MINI Plant Oxford supports Cowley Road Carnival for the fourth year

June 2010:  Cowley Road Works is pleased to announce that MINI Plant Oxford is supporting Cowley Road Carnival 2010. This is the fourth year running that the Plant has got on board with the community event.

The Carnival, a key event in the local calendar which takes place 3 and 4 July on Cowley Road and in South Park, is expected to attract around 30,000 people, many of whom are from the local community.  

Dr Jürgen Hedrich, Managing Director of MINI Plant Oxford, said: “The Carnival is an important milestone in the local calendar. It’s always an event which reflects the personality of the area, and we’re delighted to be involved with it again this year.”

Euton Daley, a Trustee of Cowley Road Works, the charity which organises the Carnival, adds: “We are delighted that MINI Plant Oxford is supporting us again this year.  As a community event, the Carnival relies heavily on the support of public, local and regional organisations.  As one of Oxford’s major employers and contributors to our local economy, MINI Plant Oxford is a major part of our community, and we highly appreciate its support.”

MINI Plant Oxford is the latest in a number of organisations supporting Cowley Road Carnival, either financially or in kind, including Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, East Area Parliament, Oxford Brookes University, Thames Valley Probation, Big Dance festival, we7 music streaming service, Oxford University Widening Participation team, small businesses, local residents and individual donors.  A full list of donors and sponsors is below.

Cowley Road Works is continually seeking support from the business community.  Firms who are interested can contact the organisers directly or download a  donation form from www.cowleyroadcarnival.co.uk under ‘donate.’  Details of sponsorship opportunities are availalbe at ‘get involved’.

To enter a vehicle in the Magnificent Machines procession on Cowley Road on 4 July, visit the website for details.  Registration deadline is 25 June.

In the mood for a Carnival Cuppa?  

Enjoy a tea extravaganza from The Kettle Band plus the perfect cuppa from Age UK Oxfordshire at Cowley Road Carnival

South Park and Cowley Road, 3rd and 4th July 2010

June 2010 - Cowley Road Carnival is shaping up to be the best place for the perfect cuppa this year as The Kettle Band and charity Age UK Oxfordshire treat carnival goers to unique, tea-inspired experiences.

Fusion sounds from The Kettle Band
Carnival goers will be treated to a live musical extravaganza that looks and sounds just like the perfect cuppa. The Kettle Band is performing for the very first time a sound and visual interpretation of the experience of making tea and drinking it.  The centrepiece is a giant musical kettle, with performers in tea-inspired costumes and around 40 young musicians.  Not to be missed, The Kettle Band will create an unforgettable visual and musical experience, fusing street band sounds with unique, tea-inspired melodies.  

Stuart Allen, Trustee of Carnival organiser Cowley Road Works, says:  “We are delighted to bring The Kettle Band to Cowley Road Carnival 2010, and particularly because we are hosting their first outing. This is such an innovative way to fuse the celebration of carnival with the great British cuppa!”


The Kettle Band is part of the Brewing Up project, a creation of Festive Road Community Interest Company which organises events in three counties including Oxfordshire.

Chill out in The World Tea Tent
Age UK Oxfordshire is bringing the wonderful World Tea Tent to Cowley Road Carnival this year.  Carnival goers can choose from a selection of refreshing brews, fused with some chilled out carnival performances such as Balkan, Capoeira, Indian and Salsa dance, songs from around the world, an exploration of smells, spoken word, and exhibition of Age UK Oxfordshire  projects, all with an international flavour.  

The World Tea Tent forms part of Age UK Oxfordshire’s international engagement.  Adrian Sell, Director of Services at the charity, says:

”Cowley Road Carnival brings together the community like no other event and Age UK Oxfordshire are proud to be there.”

The World Tea Tent is in South Park, open from midday till 6pm on Sunday 4th July (with performances from 1pm and a break for the Carnival procession in the park between 3 and 4pm).

CARNIVAL'S FIESTA IN THE PARK SATURDAY 3 JULY

Cowley Road Works Presents a fundraising concert in South Park, Oxford 5pm-11pm.
All ages welcome and all proceeds go to the Cowley Road Carnival in this and future years.

KANDA BONGO MAN + GRAND UNION
CARNIVAL BAND
MAKATING + BRICKWORK LIZARDS
DJ COUNT SKYLARKIN

Fiesta in The Park - a summer evening of live carnival performances from internationally renowned world music artists! Kicking off Carnival weekend comes, from the Congo, festival-favourite Kanda Bongo Man, much championed by John Peel - with his 8 piece band and high energy dancers raising the carnival spirit! Global musicians from the world famous Grand Union Orchestra, including Claude Deppa and Yousuf Ali Khan, bring the infectious dance rhythms of salsa and samba, ska and soca, hi-life and bhangra with exhilarating jazz solos from trumpet, saxophone and trombone! With hot reggae vibes from local stars Makating, jazzy arabic twists from Brickwork Lizards and reggae, dancehall and ska tunes from Oxford's Count Skylarkin, South Park will be sizzling with carnival fever! Tickets on-sale now online from www.wegottickets.com/f/1750 and all of the proceeds will to go the Cowley Road Carnival Fund to help secure the Carnival for this and future years. Open to all ages this will be a truly magical evening to launch Carnival weekend for Oxford.

