Beat Carnival

Creativity Collaboration Celebration

Who we Are

Beat Carnival is a full-time, producing, Carnival Arts organisation, established in 1993. We create carnival arts, organise and produce performances, train and develop artists and encourage community participation and ambition.

We operate from Beat Carnival Centre where we deliver many hundreds of free workshops and training programmes with thousands of individuals each year. Activities range from drumming to costume design, dance to puppetry, neighbourhood celebrations to large-scale outdoor events. In this way, we help develop creative skills, for all abilities, with participants as young as four and as old as – well, we wouldn’t like to say! We are committed to supporting artists and improving quality of life in our communities and the carnival sector as a whole. 

To hire us… to design and stage an event for you, coordinate an arts outreach programme, or provide entertainers: see the HIRE US page. Want to take part in our training courses? See what’s on offer at  JOIN US.

Our Siren Song

Join our Carnival on the Coast on 17th May 2025
news

Happenings, Opportunities and Stories

Beat Carnival video Documentary 2021

CREATING ST PATRICK'S DAY PARADE

Play Video
Beat Carnival Video Documentary 2021
CREATING ST PATRICK'S DAY PARADE in Belfast

Look behind the scenes at Beat Carnival Centre, community workshops and some of the past Parade events.

WTS? Project book launched

what's the story?

Published March 2022
What's the Story?

A collection of short stories written and illustrated by young people living in North Belfast. 

 

Created with the support of Beat Carnival and The Executive Office. 

 

Belfast SAINT patrick's day 2023

VOICES OF BELFAST

Belfast Saint Patrick's Day Parade 2023
#BelfastStPats

• VOICES OF BELFAST • 2023 Beat Carnival’s Belfast music culture themed St Patrick’s Day Carnival Parade with 870 participants. Commissioned in Belfast City Council’s St Patrick’s Day Creative Development Programme, it’s one element of the extended 2023 Belfast St Patrick’s Festival 10 – 19 March. ‘Voices Of Belfast’ was the first new SPD Parade production following from the 2022 Pilot Programme and Beat’s ‘We Are All Patrick’ pilot SPD Pageant. 

What We Do

Services

Services
Arts Access, Participation and Inclusion

We have expertise in engaging all ages and abilities; individuals, groups, neighbourhoods, the town or city; promoting creativity and good relations through arts:

  • Taster sessions and arts for beginners
  • Skills training and advancement
  • Tailored facilitation for particular and special needs
  • Reaching audiences of 10 or tens of thousands
  • Animating public spaces and places
Services
Arts Design and Production

We design and produce arts items for parades, stage, event sites:

  • Carnival float construction
  • Carnival props and puppets
  • Costume design and production
  • Costume hire for large groups
  • Site or stage design and dressing
Services
Performance

Our performers create truly memorable entertainment for events:

  • Carnival characters – unique, costumed entertainers to bring colour, comedy and class to your event
  • BEATnDRUM samba band – our in-house percussion band specialising in Afro-Brazilian and contemporary styles of street drumming. We can tailor the performance to match the scale of your event and budget
  • Other styles of music performance can be provided
Services
Festivals and Events

We have expertise in all aspects of events creation, delivery and management:

  • Bespoke devising and design
  • Planning, production and performance
  • Community engagement, fun and celebration
  • Training provision
  • Low environmental impact methodologies
Services
Collaboration

We work in partnership with communities and organisations  on short or long term arts programmes and projects:

  • Creative consultations and strategies
  • Collaborative projects – local and international.
  • Devising and delivering community arts
  • Funding assistance or partnership