THE ISLE of Wight’s Carnival Learning Centre , the first in the UK truly dedicated to the spirit of carnival – is due to open its doors later this week — with a spectacular taste of the Caribbean.
The Right Honourable Charles Maynard Minister of Culture for the Bahamas will be flying in especially from the Caribbean Island to preside over the official opening ceremony at the prestigious centre .
Other guests at the glittering event which is taking place on Friday, April 25 include officials from the Learning and Skills Council and Arts Council England, who together have contributed around £450,000 to pay for the project.
The Bahamian delegation will be at the launch of the Centre to cement the excellent relationship that the Centre has forged with the Island nation and to promote the beginning of Junkanoo carnival courses which the Centre is due to stage this month.
Junkanoo is a unique festival celebrated in the Bahamas on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day every year. With its roots based in slavery, it is performed on the streets today accompanied by colourful dancers in hand made costumes and live music played on goatskin drums, cowbells and horns.
On Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 of April , the Centre will be offering a two-day ‘ taster ‘ workshop on Junkanoo where people taking part can make costumes, have a go at drumming and learn about dance moves from Miss Junkanoo Bahamas 2007.
The Centre is also offering a week-long costume building master class for Junkanoo beginning on April 27 and lasting until May 2.
The Carnival Learning Centre based at Westridge in Ryde will be operated by the Council’s Adult & Community Learning Service which is looking forward to offering a range of learning programes focussed around the skills associated with Carnival including construction, costume making, design, dance & movement.
It is anticipated that around 1,200 Island residents and people from the mainland the chance to learn a range of carnival skills at a the state of the art facility in the first year of its opening .
Inside the building there is a large multipurpose making and rehearsal space, a fully kitted workshop for structural projects and frame building, a state of the art ICT and Creative Media Suite, social area, library and storerooms.
All main rooms in the building have double door access to the outside. On the first floor sits the main office and administration suite with a separate meeting room and an elevated walkway.
The Centre is set to cement the Isle of Wight’s reputation as the carnival capital of the region.
The Island stages England’s oldest carnival in Ryde as well as up to 15 other carnivals across the Isle of Wight.
The new centre will become a beacon of excellence for teaching carnival skills — not just on the Isle of Wight but throughout Britain.
The Isle of Wight already has a deserved reputation as the carnival learning centre of the United Kingdom and is the only place in Britain that teaches accredited carnival courses at the equivalent of A level.
Felicity Harvest Executive Director Arts Council England South East said: “The Isle of Wight enjoys a long and rich history of carnival. The Ryde Carnival itself is reputedly the oldest in England – at one time enjoying the patronage of Queen Victoria. More recently of course the Island has benefited from the energy, ambition and imagination of Chris and Frankie who have been working here over the last six years to develop carnival in collaboration with hundreds of artists, schools and community groups. I believe the island now has 18 summer carnivals and 10 winter carnivals. Quite rightly it has become the undisputed carnival capital of the south east, with a reach that spans nationally and internationally.”
Martin Lamb, Area Director for LSC Hampshire and Isle of Wight said: ” The opening of the learning centre is a clear example of how island residents are now being offered innovative and exciting learning opportunities. The teaching and learning being offered to students will help to create the colourful and exciting display of carnival and is only part of the excellent work being undertaken in the field of adult and community learning on the island. ”
Councillor David Pugh Isle of Wight Council leader and cabinet member for leisure said: “The Isle of Wight has a deserved reputation as the Carnival Capital of the South.
“I am delighted that the Bahamian delegation is coming to our official opening ceremony and look forward to working with them both in the immediate future and in the years to come.”
