Outreach
Marsh Farm Carnival Connections
Started in February 2006 and running over 3 years, the UKCCA Marsh Farm Carnival Connections project delivers a co-ordinated arts and regeneration programme to the people who need it most. This powerful project provides capacity building and educational opportunities for residents, workers and school children on the Marsh Farm estate.
The programme successfully targets BME communities, and young people in particular through a programme of workshops in schools and youth centres. A dedicated programme of workshops for community groups runs parallel with this work.
Under the leadership and guidance of UKCCA and in close partnership with the Marsh Farm Community Development Trust, this creative programme uses Carnival Arts as a means of uniting the community and bringing the best out of individuals.
This project has already proved a positive catalyst for regeneration:
• Carnival Arts is a wide-ranging and engaging art form that is highly participative, and can be an effective vehicle for tackling a range of social issues and encouraging teamwork and community cohesion.
• Carnival arts builds pride in the community, develops the skill base of local people, enhances personal and social development, supports crime reduction initiatives for young people, and encourages new employment and greater social and economic mobility.
These are all the aims of the Carnival Connections project.
The MFCCP project seeks specifically to:
• tackle social exclusion, crime and anti social behaviour: by creating constructive activities for young people who are unemployed, socially excluded, disaffected or considered at risk of offending, thereby equipping them with practical skills
• promote inclusion, equality and community cohesion by bringing together people of different cultures, ethnic backgrounds and ages to participate in workshops and events
• stimulate capacity building by training local people, equipping them with skills and increased self-confidence
• enhance educational attainment: for example, the process of designing and making Carnival costumes stimulates creativity and practical skills, whilst encouraging team working by students
• tackle the issue of under-resourcing of the BME community: the MFCDT’s delivery plan emphasises the need for adequate resourcing of the Marsh Farm BME community in order to ensure they have an equal voice in community life. The MFCCP addresses this need by providing BME communities with access to training, skills development and other resources.
• promote and sustain the lifestyle and culture of BME communities by engaging and empowering them with the knowledge and skills of their heritage.
• build pride and confidence in participants and their neighbourhood by facilitating opportunities for them to showcase their successes and also by connecting them to local and town wide events, for example Luton International Carnival
• promote Marsh Farm’s image as a hub and noteworthy centre for creative and positive carnival arts activity.
Education
• The project also seeks to raise the attainment levels of young people by combining carnival arts to curriculum learning and even the daily lifestyles of young people.
• It provides an ambitious and inspirational outlet for those who might struggle with the main academic curriculum, by enabling opportunities for success through more creative media/mediums.
• Moreover, it certainly enhances personal and social development through consistent engagement in creative activities and team working.
Employment
• As with other regeneration enterprises, the MFCCP hopes that through the development of new skills it will provide a route to employment for local people… root to fruit. For example, participants can and are trained to deliver carnival arts workshops, including dance and craft, themselves.
• It also enables participants to obtain further qualifications , by building on the base of skills acquired through the project and using them to develop further in higher education, and/or on the job training.
Current Marsh Farm Carnival Connections activities…
This year three main groups will represent Marsh Farm in the parade at the Luton International Carnival.
In addition, there will also be a talented group of young musicians performing on the main stage. The annual Carnival is a hugely popular event and one of the key cultural festivals providing an excellent opportunity to showcase a range of carnival styles from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Digital Academy
Digital Academy is an annual music programme run by UKCCA to enable young people to explore Urban Music; compose and produce their own tracks. It is predominantly comprised of young people between the ages of 14 to 18 who love music and would like to take their interest a step further.
In the lead up to carnival, these committed and budding musicians spend their Saturdays in the recording studio with professional music producers who guide them until they’re ready to ‘lay the tracks’. Their performance on Carnival day is always worth waiting for!
Marsh Farm Carnival Groups 2008
The three costumed groups emerging from Marsh Farm are as diverse in their makeup as they are with their presentations and will be coming to Carnival en masse.
The Marsh Farm Outreach Team, a committee of residents devoted to the preservation and development of their estate will be re-enacting the history of Marsh Farm and plan to storm the town in full war regalia as Roman and Celtic warriors. The second group, slightly younger in age and approach, is a recently formed Street Dance group. This ‘hip’ and ‘happening’ bevy of ladies is led by a homegrown teenager and Marsh Farmer. They, like their counterparts are practicing every week to perfect their moves for the road. The third group of carnivalists plan to represent the races and faces that have made Marsh Farm what it is today. This group will be representing their school, Lea Manor High School and their community and are creating costumes that depict the varied ethnic and cultural makeup of the area, and town, by extension.
All of the groups work with professional artists either through structured weekly workshops or with consultations on how they should approach their costume construction or performances. This work shows just how inclusive and inspiring Carnival is and when the creative juices are flowing, the excitement is palpable.
If you’d like to get involved in this project or have ideas about potential outreach work that UKCCA could provide please contact info@carnivalarts.org.uk or call 01582 437100.