Blue Touch Paper Carnival: Wayne and Catherine.
The Isle of Wight had pride of place in Hackney, London on Saturday as The New Carnival Company’s Blue Touch Paper collaboration led the spectacular carnival parade to welcome the Olympic Torch into London.
The Blue Touch Paper collaboration has involved disabled people working with Brazilian artists Luiz Vianna and Paul Davis and local carnival makers to create an authentic Rio-style Samba school. The elaborate touring carnival presentation was led by Wayne Mansfield and Catherine Coeshot who are the Master of Ceremonies and Flag Bearer and also included dancers from the Isle of Wight College ‘Hot Green Bus Dance Company’, a Dragon Float created by fellow carnival company Shademakers UK, an integrated Samba Band, the Boom Tribe from Horsham and a host of other Brazilian style carnival costumes.
The Blue Touch Paper project caught the eye of LOCOG (London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games) at the Arts Parade, Ryde and invited the troupe to go to London for the Torch Celebrations. LOCOG are keen to develop new carnival projects linked with Brazil as the Olympics will be formally handed over to Rio at the end of the Paralympic Games in September. Frankie Goldspink, Participation and Learning Manager for The NCC said “this was such a fantastic opportunity for this exceptional project that has really shown that disability is no barrier to participating in carnival at the highest level. Hackney were the perfect host providing us with a hotel and meals for all our members and the opportunity to be the lead entry in the Parade.”
The Blue Touch Paper Carnival troupe has also been invited to perform in the Olympic Park on Friday 7th September during the Paralympic Games.
Thanks to Chris Slann for providing this information.
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