'Be proud of where you are from': Students lead culture celebration
A student-led day celebrating identity and heritage took over Suffolk New College's Ipswich campus, with young people from across the world sharing traditional clothing, dance and food with their peers.
Why it matters: The college says the event was created in response to student requests for a day that "champions harmony not division" – with organisers hoping to make it an annual fixture.
The details: Cultural Day began with the launch of the Global Food and Pita Festival, an annual food-themed showcase the college describes as bringing communities together to promote respect for different cultures.
A series of happenings then took place in the main atrium of the Ipswich campus, including:
- Stands run by students promoting different countries
- A fashion show featuring traditional clothing from learners' countries of birth
- Kurdish and Flamenco dance routines
- Music from around the world played throughout
What they're saying: Alan Pease, principal and chief executive of Suffolk New College, spoke at the launch of the festival.
"Our wonderful college is a microcosm of Ipswich. We are a wonderfully diverse community, both as a college and a county and we are delighted to be once again supporting this event," he said.
Christina Jordan, an ESOL progress tutor at the college, said: "Students from across college have come together to see their cultures represented. It's important that every student feels a sense of belonging. I'm very proud of what they have created."
Shots from the culture day held at Suffolk New College (Photo: Suffolk New College)
Naureen Mahmud, 17, from Ipswich, who is studying a level 3 teaching assistant course, was one of the organisers.
"We made a plan to go ahead with Cultural Day, and everyone got involved. The college supported and backed us. It was all about being proud about where you are from. We hope to make this an annual event," she said.
Mahamoud Bassel, 19, from Ipswich, who is studying English and maths, said the day had value beyond entertainment. The Syrian-born teenager, who hopes to study a health and social care course next year, said: "It's a good thing to know about other countries, cultures and religions."
The bottom line: Suffolk New College's first Cultural Day brought together students from across the world to share their heritage with classmates, with organisers now hoping the event will return next year.
Don't forget: If you enjoy our content, please add Ipswich.co.uk as a "preferred source" on Google so you can easily find more of the content you value.
This article cost us ~£21 to produce
It's free for you to read thanks to the generous support of our partners. Please support us by supporting them.
Below the line