Carnival Opportunities

Art Shape works with partners to produce inclusive carnival parade pieces and to address disability access, diversity and skills development to enhance Gloucester's annual carnival.

Even though Carnival has been cancelled for 2021, we will keep working with the City’s communities this year through the Open Road project to lift our spirits in challenging times!

There are no current opportunities.

Develop your skills in outdoor arts through 2 intensives to create 10-20 minute ‘pop-up’ carnival performances for 2 areas of Gloucester	Try out our ‘Universal Design’ informed approaches enabling a wider diversity of performers, with differing movement possibilities, to showcase their 100% on the road!
Collaborate with renowned inclusive dance and carnival professionals from London, Brazil and Switzerland (Jürg Koch, Suzie Birchwood, Manuela Benini, Ray Mahibir)	Be part of the national ‘Open Road’ project exploring disabled people’s participation in carnivals from the Isle of Wight, to London, to Huddersfield (with New Carnival Company, Together 2012! and Callaloo Carnival Arts)

Criteria for Performers:

Age 12 – 65+
Have performance experience and/or training (e.g. in dance, drama, circus skills, etc)
Able to follow and memorize movement sequences
Have an interest in processional performance / outdoor arts
Happy to participate in both improvised and set movement material

Comfortable with audience interaction
Interested in learning new approaches, working with disabled and non-disabled peers
Confident / able to rehearse in a large, indoor Covid risk-assessed space with up to 20 others.

Criteria for Makers:

Age 12 - 65+
Have enthusiasim nad some skills in making/ crafting
Sewing experience would particulary seful as would practice skills such as woodworking etc.
Have an interest in carnival / outdoor arts
Interested in learning new aproaches, working with disabled and non-disabled peers
Able to attend masterclass on 9th & 10th June
Confident / able to participate in making in a large, indoor Covid risk-assessed Mas Camp with c.10 others

Project background:

We are exploring ways of enabling a wider diversity of performers (with different movement possibilities) to access the same high-quality parade performance. This is an exciting opportunity to work with internationally renowned professional artists including inclusive dance specialists Jürg Koch and Suzie Birchwood, Brazilian carnival choreographer Manuela Benini and Trinidadian costume designer Ray Mahibir of Sunshine International Arts. The production of our parade piece is part of a national project, ‘Open Road’, which is addressing the barriers disabled people face in accessing Carnival. Partners are New Carnival Company (Isle of Wight), Together 2012! (London) and Callaloo Carnival Arts (nr. Huddersfield).

Carnival celebrations. Performers in vibrant colourful costume, dancing.

Funded by: