COLCHESTER’S rich and diverse community was celebrated at the return of the popular Rice and Spice Festival.

Organised by Colchester Ethnic Minority Forum and supported by a grant from Colchester Council, the event took place in the grounds surrounding Firstsite gallery.

A range of traditional activities were available for people to try including dancing and music from countries across the globe.

Visitors also had the chance to learn how to make Chinese dumplings, Japanese sushi or Syrian dolma as well as enjoy food from a range of different cultures.

Viba Osbon, co-ordinator of the festival, said: “We think it was well attended. It is hard to tell exact numbers but it was busy most of the time.

“The aim is to give a platform to people from minority backgrounds where they lead on something and everyone else joins in.

“It is great for community building and we had an amazing range of activities.

“By participating in events it raises our profile as minorities working together.

“We want to create opportunities for people to explore different cultures.

“We hope people will think about what they saw and maybe how they would like to get involved in the future. If we manage to get funding we will definitely return next year.”