Ryde Carnival Association

Carnival dates for 2012 announced

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:42:41 +0000

Ryde Carnival Association are pleased to announce the dates for Ryde Carnival 2012, they are:-

Children’s Carnival Friday 10th August 2012

Main Carnival Saturday 11th August 2012

Illuminated Carnival 1st September 2012

The date for the Ryde Arts Festival parade are still to be finalised, and may be the 30th June 2012 we will confirm this date as soon as possible.

OPen Meeting of the RCA

admin — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:38:13 +0000

An open meeting of the Ryde Carnival Association is being held at the Carnival Learning Centre, Westridge, Ryde. on Wednesday 9th November 2011 from 7.30pm. Any one who lives in the Ryde and District area and are interested in joining the association or helping during the carnival season for 2012 are welcome to attend.

Visits to other Carnivals

admin — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 18:22:32 +0000

Ryde Carnival Association spends much of the summer visiting other carnivals on the island supporting our colleagues from other towns. We are pleased to say that we now have three new Photograph albums up on the website from our visits to Newport, Sandown Main and Shanklin Main Carnivals.

They can be viewed from our gallery page

admin — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:02:45 +0000

14th NatWest Island Games Opening Parade an ‘Extraordinary Island’

admin — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:02:28 +0000

The 14th NatWest opening parade took place on 25th June 2011. This replaced the Ryde Arts Festival parade for this one off carnival extravaganza. 9 months in the making this was a very special carnival parade comprising of 20 chapters showing the history of the Isle of Wight from the time of the dinosaurs to the current day. The Carnival Centre produced this display by working with local community groups, carnival associations and schools from around the island with the leadership of Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink and Artistic Director Sharon George, with them worked 4 apprentices who coordinated the production of the costumes for the event.
To say that the opening ceremony was spectacular is an understatement. The parade was called an ‘Extraordinary Island’, which was a fantastic feast of colour on sound that was eco-friendly and inclusive. Of the first time there were no lorries with sound systems but Golf buggies, Eco-Sound systems and everything used in the ceremony could be recycled and used again for future carnivals on the island and further afield.

The parade started from two places, the first part in Simeon Street Recreation Ground, where all the schools and groups met to get ready on a dry, sunny but windy day, with live music, and a big screen to watch the opening ceremony on. The second was at Dover Park School where 4,000 athletes were also entertained to Steel Pan music and English Morris Dancing by the Bloodstone Morris, the Oyster Girls, and the Men of Wight.

The parade set off from Simeon Street along the Esplanade to cheers and rapturous applause, and then the Athletes joined the tail end to walk though the town. They were warmly greeted by the locals who came out in their thousands to enjoy what had to be the best carnival ever seen on the Isle of Wight. The athletes paraded past the President of the Island Games and Lord Coe who heads the Olympic 2012 committee.

You can now see the Photographs of the parade on the Ryde Carnival website 2011 Gallery page

Vote for Ryde Carnival in The Great Exhibition 2011

admin — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:33:36 +0000

You have the oportunity to vote for Ryde Carnival as one of the Great Events in Great Britian. To vote hit this link http://www.thegreatexhibition2012.co.uk/greats/ryde-carnival?fbu=591946531 and register, you can even add your own choice as well.

2011 Carnival theme announced

admin — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 23:32:43 +0000

Ryde Carnival Association are pleased to announce their theme for 2011.

This year we are building a traditional style float to celebrate the Island’s long tradition of Carnival Queens. Our theme is based around the Britannia legend. In AD43 the Romans first named our Islands “Britannia” and promptly gave our country a national logo - a goddess, armed with a trident and shield and wearing a helmet. To this day the Britannia goddess still personifies our country. She first appeared on our coinage in 1672 and can still be seen on our 50p coins and on many of our postage stamps.

Look out for the float during the Island Games 2011 opening parade on 25th June 2011, and of course during the other carnivals around the island.

Meeting for CLC postponed

admin — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:20:35 +0000

The blue sky meeting at the Carnival Learning Centre on Thursday 2nd December at 7.30 - 8.30. Has been postponed until Thursday 9th December because of the unpresendated snow we have had on the island for the last few day.

If you can’t make it, but want to help, support, offer advice please give me a ring or email.

Lantern Parade Postponed

admin — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:16:32 +0000

The Carnival Learning Centre regrets that tomorrows (Saturday 4th December) annual Ryde Lantern Parade will not be going ahead as planned. Many lanterns are sill locked in schools which remain closed and with such uncertainty over the weather situation we cannot guarantee the safety and wellbeing of both participants and public.

.We are optimistic that we will be able to organise a scaled down event including the firework finale on Wednesday 15th December. We hope you can make it!!

Open letter to the Island and Carnival Supporters

admin — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 18:38:45 +0000

Dear friends - You are no doubt aware that there are due to be massive cuts in the IOW Council budgets in the next few months. This, and the way that adult education will now be funded, or not, means the future of the Carnival Learning Centre is under serious threat.

BUT MAY BE IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY!

If there is sufficient community support there might be a way forward to ensure the survival of the centre and the carnival development programme that is recognised nationally as a best practice model. The bare bones of a plan would entail:-

Establishing an independent organisation with charitable legal structure, management committee and robust business plan. The Carnival Academy??
Like minded projects and organisations would need to be based here with a clear understanding of how they can work independently and collectively to develop work both on and off the Island.
Agreeing an asset transfer arrangement with the Council. The Centre was refurbished and much of the equipment was purchased with external funding. There are caveats within the funding agreement that the building and it’s contents should be retained for arts and learning purposes for a number of years.
Successfully tendering for contracts from the IOW Council (or whoever will be responsible for delivering adult and community learning) to deliver outcomes for the Skills Funding Agency. These would need to be delivered through activities of the core organisations working from the building.
Agreeing a three year funding package with the Arts Council. The Arts Council are aware of these early plans and are supportive. They believe there is a considerable legacy to protect.
Retaining all of the existing contracts with organisations like Art Asia, Youth Music, PUSH, WWLP and developing new ones.

Obviously there is a long way to go in a short space of time. To make this have any chance of becoming a raging success we need to be sure that the carnival community is behind the idea and wants to be an active part of the plan.

As such we are calling an initial meeting so interested parties can contribute to a plan. The above may be it - probably a better one will emerge!

So - if you can contribute, if you have an opinion or an idea, please come to a blue sky meeting at the Carnival Learning Centre on Thursday 2nd December at 7.30 - 8.30. (Frankie and I will buy the mince pies). If you can’t make it, but want to help, support, offer advice please give me a ring or email.

With very best wishes

Chris

Carnival Centre Development Manager
Carnival Learning Centre
Westridge
Brading Road
Ryde
Isle of Wight
PO33 1QS
Tel 01983 817283 | Mob 07976 009040 | Fax 01983 817280