FEATURE
BARKING & DAGENHAM CARNIVAL
B
arking & Dagenham Carnival has been running for seven years, but this year, on Saturday 10 July, it will take a different spin: it’s going virtual. Hosted by UKON Careers, the online festival will be free and open to everyone. As a part of this year's celebrations, revellers are expected to don hats, come with cups, masks and shirts they made during the UKON Creative Week, refresh their dance steps and cook sumptuous Caribbean dishes using the skills gained during the Dancing and Cooking Weeks. Soca News wanted to find out more, and asked the organisers some questions.
16 SN JUN 2021
When did the carnival begin, and what was its aim? The carnival started in July 2014, initially as a children’s celebration. The purpose was to bring communities and cultures together, supporting social cohesion and promoting understanding. It was also to celebrate our children, to give them a sense of pride, develop their confidence and support positive parenting. It raised awareness of and grew engagement in the carnival, helping address the negative narrative of Carnival and carnival arts. Last year was tough for carnivals. How did you get through it and what will make 2021 different? As a result of Covid-19, 2020 was our toughest year. Prior to Covid-19 all our services were delivered face to face and all our income was generated via face-to-face activities. Our social media and internet skills were limited. We were not able to apply for our normal funding streams and all confirmed commissions were cancelled. The challenge we faced was to continue to function now that our means of income generation had stopped.
