Kingston celebrates diversity

01/01/04

Kingston celebrates diversity

Staff and students have been making the most of an opportunity to widen their cultural horizons. They have turned out in force for an action-packed programme of entertainment staged as part of the University’s push to raise awareness of disability issues and promote diversity in the arts.

Highlights included an evening of music, singing and drama when the Penrhyn Road campus played host to the Mega Ripple Cabaret in October. The artists, all of whom were disabled, included actor, writer, musician and presenter Mat Fraser, jazz singer and MTV regular Minka Green and performers from the Impact Theatre. Mr Fraser said the audience had been impressed by the quality of entertainment. “We are tired of our talent being ignored by the mainstream, so disability cabarets are a way for us to entertain people on our own terms,” he said.

The University also made an impact in the wider community. It teamed up with the Kingston Racial Equality Council, the police and community organisations to organise the Kingston Carnival – the first event of its kind in the Borough. Hundreds of people visited stalls and sampled activities ranging from henna tattooing to Asian and Caribbean dance and drumming workshops.