Creating Carnival Kendal Calling 2023

Overview

Creating Carnival – Kendal Calling 2023 is an exciting professional development opportunity for freelance artists local to Cumbria and the surrounding areas to take the reins of the Kendal Calling procession 2023*.

Working with Global Grooves and From The Fields (via mentoring, new partnerships, access to creative resources, masterclasses, expert tuition and as a critical friend), A brand new, local creative team will develop the skills, confidence, and tools to deliver a large-scale, high profile and collaborative piece of processional work.

How will the programme be delivered?

We will recruit a new cohort of artists who have an interest in developing collaborative, co-produced work in percussion, dance, visual arts and melody (brass). These artists are likely to be already be working with communities in their locality and will have an ambition to take their understanding of creating larger scale, site specific processional work to the next level. We would like to draw upon new and established partnerships / networks as well as open call outs to recruit new artists, groups and members of the community cast.

All artists

Working with internationally acclaimed Carnival artists, we will develop a tailored training / masterclass programme where artists will have the opportunity to dive deeper into the development of co-created Carnival arts, and lead on the design and creative outputs of a new high profile piece of processional work. Artists will be given a brief from Kendal Calling to help shape the work reflecting the theme of  the festival and inclusion for all communities, joy, openness, collaboration etc.

Music and Dance

Through mentoring, training and peer learning, artists will refine their work and deliver open workshops and training for the wider community to shape the final presentation and build the community cast. The team will have the opportunity hand pick costumes, props, and puppets from the Global Grooves back catalogue of processional works that parade participants will animate through new choreographies and musical arrangements.

Visual Arts

Working alongside the music and dance activity will be the development of a new lead Carnival puppet. Artists and members of the local community will have the opportunity to learn from and shadow a leading master puppet maker to create a new large scale piece to lead in the procession.

The wider community

Members of the wider community will also be invited to learn about large scale puppetry, event crew opportunities, costume and flags, and perform as lead puppeteers, performers and contribute as crew members at Kendal Calling.

Parade

All elements will then come together for a final combined rehearsal. The new team will work closely alongside the local community, Kendal Calling and Global Grooves producers, artistic director, production team and events crew to deliver a full blown, fully costumed, and brand-new performance to massive audiences at the Festival.

Shared learning

Lead artists and key partners working on the project will come back together after the final presentation to celebrate evaluate their achievements and discuss possible next steps. This will include shared learning, exploring ongoing partnerships, mentoring and future progression opportunities to continue to develop their work and journey both as individuals and together.

We are calling out for up to two artists to join the team from each of the following lead role disciplines;

Lead Roles

• Percussion – percussion ensemble director
• Dance – processional dance director 
• Music –  melody band director 

Lead roles (percussion, music & dance) will suit artists of varying backgrounds and levels of experience including but not limited to; 

• Artists must be based in Cumbria or surrounding areas
• Leaders and directors of community music / dance groups.
  
• Emerging artists of any age who want to take their collaborative practice to the next level. 
• Experienced artists who would like to explore and learn more about the creation of processional / multi-disciplinary outdoor production working alongside others. 
• Experienced processional / Carnival artists who would like the opportunity to lead on a high-profile event at Kendal Calling and explore cross-artform working. 
• Performing artists who would like to increase their knowledge and skills of working with members of the community to create new work.

The programme will be carefully tailored to the needs and experience levels of the artists engaged once the lead team has been identified.

Further opportunities;

Making

• Visual Arts – Training and development opportunities will be available for a wider team of visual artists in the lead up to the event to create a new large scale puppet. 

Visual arts roles will be suitable for individuals that have previous experience in visual arts of any discipline who would like to;

• Work alongside and shadow a leading internationally acclaimed large scale puppet maker. 
• Follow the process from design (remotely) – to build – to performance of  a professional quality giant parading puppet. 
• Get hands on and contribute to the creation of the piece over intensive development / training days.

Carnival Crew roles for the wider creative community 

• Puppeteers – Training will be provided with Global Grooves’ lead puppet team to skill up interested community performers in the use and performance of giant puppets. 
• Event / Production / Costume Crew / Backstage – for those with less interest in the creative elements of the event but excited to be able to contribute to the parade – our Carnival crew opportunities are the place to be.  

Groups, bands and other collectives

We’d love to hear from bands and other groups who are keen for a big Cumbrian collaboration, but perhaps not wanting to explore a lead artist role. Dancers, musicians, cultural associations, performing arts clubs and others, we want to hear from you. The more the merrier!

Roles and sections will be discussed individually with groups who express interest.