Looks like everyone involved in the opening ceremony for this year’s NatWest Island Games have been working very hard. This in from the organisers. Ed
On Thursday 10 February, proto-types of the costumes for the NatWest Island Games Opening Ceremony Parade, which have been designed by over 800 students from 38 schools will be shown for the first time at a Gala Event to be held at Medina Theatre in Newport in a performance involving experienced carnival performers.
The evening will also include a performance by “Mas Fusion” and “Youth Music Powerplay – Steelbeats”, the Carnival Learning Centre steel band which will perform for the first time in public prior to the NatWest Island Games’ Opening Ceremony which takes place on Saturday 25 June in Ryde.
History of the Island explored
The theme of the Opening Ceremony Parade, “an Extraordinary Island”, has been designed so that it tells the story of the Isle of Wight and will incorporate 20 “sections” or “chapters” which depict various historic and folkloric episodes in the history of the Island, starting with the dinosaurs and finishing with carnival island.
During November 2010, 800 students from the 38 local schools attended workshops at the Carnival Learning Centre where they learnt about the different styles of carnival costume making and what to consider when designing costumes, before using a variety of mixed media to create a range of design ideas relevant to their “section” in the Opening Ceremony Parade.
Collaboration between schools
The design process has involved students from different schools working together on the research of their appointed section and the designs for the costumes.
The designs produced for each section by the students, have now been created into one or two composite designs per section by Sharon George Creative Director for the Opening Ceremony and these are currently being made up into proto-types for presentation at the Gala event on 10 February. Around 40 costumes will be presented.
Onto the final product
Following this event, the Creative Director and her team of four carnival apprentices will work with teachers, parents and students from the schools to create the costumes which they will wear for the Opening Ceremony Parade.
The designs and proto-type sessions form part of a 14-month creative arts programme, funded by the National Lottery, for the production of a spectacular Opening Ceremony for the NatWest Island Games.
Large number of locals involved
Around 1500 local people will be involved in a highly choreographed carnival style extravaganza parade which will escort the thousands of athletes from the 25 competing Islands through the streets of Ryde and onto the seafront where the official Opening Ceremony will take place.
In addition to the costume designs being undertaken by the schools, 30 students from Medina High School are part of the “ždocumentary project team”Ÿ who, working with Jonathan Ward (photography) and Stratcat Films (DVD), will learn about the process of making a documentary, in readiness for working as part of the documentary team for the Opening Ceremony.
Their work will include recording the design process and costume making activities of the students and will form part of a souvenir book and DVD available to the public.
Funded by grants from Arts Council
An Arts Council grant of £94,099 funded by the National Lottery was awarded to the Island Games Association (IW) for the NatWest Island Games 2011 Opening Ceremony and Parade.
The IW Council”Ÿs Carnival Learning Centre are managing this large scale outdoor project which will engage a wide range of organisations and individuals in carnival arts and street arts training.
The outline plan for the Opening Ceremony project was formulated following consultation with schoolteachers and community leaders, and representatives from the Island Games Association, Extended Schools Service, Carnival Groups and the Carnival Learning Centre.
The NatWest Island Games are taking place on the Isle of Wight on 25 June – 1 July. This is an international event and will involve around 3,500 athletes and officials from 25 islands competing in a range of 14 sports.
For further information on the NatWest Island Games 2011 visit the website.
Image: © Claire Kay from Mas Fusion
