Mardi Gras Returns To The Streets Of Ryde

The New Carnival Company’s annual Mardi Gras parade is back on the streets after two years of absence due to the pandemic.

A launch event held at Quay Arts on Wednesday (25 January) was attended live by more than 50 people, including councillors, teachers, artists, and
community volunteers, all keen to find out more about this year’s theme - Our World Our Future.

The event will take place in Ryde on Saturday 9 July.

Hannah Ray, learning manager of the NCC, said:

"For the first time, we invited young people to write the storyboard for the parade.

"We looked at the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals and prioritising the goals and realised how interdependent they are.

"They gave us lots of ideas for positive action and this parade will demonstrate that optimism and determination."

Our World Our Future will have 20 sections, falling into four categories – People, the Planet, Places and Peace.

Hannah explained how each school and group taking part will also make an active pledge to do something together to leave a positive legacy – like planting trees, or walking to school, or giving to food banks.

The NCC itself is making a pledge to remove all petrol and diesel vehicles from its parade and to introduce new ways of creating sound, both live and recorded. 

For more information on the IW Mardi Gras, or about getting involved in the parade contact the New Carnival Company by email at: gemma@thenewcarnivalcompany.com or hannah@thenewcarnivalcompany.com or by calling 716095.