35 people representing carnival organisations from Leeds, London, Hastings, Milton Keynes, Nottingham and the Island joined The New Carnival Company in Italy recently for the country’s largest carnival weekend.
Pre-Lenten celebrations in Rio, New Orleans and Trinidad may be world famous, but the biggest floats of all are created in Italy at the spectacular carnivals in Viareggio.
Thanks to the organisational efforts of the Ryde-based The New Carnival Company, the group visited professional carnival artists and float builders at the purpose-built carnival Citadella (Float City) and were received in a special reception hosted by the President of the Fondazione di Carnevale Viareggio.
New Carnival Company founders Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink were invited to ride on the open fourth storey of the much publicised Trump float ‘Bang Bang!’ designed by the Cinquini brothers.
Frankie said:
“It was a real honour to ride atop this award winning float – a real ‘Hello Wembley’ moment. The crowds were fantastic. Everybody dresses up in costume and masks to come and watch, wouldn’t that be fantastic at Isle of Wight carnivals!”
The New Carnival Company has a long standing relationship with artists from Viareggio, who travelled to the Island in 2005 to create large puppets for Trafalgar Day celebrations. Each year they visit and support one another’s carnivals.
Chris added:
“We now have a formal Twinning agreement with the Fondazione and this has enabled us to host the trip for wider UK carnival organisers and makers. We put out the invitation to join us and were overwhelmed with the response from all over the country, it was a great experience!”
For more information contact Chris Slann at The New Carnival Company CIC on 01983 716095 or email [email protected].
