Walkers have been celebrating local carnival tradition with a series of artistic events animating a 100 mile walking trail as part of the Isle of Wight Walking Festival.
The participatory arts walk got underway yesterday (Saturday) and continues right through until Wednesday, linking nine carnival towns and villages. The walk was devised by the New Carnival Company in partnership with Ali Pretty, outdoor artist; Richard White, digital artist and Jeni Law; performance director.
Each leg of Carnival Trail connects iconic places and scenic landscapes in a celebration of the rich and diverse carnival heritage of the Island. A specially commissioned hand-painted silk banner, inspired by collected stories from each local carnival tradition, will be carried on each leg of the route. Mini parades involving Samba and Marching bands will greet the walkers as they arrive in each carnival town or village, accompanied by processions of school children bearing smaller handmade flags that were created in workshops with local artists.
In Yaverland yesterday, a marching band welcomed walkers to the seaside town of Sandown, which holds three carnivals during the Summer. The trail also visited St Helens and Shanklin.
It’s not too late to join the fun. Members of the public can join the whole five day walk, a single day, or just part of a day. People can even engage through digital interaction; being a virtual trail walker linked via a bespoke app and website.
Chris Slann, Executive Director, The New Carnival Company CIC, said:
“We are very excited to be kicking off a summer of carnival activity with this new project! This will be the very first time that the nine carnival associations on the Island have come together to work collaboratively on a major arts project so it is a landmark event which we hope will leave a very positive legacy, connecting local people and groups not only to each other but to the local environment.”
The project is supported with an award of £37,105 from Arts Council England’s National Lottery funded Grants for the arts scheme.
