The Big Carnival which is being organised in partnership with North West Kent Racial Equality Council and Gravesham Borough Council will take place on Friday July 3 between 6pm and 7pm formally launching the Big Gig which is part of the annual Big Day Out Weekend in Gravesham.

The carnival will start just after 6pm from outside the Civic Centre, before going down Windmill Street and then the High Street before finishing at the Gravesend Promenade at the Riverfront where it will formally launch the festival weekend.

The Carnival will be put together by Kinetika, the renowned outdoor performance and carnival arts specialists. Kinetika has over 10 years experience in the design, production and performance of extraordinary shows that retain the essence of carnival whilst telling a story, working as a team of professional artists alongside young people.’

Work will take place with 6 local schools in the build up to the carnival, involving costume making, the creation of props and visual arts elements.  The carnival will also involve exciting Dhol and Dhaki percussion featuring Four by Four Bhangra and Mahua Arts which has been commissioned by Cohesion Plus.

The Big Carnival is part of a series of events which Cohesion Plus in partnership with North West Kent Racial Equality Council will be delivering around the county of Kent, using the arts as a means of promoting positive community relations and getting young people form the diverse communities of the Kent involved in the arts.

According to Gurvinder Sandher the Director of Cohesion Plus “This is different to the other events which have been organised by Cohesion Plus because we have never done carnival before.  I believe this to be our most ambitious to date.  We are very lucky to have secured the services of Kinetika and are very grateful to Arts Council England for all their help and support.  The challenge for us is to get the communities of Gravesham especially young people engaged in the arts, and this is a good way of doing this”