One StreetS Festival – Ledra Street, Nicosia

5th June 2010 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m

Celebrating multiculturalism in Nicosia’s city centre

The “Youth Leaders and Cultural Activists” group (supported by the Cyprus Network for Youth Development) is holding a multicultural street festival on Saturday, the 5th June from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., embracing and celebrating the mosaic of cultures living in Cyprus.

For two and a half hours various ethnic music and dance groups will be performing and participating in interactive activities along Ledra/ Lokmaci street, an area that has an outstanding historical and contemporary multicultural character, offering the unique opportunity to people to experience and interact with the many cultures that co-exist in Nicosia’s city centre.

The Ledra/Lokmaci street(s) has been divided for decades and the division resulted in the separation and understanding of that street as two different ones. However, the opening of the crossing point has brought a vital change in the human geography of the old Lefkosia/Lefkoşa, allowing the different and diverse cultural groups, inhabiting and using the old town to meet, communicate and be together.

Bringing together different people of the island and walking together among artists, musicians and performers on the street(s) that has been the symbol of ethnic and cultural division, the event aims to celebrate cultural diversity.

One StreetS Festival is an initiative of the enthusiastic group of ‘Youth Leaders and Cultural Activists’ acting within the framework of the Cyprus Network of youth Development – an island-wide network of currently 12 organizations that are actively engaged in youth work and non-formal education.

For more information about the One StreetS Festival, please contact the “Youth Leaders and Cultural Activists” representatives, Eleni Ioannou at +35799529212 and e_oxygen@yahoo.com or Deniz Urfali at +90 5428748123 and denizurfali@yahoo.com. For more information about the Cyprus Network for Youth Development, please visit: www.multiculturalcyprus.org.

For your information, the full schedule of activities will be:

11:00 -11:45 am: Gathering and welcoming at Ledra Street (near Eleftherias Square) in the company of a DJ.
11:45 am: Street parade through Ledra accompanied by jugglers, drummers and whistlers!
12:00-12:15 pm: Capoeira performance in front of Ledra Arcade
12:30 pm: Drum performance
12:30-1:30 pm: Live music near the checkpoint
1:00-2:00 pm: Live music at Lokmaci

Parallel activities
11:45 a.m.onwards:
Banner: YOUR VOICE
A Large Banner will be available for you to leave your messages/thoughts.

“Complaints Box: YOUR VOICE”
Participants will have the opportunity to write (anonymously) their thoughts and experience about living conditions in Cyprus.
Your responses will be then published in relevant articles and reports.

Arts Activities: CHILDREN
Children will create a ‘picture dictionary’ consisting of their drawings of different human values.

Face Painting: CHILDREN
Face-painters will be offering children a range of pictures to draw for them.