Diwali celebrations illuminate Chesterfield with culture, creativity and community spirit
A vibrant programme of Diwali celebrations has united communities across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire, showcasing acclaimed performers, engaging cultural workshops, and sand artistry.
Hosted by the Asian Association, the flagship event Echoes of the Soul took place at the Winding Wheel Theatre in October. It attracted over 200 attendees including local dignitaries such as MP Toby Perkins, Mayor Councillor Barry Dyke and Mayoress Marie Dyke, and councillors from Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire District Council.
The evening featured a dynamic fusion of Indian and Irish dance traditions, with performances by Kumar Sharma and the Kathak Rockers, alongside Belfast’s Irish Entertainment Group. Internationally renowned sand artist Sudam Pradhan captivated audiences with live sand animation and built a Crooked Spire model from 280kg of repurposed sand.
A charity raffle held during the event raised several hundred pounds for Ashgate Hospice, further highlighting the community spirit of the occasion.
Creative workshops
In addition to the main event, Sudam Pradhan, who runs his own sand sculpture museum in India, led a sand sculpture workshop for local students at Grassmoor Pavillion.
The renowned sand sculptor travels the world, creating stunning sand artworks for events and competitions. He inspired twenty-six children, including home-educated students, and their parents and guardians, and showed them how to create their own animal sculptures using the same sand later used for the Crooked Spire model.
Sudam’s visit also included a special performance at Ashgate Hospice, bringing joy to patients, families, and staff through music and movement.
A spokesperson from the Asian Association said: “It was an honour to host Sudam here in Chesterfield and bring something totally different to the town. Whilst here, Sudam wanted to build something local people could connect with, so it had to be Chesterfield’s most well-known landmark! He took real care to make sure he got the ‘crookedness’ of the spire just right!”
“The children absolutely loved learning some simple techniques to use the sand to make models and then using them to sculpt their own sand animals.”
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