Kemptown Carnival will take a year off in 2017 to fundraise and restructure the community group that runs it, with a view to staging the next Carnival in 2018.
The Kemptown Carnival Association plans to develop the organisation into a Community Interest Company, which will hopefully have even wider involvement from the local community and build partnerships across the city.
Carnival Director, Mat Cook, said: “The Carnival has doubled in size 2011 when it was first brought to life by the Kemptown Carnival Association and we’re proud that it’s now the largest free community street arts festival in Brighton.
“Transforming the Carnival organisation into a more professional body is the natural step for us. Year on year the Carnival has become more colourful and vibrant with over 700 artists and performers taking part in 2016.”
“It’s a truly wonderful event and I’m looking forward to working with the Kemptown community and our partners to protect the Carnival’s long term future.”
As well as re-structuring the body which runs it, throughout 2017 the Kemptown Carnival Association will host a season of musical and family events across the city to make an early start on fundraising for the 2018 event.
Working with the Palace Pier, the Carnival is excited to confirm that the first event will take place in Horatio’s Bar at the end of the Pier on April 15.
The gig will feature the Carnival’s 2016 headline act, the psychedelic wonders; King Lagoon’s Flying Swordfish Dance Band, supported by Bunty Looping, one of Brighton’s leading solo artists. Keep an eye on Kemptown Carnival and Palace Pier’s social media for details of ticket sales.
In May Kemptown Carnival will be at the Spiegeltent on the Old Steine, and on June 24, the Carnival will be hosting its popular children’s festival, cake bake and tea party at St George’s Church in the heart of Kemptown Village.
Following a public meeting last weekend, the Carnival is now inviting interested volunteers to get involved for the coming year.
If you have something to offer – time, skills, enthusiasm email: Mat Cook, cooktherabbit.events@gmail.com
The next public meeting will takeplace in March, with a date to be announced in the coming weeks.
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