The organisers of the Bath Carnival have announced that next year’s summer carnival will take place on Saturday 21st July, with plans for a large procession in the pipeline.
After the success of this year’s event, which saw the return of Party in the Park at Sydney Gardens, plans are in place to grow the spectacle with a larger procession and higher profile live bands at the festival event.
Carnival Organiser, Stuart Matson, said: “This year was a big year for us, we started to see sponsors coming forward to support our vision and with out doubt it was the local business community which enabled us to deliver our biggest spectacle yet.”
The non-profit organisation has now started fund raising for the 2018 project, and have expressed their concerns about the cuts to arts funding.
MP for Bath, Wera Hobhouse said: “Bath carnival was the most amazing experience. It made the city such a colourful, creative and happy place.
“I was very impressed by how inclusive it was; completely free for thousands of people, not just on the day, but for the prior two and a half months, with lots of community workshops building up to the final event.
“It would be a great shame if it didn’t grace our streets next summer as a result of the terrible cuts to arts funding, so I really hope they find the money to continue from local businesses.”
The annual Bath Carnival project includes a three month carnival workshop programme engaging schools, charities, disability groups, community groups and vulnerable adults in the arts.
The free outdoor event, now in its sixth year, provides these groups with an opportunity to exhibit their skills infront of a live audience.
Those interested in sponsoring next year’s carnival or joining the team as a volunteer can email the organisers at [email protected].