PAST EVENT: Celebrate!
The Compelling Case for Carnival Learning
Portsmouth Guildhall. April 29 & 30 2016
presented by Carnival Network South in association with Artswork
Carnival Network South is delighted to be offering a regional two-day conference focusing on the successes and positive impacts of carnival related learning activity.
Carnival and the celebratory arts are hugely positive events for communities and participants. As an educational tool carnival arts offer a pathway to further learning, increase awaremness and experience of diversity and boost the confidence of participants opening doors to further study and employment opportunites.
With it's focus firmly on young people and life long learners "Celebrate!" is bringing together teachers, youth workers, carnival creators, participants and policy makers. Together we will explore and explain how Carnival can work to the benefit of you, your students, your organisation and your community.
How can carnival learning support the needs of those working in Public Health, Restorative Justice or Health and Wellbeing?
How can carnival activities help housing associations address community cohesion, diversity awareness and pride of place?
Over two busy days at Portsmouth Guildhall "Celebrate!" will ask questions, provide answers and demonstrate best practise examples of both formal and informal learning in school and community settings. "Celebrate!" will host dialogue, discussion and debate with workshops, presentations, conference sessions and evening entertainment.
"Celebrate!" goes beyond being a carnival conference for just the carnival sector - it will be an opportunity to explore the wider context of creative carnival learning opportunites. By bringing a diverse range of dedicated delegates together "Celebrate!" aims to have a wider impact on learning providers as well as those who can influence activity and policy across a spectrum of education providers and community development organisations.
We'll also be taking to the streets filling Guildhall Square on Saturday afternoon with a youth carnival showcase and a big screen showcasing carnival highlights from across the region.
Friday 29th April
PAST EVENT:
"Celebrate!: the compelling case for carnival learning"
29 &30 April 2016
Portsmouth Guildhall
The Conference Programme
Bringing together policy makers, creators, teachers, youth workers, school governors and health and community workers alongside representatives from the regions bridge organisations, universities, the Arts Council of England and, of course, carnival participants "Celebrate!" will provide a unique forum for discussion, dialogue and debate and a new opportunity for involved parties from all sides to examine and evolve the role of the participatory arts in education today.
Saturday 30th April
Our "Celebrate!" registration desk will be open from 10.00am giving delegates the opprtunity to have a coffee or two, browse through their conference pack and our conference "market place" with more information about Carnival and the participatory arts from across the region.
After a short welcome at 11.15 from Julz Davies (Chair of Carnival Network South) we have the first of the days four keynote speakers:
11.30: "Why Arts Council England places such value in engaging young people in high quality carnival activity"
Nick Green is a Combined Arts Relationship Manager for Arts Council England. He is based in the SW area and works to develop the carnival, festival, circus and outdoor arts sectors in England.
11.45: "The Cultural Education Challenge".
Jane Bryant, Chief Executive of Artswork.
Artswork is one of the 10 "bridge" organisations across the UK leading the challenge to create Cultural Education partnerships connecting schools, children and young people with arts and cultural activity.
12.05 Questions from the floor
12.10: "The Compelling case for Carnival learning".
Ian Comfort. CEO, The Academies Enterprise Trust.
The trust is Britain's largest network of primary, special and secondary school academies and as it's CEO and as a director and trustee of London's Carnival Village Trust Ian Comfort is uniquely placed to evaluate the role and the position and the possibilities for carnival learning within our education system.
12.30 Questions from the floor
12.40 Lunch. Delegates will be offered a selection of sandwiches, a fresh fruit platter and drinks.
1.30 Wake Up Call! with Julz Davies and Yetta Elkins band leader of Raw Samba
1.45 Edukayshun, edukayshun, edukayshun...
Vix Lowthion is a teacher with 17 years experience, a mother of three and The Green Party spokesperson for education. At "Celebrate!" she'll outline her personal belief in the value of arts within the curriculum and speak of her parties vision for education in the UK.
2.00 Questions from the floor.
2.05: "It All Adds Up: Creating a Cohesive Approach to Carnival Learning for Children and Young People. What are the opportunities and Obstacles?"
This panel discussion will be hosted by Ansel Wong, Chair of Carnival Village Trust and will aim to get to the bones of where we are and where we can go with Carnival Learning through all stages of education from primary school to further education.. After a few minutes overview from each of the panelists Ansel will invite questions and comments from delegates:
Panellists:
Dr Peter Beadell; Bay House School and Pan Jazz International "Extra-curricular carnival opportunites and the impact they make."
