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13 November 2014

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You are in: Somerset > Entertainment and Leisure > Carnival > News and Photos > Somerset Carnivals - a bright future?

Somerset Carnivals - a bright future?

A looming recession, red tape and theft have all put pressure on carnival clubs' budgets. Can they survive? Cary Comedians Carnival Club's founder member Sue Stockman and chairman Gordon Stockman discuss the difficulties clubs face.

Vampires float

The heritage of illuminated winter carnivals in Somerset is so very special and on Friday 7th November, Bridgwater (the home of carnival) produces its 403rd Carnival Procession.

Our carnival club, Cary Comedians, was founded in 1976 and is based near Castle Cary. Cary Comedians is a small Comic Feature Club and for well over the past decade we have been at the top of the competitions in both the Somerset Guy Fawkes Carnival circuit and the Wessex Grand Prix circuit.

We normally build a 100-foot float but this year our dressed tractor will not be ready in time for the County circuit due to a robbery at our base where steel and electrics were stolen.

Health and Safety rules, red tape and bureaucracy imposed by various authorities on carnival clubs make it more difficult and expensive to build and enter carnivals each year.

"With costs escalating, and the recession now looming, how much longer can we enjoy this annual spectacle, when clubs do not get any public funding?"

Sue and Gordon Stockman

Five years ago, annual expenditure to produce a comic float such as ours was 拢5,000. The cost today is 拢10,000. Insurance, fuel, various licences, hiring of tractors, costume making and makeup costs, not to mention building materials and fibreglass all contribute to a large sum of money needed to put on a float these days. Of course, costs for the big Feature and Tableau floats are triple this sum and more.

This means that all year round, commitment to relentless fundraising is required from all club members as well as the hundreds of hours needed for actually building the floats.

In the 1990鈥檚, there were almost 90 carnival clubs. This year only 50 clubs are entered in the Bridgwater carnival. In this time 40 clubs have folded.

There are a variety of economic, social and cultural impacts on localities in which carnivals are held on an annual basis. It is estimated that well over 10,000 people are actively involved in carnival in Somerset, either in clubs or organising committees and their helpers. The local economy benefits by a sum in excess of 拢38m. In addition, over 拢120,000 is raised for local charities.

Cary Carnival

Over 拢120k is raised for charities

Carnival is a tradition, which glues communities together, and when tourism is considered, Somerset carnivals attract over half a million visitors each autumn.

Clubs such as ours must have a minimum of eight performers on their floats and at least eight road crew members, to take part in the carnivals on the circuits. The club also needs costume makers, make-up artists, float constructors, electricians, mechanics, two or three tractor drivers, artists and painters, sound engineers etc.

In fact many young people joining a club are learning good practical skills as well as developing teamwork and social skills. Our club has members aged from eight years to 76 years, actively involved.

Our Octogenarian President Ray Boyer has a history in carnival stretching back for 60 years. He first became involved by driving Somerset Young Farmers floats for many years and he became involved with our club when he kindly allowed us to build on his land. He and his wife performed on our float for many years.

Bedazzled by illuminations

Comedy is a difficult medium to depict on a float, it is very subjective and we have to consider that the comedy must be for family viewing appropriate to TV鈥檚听 "before the 9 pm watershed".

We try each year to break new ground with humorous ideas and this year our 鈥淒isco Babies鈥 theme is no exception.

Carnival participant

The carnival is in its 403rd year

Our aim each year is to make carnival FUN, although behind the scenes a great deal of hard work and innovative ideas by members are created to produce an award winning float.

Spectators are often bedazzled by our illuminated processions with its different classes of floats ( Feature, Tableau, Comic Feature and Juvenile).

In addition there are walkers and masqueraders with props. Each club competes in their class for the top awards and prizes.

But with costs escalating, and the recession now looming, how much longer can we enjoy this annual spectacle, when clubs do not get any public funding or adequate sponsorship?

Soon there will be a great need for Lottery, Tourism or Arts Council funding, such as the carnivals in Bristol and Notting Hill attract, to ensure that the 40 or 50 existing clubs survive. How can this be achieved?

More media and TV coverage would doubtless assist, giving exposure and prominence to this very special cultural heritage in Somerset celebrated for over 4 centuries.

last updated: 06/11/2008 at 15:46
created: 05/11/2008

Have Your Say

How do you think carnival clubs should be funded in the future?

The 成人快手 reserves the right to edit comments submitted.

Beka
Carnivals hold the very foundations of some of the towns together, yes even now the bigger carnivals are surviving, but what about the smaller ones? The South Somerset Circuit is nearly gone, the procession in Ilminster lasting about 25 minutes last year. 10 years ago it was an hour and a half long, most of the clubs from around there have folded due to lack of funding, and members, there were ten clubs in Ilminster alone in 1996, now there are 2. It grows increasingly difficult with each year to manage to build a carnival cart, as a member of a carnival club I am doubly aware of the money and the fundraising commitments and issues we fight with from year to year. Without some help from someone this tradition is going to die out, and if it does, everyone will lose something. Some charities rely on the donations carnivals bring, it provides entertainment and community spirit within the places it visits. If you've ever seen the community among the members of the clubs, not just the clubs singly, but as a whole it can be breathtaking, if something goes wrong before the procession its never just that club trying to fix it, there will be people and tools from every club there trying to be of support. This tradition is completely unique to Somerset, and would be a terrible shame if future generations do not get to enjoy as we do. The looks on children's faces make it all worthwhile, every year.

Hannah
I agree with black knight that not enough advertising is done. I work and live local to carnivals and yet just asking around the office no-one had heard about it! I do think local councils should help with funding. I love carnival, it's a tradition that goes back years, please don't let it die out.

karenosborne
think that lottery should help out since so much is done by carnival for charities and makes so much for them i thought lottery was there for that type of help

captain carnival
Councils,local business all benefit from the 7 county carnivals but never seem to want to help the clubs continue this somerset culture and tradition. A lot of money is made around the area at this time of year, very little of it finds its way back to the clubs. See how quickly local traders would protest if they thought the carnivals would be coming to an end or even a change the route as happened in Wells a few years ago when it was proposed not to include the High Street. About time they gave some back.Make no mistake the carnival crews will continue to entertain as long as they can but it is increasingly difficult to do so. Some locals and incomers also like to watch it but expect these monster carts to dissappear overnight so as not to disrupt their own little world as demonstrated by the nimby in the previous post. Most people would be suprised at the abuse hurled at club members outside of carnival night when trying to move around the county between carnivals. Come on guy's its once a year.

BlackKnight
Carnival isn't necessarily a bad thing and I think more TV coverage would be a good idea, there are too many people out there who don't know about Carnival and would probably enjoy the chance to see it.On the down side, there are a lot of ignorant Carnival Clubs who don't give a damn about people living near to where they build their carts.I am a couple of hundred yards from one such site and having had to put up with thumping music on and off for the past 6 months or so.

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