The Plymouth and Devon Racial Equality Council hosted the first kite festival I Plymouth, the Respect International Kite Festival, on June 10th, 2023. It was a day of fun and cultural exchange as we celebrate the diverse traditions of kite flying from around the world. The aim of the Kite Flying Festival is to bring people of all ages, abilities and cultures together to celebrate the diversity of the City.
From India to Brazil, kite flying is a beloved pastime and we want to bring that joy to Plymouth! In doing this we also hope to bring people together to look at the commonalities that we share and breakdown negative myths and bias to build a more friendly and caring society. This is even more important during the time of finanical crisis, where people seek to blame ‘the other’ for their situation.
The event is totally free to be inclusive for all. We ran series of free workshops in various communities (including learning disabilities) and schools, prior to the festival and will had a workshop on the day, so that everyone was able to participate in the kite flying fun.
The festivalhelps to improve the mental health and well being of families and individuals by encouraging them to take part in outdoor activities, make new friends and networks.
The online kite flying workshop and online collection of stories about Kite flying will be a continuing resource for schools and community groups.
PDREC aim is to build a just and fair society where everyone has an equal opportunity to live, learn and learn, free from prejudice, discrimination, and racism. We value diversity and work in partnership with individuals and organisations who are committed to anti-racism and race equality.
One of the aims and objectives of Plymouth and Devon Racial Equality Council is to tackle racism and inequality at a strategic level. We work with organisations to help them to appraise the culture of the organisation at a systemic level and identify areas of racism and inequality.
We do this by sitting on a wide range of boards at a strategic level and acting as a ‘critical friend’ to highlight areas of inequality and bring about changes to policies and service provision.
We align with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
