The New Carnival Company (NCC) recently travelled to Dublin to present last year’s IW Mardi Gras project ‘Global Biospheres’ at the 2019 EuroMAB.
This 4-day biennial conference is for countries that participate in UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, and its World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
NCC’s Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink were invited to talk about the Mardi Gras, which focused on creating a better understanding of UNESCO Biospheres. This theme supported IW Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’s (AONB) current bid for the Island to become a UNESCO Global Biosphere. The 686 designated biosphere areas across the globe aim to promote conservation, while fostering sustainable economic and human development.
The New Carnival Company’s presentation came under the conferences Local Actions for Global Challenges initiative, specifically looking at the impact of arts and culture, and how these can be developed in the context of biospheres.
Chris Slanm said:
“Our project sees local schools looking at biospheres around the world, and it’s a really creative way of exploring the concept. We also spoke to several other organisations that have delivered arts projects to engage the local community, so it was great to come away with ideas about how we could collaborate.”
NCC met with 200 delegates from 30 different European countries, as well as South Korea, USA and Canada, and formed a closer relationship with the UK MAB, some of who attended the Mardi Gras 2019 launch in Newport last year.
The trip was supported by IW AONB, who will be finding out if their bid for the Island to become a UNESCO Global Biosphere has been successful just a few days before the 2019 Mardi Gras in Ryde.
This year’s IW Mardi Gras takes place on 29th June 2019.
