Corporate Social Review Magazine 1st Quarter 2013 | Page 96
Preston Caribbean
Carnival and
the meaning of
competition
Since arriving in Preston 9 years ago, I have been very fortunate
months in the workshop, the most intense work I’ve ever been
to pariticipate and make large scale artworks that are worn or
party to, where family needs and normal day-to-day is replaced
drawn on wheels for members of the partipating groups that
by an almost insane drive to put the show on the road. all masked
“jump up” and celebrate their cultural heritage and the greater
up, pushing a pram I’d turned into a little car my daughter
meaning of Caribbean Carnival. Involvment with the community
named the JAH mobile (coincidence of my son’s initials) that
has shown me something of the deep and mulitwe’d put together the day before I realised that
ith the abolition
faceted meaning that is behind this event. It
making that unasuming piece had, despite having
of slavery, freed
has its roots in the Catholic observance of lent
thoroughly enjoyed the technical engineering of
when many hundred of years ago the Italians Africans began to host their the compactable large scale pieces, developing
began a wild dressed up event on the first day own Carnvial celebrations
the content, and even playing with and mixing
of lent (Carnevale – to take away the meat). It hit in the streets that became
messages in symbols, materials and mediums or
even the thrill of seeing something of that scale
a chord with people and soon spread to many progressively popular
stand on the road gave me as much pleasure
other countries in Europe; and was exported which has grown into the
as making that little mobile with my duaghter the
to the Caribbean islands (and other countries)
festival we now know as
day before the event had done. On reflection I
during the expansion of Europe and the slave
Caribbean Carnival
concluded that the spirit of this thing is found in the
trade. whic ]\?\?[X]Y
?Z[[? ?]?\? ?\?B??^H\?^Y\?] \[? H8?'KZHx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
?8?&\??^YX?[ ?? ?Z\?KX????Y?H[? ???\ ??\? B??[?[??^H ?^H?? H ??Y ?Y?X?[???X??? H\? ?? X?X???? ]?\??]?[\?X??] H??YY?H? ?[?^ ?\??[?????M?XY?^?[?H?[?[ ?[?M?????UH???PS?U?QU?? L??
??H L?SB??