THE Celebration of Culture returns to Truro on Saturday (August 1), and this year it’s a collaboration between grassroots Black-led community organisations from across Cornwall, each bringing ideas, energy, skills and creativity to the event on Lemon Quay from 11am to 5.30pm.

Richy Bongo and Cornwall Reggae will provide entertainment featuring DJs, dance and live music - including Falmouth Community Gospel Choir, pictured; while CocoBean Cornwall will lead the food quarter, showcasing incredible flavours from around the world in partnership with the Cornwall Women of Colour Collective. Look out for opportunities to discover the stories and traditions behind the food.

Kowetha - Cornwall, a community group for parents raising children of Black, Asian, other minority ethnic and mixed heritage origins, will run a vibrant family space known as the Joy Village, alongside interactive fun with Cosplay Without Limits and storytelling creativity from Calabash Bridge – an online community and a “home away from home” for people of all cultures, tribes and nations.

Finally, the Community Square will host some of the many groups working to foster diversity across Cornwall discover what's happening in your community, make connections and find new opportunities to get involved.

The event will also see the launch of a new three-year plan for supporting the Black community to thrive and succeed, nurturing new Black-led organisations throughout Cornwall and supporting those already in existence.

Cornwall currently has around 18,300 Black and ethnic minority residents – around 3.2 per cent of the population, according to the most recent census. BVC chief executive Joyte Brown said: “It is wonderful to see how many new organisations led by Black people have spung up in Cornwall since the foundation of BVC six years ago.

“Our new strategy responds to this trend. Our original mission was to deliver anti-racism training to White-led organisations, schools and businesses, but the community now wants to us to support them to succeed and thrive as citizens in Cornwall.”

The festival is free to attend, with donations encouraged on the day.