Belfast Mela: ‘We learnt to speak to each other through music’

Nisha Tandon is the chief executive of ArtsEkta, the group behind the Belfast Mela festival.

“The word Mela comes from South East Asia and it means ‘getting together’ and that is what we really try to do here,” she said.

“There are no barriers and everyone is equal, no matter what.

“Mela brings a sense of pride to many diverse communities who call Northern Ireland their home and celebrates what the bring to the island.

Nisha continued that Northern Ireland has been “so welcoming” to many different cultures, “however, recently there has been a lot of issues”.

The organiser was referring to recent race hate violence, particularly in Belfast, which followed anti-immigration protests.

A number of homes and businesses belonging to ethnic minorities have been targeted, with police making dozens of arrests.

“Mela is a time to forget about these issues, celebrate inclusivity and work together to be united,” Nisha added.