Violet Cuffey: "Embedding carnival in the school curriculum" Violet is a Fellow and Lecturer at The School of Arts, Queen Margeret Univesity, Edinburgh and an author of books covering Carnival, Culture and Tourism and Lifelong Learning.
Sara Wybrew, Director at Creative and Cultural Skills, will speak about "Post 16 opportunites"
Neil Pavey, Arts Manager at Trinity College London will outline "Why accreditation is important".
Jane Chandler, Associate Dean at Portsmouth University Faculty of Creative and Cultural Studies. "University involvement".
3.00: Case Studies: Carnival and the participatory arts in action in education.
Isle of Wight Mardi Gras: with Frankie Goldspink (New Carnival Company) and Cathy Ody, Holy Cross School, Cowes).
Future Leaders Programme: with Holly Prest and particpants from the Global grooves programme in Manchester.
3.45: Tea break
4.15: Breakout Sessions:
• Supporting school's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development and how Arts Award can add value to your carnival project with Peter Taylor and Kristianne Drake of Artswork.
• Carnival?! In a flash!! A "hands on" practical carnival workshop.
• "In? Out? Shake it all about! Carnival learning & Europe. What are the implications of a Brexit for the UK culture sector with Giles Agis of Brouhaha
5.00: Closing Address: Dr Nicole Ferdinand "Towards a Carnival Entrepreneurship Curriculum"and questions from the floor.
Dr Ferdinand is a Senior Academic in Events at the Faculty of Management at Bournemouth University who specialises in event and festival management, tourism and project management. Her most recent research projects have focused on festival management and development including "Carnival Futures: Notting Hill 2020".
Friday Evening
"Celebrate!' registration will be open form 9.30 this morning and proceedings will kick off proper at 10am with a short welcome to all followed by:
10.10: "Why Carnival is so engaging- artforms, access and diversity"
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Pax Nindi is Chief Executive of the Global Carnival Centre and an international carnival consultant, Pax is a keen advocate for the carnival artform with worldwide experience and contacts.
10.30.: "Carnival: Disability and Inclusion" :
Presented by Paul Davies, Artistic Director of the inspiriational Embaixadores de Alegria Samba School in Rio, Brazil.
10.50 Questions from the floor
11.00 Coffee break
11.30: "New Markets for Carnival- Meeting the needs of statutory providers and commissioning bodies"
This panel discussion will be chaired by Chris Slann, Director of the New Carnival Company. Chirs will be joined by:
Dan Bernstein, Executive Director of Emergency Exit Arts pioneering creators since 1980 of unforgettable events and particpatory experiences with an unrivalled national and international reputation.
Maria Wilkinson, Community Investment manager, Spectrum Housing Association
Laura Franklin. Assistant Police and Crime commissioner for the Isle of Wight.
12.15 Questions from the Floor.
12.30 Lunch
1.15 After lunch and a short shake down hosted by Julz Davies and Coco P. we'll look at 2 more shining case studies demonstrating the power of Carnival arts
1.25 • Kinetika Bloco with Shayanna Dyer-Harris
Shayanna has been a Bloco member since the beginning in 2000 and now takes a leadership role, running drumming workshops in schools, leading the Bateria, helping with Admin and also mentoring other Bloco members.
1.40: Creating quality carnival with older residents in care home settings.
Alison Denholm from City Arts Nottingham outlines the possibilities and benefits.
2.00. Breakout Discussion:
"Developing the Marketplace for Carnival Learning: Ideas and Actions"
Delegates will split into smaller groups and each will address the question and develop responses and ways forward. Ideas from each group will then be exchanged and pooled in a collective feedback session
2.40 Feedback from facilitators..
2.50: Plenary and closing comments
Carnival Showcase in Guildhall Square
3.00 The "Celebrate!" Carnival Showcase in Guildhall Square.
To finish "Celebrate!" in the style to which we have all become accustomed we'll be filling Guildhall Square with a glorious showcase featuring groups from across the region. Participating groups will include Panjazz International, SV2G, Big Noise Samba with Streetforce Dance and the New Carnival Company.
We're organising a meal, drinks and entertainment for all "Celebrate!" delegates who are staying over in Portsmouth this evening. In a a venue close to our conference hub it'll be the perfect opportunity to reflect on the day, prime for the morrow, network, relax and re-charge.
