A participatory video produced in association with Village Arts of young people from the villages of Lingdale in East Cleveland preparing for and participating in their community’s annual carnival. Working alongside them that year are members of the Abasindi Co-Operative, a black woman’s collective from Manchester, who teach the children traditional African music and dance as well as assist them in producing decorative costumes and giant procession puppets. A man opens the doors of a hall...

A participatory video produced in association with Village Arts of young people from the villages of Lingdale in East Cleveland preparing for and participating in their community’s annual carnival. Working alongside them that year are members of the Abasindi Co-Operative, a black woman’s collective from Manchester, who teach the children traditional African music and dance as well as assist them in producing decorative costumes and giant procession puppets. A man opens the doors of a hall and children of various ages stream inside, some smile and wave at the camera as they pass. Tables have been set up around the hall containing various arts supplies and on which the children are working on various costumes or banners for the Lingdale Carnival. At the back of the room some of the larger wire-framed items with some covered with papier mache. The room is noisy with everyone chatting happily, some of the older children help the younger ones. Standing at one of the tables an older man places strips of papier mache around one of two large tubes. Title: Lingdale Carnival Two young girls hold up a home-made poster that reads ‘Come to the Lingdale Carnival’. The boy behind the camera conducts a vox pop of the children in the hall beginning with the two girls. Their opinions are honest not automatically saying it’s going to be great, just wanting to see what happens. Some also talk about the work they are doing. A group of younger children holding their creations talk about what they have made and how they will be either wearing or carrying it during the carnival procession. Outside some of the children sit relaxing on the grass beside the hall, around them some of their creations including two large banners. The shout and talk over each other describing what each of them have done on it. Back inside the hall four young girls are given instruction on how to play and keep a beat on traditional hand drums by a member of the Abasindi Co-Operative while around the room the remaining children continue to work on the designs including two boy adding string to a large fish puppet. In another part of the room another black woman works with a group of girls to create various brightly coloured ethnic outfits and hair pieces, a colleague of hers sleeps on a chair nearby. Back in the main hall as the drum lesson continues a black man works with the children on their designs. In another part of the hall another member of the Abasindi Co-Operative holds a dance lesson for a man, woman and two girls. As the children with the assistant of several adults continue to work on their artworks shapes begins to appear including palm trees, fishes. Outside in a field the dancing and percussion rehearsals continue with the children finding their beat. As the sun goes down, they dancers begins to perform around the musicians. On a street a procession waiting to move off with many of the children featured previously now wearing or carrying their creations. At the front a brass band who begin to perform as they move off followed by the children in their creations and members of the Abasindi Co-Operative performers in the colourful outfits banging their drums or blowing a whistle. The procession makes its way along various terraced streets in Lingdale with some residents standing in doorways watching. On a large show field, a crowd watches as the young dancers perform for them wearing their colourful outfits and accompanied by performers from the Abasindi Co-Operative who provide the backing drums. In the final part of the film the Abasindi Co-Operative perform a routine of traditional music and dance for the watching crowd that incorporates the use of spears and shields.