St George’s Day – Kent

The St. Georges Day parade is a partnership with Cohesion+, Same Sky and schools in both Gravesham and Dartford. For the past 11 years Same Sky has been working in both primary and secondary schools creating items, to either wear or carry in the parade. Each year we work with around 1,500 children and young people across 25 schools, running workshops over a two weeks period in the run up to the parade.

St George was born in Lydda, Roman Palestine and became and Officer in the Roman Army. He believed in equality and tolerance and he fought for his soldiers rights to believe in which ever faiths they had chosen.

His message of tolerance to all faiths is still very relevant to this day. He believed that we should all be able to have our own faiths so long as we did not hurt others. We talk to the students about what a caring and honourable man he must have been for people to still be celebrating his life as an example today, 1,500 years on.

We believe our work in this area of England is unique as far as we’re aware this is the biggest St Georges day parade in the country. The workshops and parade are extremely well received by the young people and children of Kent as well as their families and the rest of the community, St Georges story has encouraged diversity, tolerance and unity in the Kent community and would work well in any City or town.

Artists participating: Paul Render, Sandrine Case, Sara Harris, Seamus Waters France, and Rebecca Tucknott,

In partnership with Cohesion+ and Kent Equality Cohesion Council