About the show
The Magic of Carnival tells the story of Carnivals around the world and is a celebration of creativity and community spirit. The immersive experience explains the origins of different carnival traditions, from Notting Hill Carnival to Chinese New Year. Pupils are invited to wear real costumes used in Carnival, animate Chinese dragon puppets and learn that each costume and puppet has meaning. As February and March are the traditional Carnival season for cultures across the world, the Magic of Carnival will connect to real-world experiences. It will not only deepen pupils’ cultural learning but will bring the authentic joy of Carnival into schools.
Key Stage / Year Groups:
- Reception, Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, SEND
SEND Show Adaptations:
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Shorter version of performance.
Relevant areas of the National Curriculum:
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Literacy
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PSHE
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Art and design
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British values
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Oracy
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Humanities.
About the pupil workshops
In our workshops, pupils will make their own headdresses, taking inspiration from the costumes and puppets they have seen in the carnival performance. Pupils can choose from a range of templates, and construct the headdress from card, paper and other materials. Pupils can choose the theme of their headdress, or the whole class can work towards a theme that relates to the topics they are studying, making each session adaptable and appropriate for the year group.
Workshop SEND adaptations:
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The workshop will be designed with the school and tailored to the needs of the participants. Participants and their support staff will work together.
Teacher twilight CPD
The CPD session will give a brief history of the journey of Carnival from Africa and the Caribbean to the UK.
We will choose the themes for the children’s workshops that relate to specific year groups and leave the school with a set of templates they can use in the future. We will have costumes and props for the staff to learn from and enable participants to make a headdress of their own design from Carnival materials.
This CPD can accommodate from 2 to 25 members of staff.
About Mahogany Carnival Design
Mahogany is recognised throughout the world for breathtaking work in the art of Carnival. We create opportunities for young people to learn through the culture of Carnival, developing their imagination and creative making skills. We focus on the theatre of Carnival, the joyful spirit of Carnival that unites us all.
