out, we didn’t really have much in the way of support or mentorship. We pretty much had to figure everything out by ourselves and had to break down many barriers along the way. Now we are in a position to give back and help small organisations with their own development and we take that very seriously. If more large scale organisations took the time to extend their experience and knowledge to small, grass roots community groups and organisations, we would all be in a better position, embodying authentic representation across the board. Special thanks go to People Dem Collective for involving us as always.”