Gearing up for Gloucester Carnival - Sat 26 July

GDance is excited to be part of the growing Carnival Arts Partnership in Gloucester.

Thanks to Gloucester City Council investment, funding via BIG Lottery's Awards for All, and input from Active Impact's 'Of Course We Can' activity club programme for disabled children and young people, we're able to offer more Carnival-based arts for communities in 2014.

GDance and partner Art Shape (www.artshape.org.uk) will be running a week-long Carnival themed summer school on Saturday 19 July and 22-26 July at City Works in Alfred Street, Gloucester.  It's tailored to meet the needs of disabled 8 - 17 year olds, but their non-disabled peers and siblings will love it too!  They can get involved in dance and costume and prop making.

City Council funding also enables us to work with 4 Gloucester-based voluntary / community groups to help them prepare for the Carnival parade - they'll be learning some moves to go with creative costumes and banners. Groups benefiting include: Increase the Peace, Kingsholme and St Oswalds residents and Princes Trust volunteers, and Matson Football Team.

People of all ages and abilities can also have fun at the Carnival Arts Partnership's activity tents in Gloucester Park on Carnival Day which is Saturday 26 July.  We will be in Gloucester Park from 1 - 3pm and in Eastgate Shopping Centre from 3.30 - 5.30pm.

We've also arranged some surprises to boost the Carnival Parade, courtesy of Circus Zapparelli from Manchester.  They'll be bringing sound bikes, a stage coach for prize-winners and a stilt walker to join the parade.

The Carnival Arts Partnership is open to anyone wanting to join us in our mission to Gloucester Carnival a nationally-recognised inclusive and inspiring parade, which engages and inspires communities and, in particular, celebrates the talents of disabled people.

For more information, contact karen.perrins@gdance.co.uk / 01452 550 431