After a two-year hiatus, the Bath Carnival is returning to the city centre to bring together people across B&NES and surrounding area for a celebration of culture, creativity and diversity.
Local schools, community groups, charities and freelance artists will collaborate throughout May-July to prepare their performances for the big day. Alongside hundreds of drummers and dancers, this year’s carnival will see new giant puppets, professional carnival costumes and pedal-powered structures combining to create a truly incredible artistic spectacle.
In addition to the street performances, the annual party returns to Sydney Gardens from 10am-10pm with a range of free, fun festival-themed activities for adults, children and families. A main stage will play host to an eclectic selection of live bands including Afrobeat and Neo-soul acts, live hip-hop groups and funk outfits.
Expect a carefully selected range of food and drinks, stalls as well as interactive workshops and free pitches for local charities. As always, children are well catered for with the totally awesome Super Pirates curating an action packed play zone with kid’s raves, giant inflatables, messy play, walkabout and group games.
The grown-ups can move indoors for an after-hours party at Komedia with the official after party taking the revelry into the earlier hours.
Community Outreach Programme
The theme of this year’s carnival is Mother Earth: Natural Habitats, with the organisers inviting the community to explore environmental issues, including the loss of natural habitats, through artistic expression.
Throughout May and June, experienced carnival artists and practitioners will be delivering new arts-based activities in the community including costume-making, puppetry, music and dance. Local children from schools across B&NES are already signed up to take part in the workshop programme, each joining a ‘carnival bloc’ themed around endangered animals – Sumatran tiger, sea turtle, British bee, Madagascan lemur, Union Island gecko and wild-fire.
Local charities will also be taking part in the creative process with services users from Achieve Together, Mentoring Plus, Wheels For All and Black Families Education Group receiving free and accessible arts, crafts and music sessions.
Community groups, local businesses and members of the public can sign up to perform in the procession via the website, with over 1,000 performers expected to take part on the big day.
Volunteers
As well as a fantastic team of industry professionals, there’s a supporting group of 100 volunteers that will play a vital role in delivering a safe and vibrant carnival. Members of the pubic are invited to sign up to a three-hour shift as a festival steward and can even do their shift with a friend.
No experience is necessary, with roles including basic tasks such as collecting donations in one of the authorised buckets, using a clicker to monitor footfall via one of the entrances and running the merchandise stand. Click the link to Sign up to volunteer here.