What is Carnival?
Carnival celebrates the rich and diverse nature of our culture(s), giving both participants and spectators a special sense of identity in which religion and politics play no part. It is a colourful, joyful spectacle promising to entertain, delight and welcome all.
Examples of Carnival Art Forms
Carnival arts are probably the most ancient of all the arts, representing the ritual and celebration of human kind. They are derived from the very roots of carnival in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and South America and traditionally consist of: drum, dance, calypso, costume (masquerade) steel pan, stilt walking, street theatre, circus skills, and sound systems such as soca, chutney, rapso, samba, salsa, meringue.
Why Carnival?
- To encourage creativity, collaboration and celebration
- To bring communities together
- To establish shared space
- To build on shared heritage
- To include everyone from every background so carnival can become something the whole community can enjoy together – a carnival for all in a shared city
What Beat Does
Beat produces carnival programmes and performances – and we do this by fostering artistic excellence, providing community training, initiating cultural collaborations and bringing it all together in public celebration. It is our ambition to attract, and engage the imagination of, a broad range of audience from all sections of the community.
