Buzz Magazine August 2014 | Page 10

roundup WHAT’S ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH. EVENT P-ARTY TIME! ? SOUTH WALES SECRETS #46: Carnival Camp The founder of the big, bold and beautiful Cardiff Carnival, Steve Fletcher, shares his South Wales Secret. “Back in 1990 there weren’t any large-scale participant projects in Cardiff, and I felt we need some statement about funky happenings in Cardiff,” explains Steve, the artistic director of South Wales Intercultural Community Arts (SWICA). Twenty-four years later, Cardiff Carnival has become a colourful staple in South Wales’ calendar. “This year we’re making a huge effort to be our biggest and brightest carnival,” explains Steve. Just like his life, Steve’s South Wales Secret is carnival-themed: the Carnival Camp – a threeweek base camp hosting arts workshops in the run-up to Cardiff Carnival. “Carnival Camp is an extraordinary experience. It’s very much what you can call a pop-up phenomenon and it’s moved around during the 25 carnivals, happening in different places. This year we’re at Fitzallan School in Leckwith and basically it’s three weeks of free carnival arts workshops. We stock this vast space: big halls, dance studios with fabulous carnival artists who are there to help, amazing choreographers. “When you enter the space, it’s full of colour, excited people, creative people and they really are from all walks of life – so it’s one of those rare experiences where you get to meet your fellow Cardiffians in the best possible light. There’s a tiny village of creativity and all human life is there. “It’s like an Ali Baba’s cave stocked with glitter, sequins and feathers and there’s always a sense of wonder,” laughs Steve, “and the nice thing about it is as we move toward the big Carnival day, the excitement is palpable. You know, it’s an extraordinary experience and people just rise to the challenge year after year. It’s incredibly life-affirming!” Info: www.swicacarnival.co.uk SUMMERFEST Celebrate summer with music and dance at the aptly name annual Summerfest in Pointardawe. This year the festival will be showcasing local talent in the form of the Newport hip hop band, Goldie Lookin Chain. The group’s current tour is celebrating their ten year anniversary and they will be showing off their bling in the sunshine (we hope) of the Summerfest stage. Summerfest, various venues in Pontardawe. Tickets: Individual events priced separately. Info: www.nptartsandents.co.uk BUZZ 010 Michael Gove might have recently been chucked out of the comfy seats of the cabinet, but his reputation in the arts community won’t be so easily moved. In