Tickets

For tickets go to www.wegottickets.com (subject to booking fee)

£8 advance / £10 on the gate

£6 advance concessions / £8 on the gate concessions

£25 advance family ticket - 2 adults/2 children / £30 on the gate

Advance tickets subject to booking fees

Under 5s go free

In Person sales (from this weekend)

SS20, 176 Cowley Road Oxford OX4 1UE 10am-6pm Mon-Sat & 11am-4pm Sunday £1 booking fee (proceeds to be spent on Cowley Rd Carnival) http://www.ss20.com 01865 791851

Scribbler, 6-8 New Inn Hall Street, Oxford OX1 2DH + £1 booking fee per ticket

Rapture, Unit 12 The Woolgate centre, Witney OX28 6AP 01993 700567 info@rapture-online.co.uk No booking fee

Open to all ages

KANDA BONGO MAN

From the Congo comes the king of the highly infectious guitar-led soukous music, Kanda Bongo Man with his trademark wide brimmed hat! The man who single-handedly gave the world the infectious Kwasa Kwasa dance, Kanda is one of the most well known stars of world music, and one of the first pioneers of Soukous music. A regular at Womad, Glastonbury and international world music festivals, Kanda is a leading ambassador of African popular culture, and has toured the globe attracting huge audiences across five continents. He has recorded with Ringo Starr, with master guitarist Diblo Dibala, he has appeared on Jools Holland 'Later ...' and was championed by John Peel for many years.

The origins of the music are a blend of Cuban rhumba beats, reinforced with supple African percussion and sparkling guitar work - a dance-happy, guitar-driven synthesis of traditional Zairean and Afro-Cuban rhythms. Kanda Bongo Man performances are fast moving and exciting combinations of music and dance, with an inspiring 8 piece band and exhilerating dancers guaranteed to get the crowd going! A spectacular end to Fiesta in the Park at carnival! www.myspace.com/kandabongoman

GRAND UNION CARNIVAL BAND

Grand Union, the UK's most successful and diverse world jazz orchestra bring stunning global sounds to carnival! The Grand Union Orchestra is the acknowledged pioneer and leading exponent of original, cross-cultural music making with musicians from virtually every part of the world. Over the last 20 years, Grand Union has notched up hundreds of performances across virtually the whole of the UK, and internationally. Above all, Grand Union celebrates the energy and creative possibilities of today’s multicultural society. Expect an eclectic mix celebrating the spirit of carnival from all over the world! www.grandunion.org.uk www.myspace.com/grandunionorchestra

MAKATING

Oxford's reggae favourites Makating are back to entertain for carnival's Fiesta in the Park! One of the city's original reggae acts the band are a captivating live act, respected and much loved on the reggae circuit across the UK. The core band Makating (meaning something ‘powerful’) was formed from a week long studio session in December 1994. Quickly building a strong local following, the sound evolved from a foundation of strong dub reggae drum and bass line to incorporate rich melodies and harmonies in the vocals, brass and guitar work. The live act has always been a rare outing in entertainment, never failing to get the crowd dancing. Look out for their new album due out soon! Makating on MySpace Makating on Facebook

BRICKWORK LIZARDS

Unique Oxford collective peddle a film noir soundtrack with a jazzy twist of arabic melodies and rap. Brickwork Lizards are a 6-piece band featuring Oud, Cello, Guitar, Keys, Trumpet and Percussion under the silky Arabic vocals of Tarik Bashir and the wise words of MC Tomohawk. Their contemporary and intense melodies are interlaced with 1930s and 40s influences, overlaid with beats, grooves and rap, all steeped in the essence of Middle Eastern music with the Oud and Arabic vocals. MC Tomohawk entertains throughout with his dark humoured tales. Now performing nationally and growing quite a following across the UK, this eclectic band of minstrels are seriously something new! www.myspace.com/brickworklizards

DJ COUNT SKYLARKIN

Skylarkin’ Soundsystem was born via a 1997 mixtape in a South London cafe, and has been kicking out its patented brew of Jumpin’ Jivin’ Rockin’ Swingin’ Reggae, Ska, Soul, Dancehall and Rhythm & Blues Exotica in Oxford and London since 2002. Now one of the hottest acts on the UK's festival and club scene, Aidan Larkin entertains us Fiesta style! www.skylarkinsoundsystem.co.u Skylarkin on Facebook

Cowley Rd Carnival itself is the following day - Sunday 4th July - on the Cowley Rd 10-6pm (Magnificent Machines Carnival Parade at 12 from the Plain) with Soundsystems, Queen of Heart Cabaret stage on Manzil Way, Family Day @ East Oxford Community Centre, Hi Lo jamaican BBQ & DJS, live music and refreshments at the Cowley Road Methodist Church Centre, Skating & Graffiti outside SS20, Summer Vibes at Dawson St, and much more... and also simultaneously in South Park, midday till 8pm with music stages with local bands, the Big Dance Stage opened by Talent Oxford with 15 young performers and followed by a whole day of dance and performance by Oxford's dance troupes from belly dancing to break dancing and more, plus a family area, stalls, Carnival Procession in the Park at 3pm), the Age Concern World Tea Tent, the Jam and Kettle Band ... and much, much more! Look out for flagged spots around the park where people can rock up and play! Unplugged, unprogrammed, bring your instrument, dance, sing, perform - and have a go at entertaining the crowds! All Free!

See you on Saturday 3rd July for the FIESTA IN THE PARK....

THOSE MAGNIFICENT MACHINES ON COWLEY ROAD

Cowley Road Carnival invites entries to MAGNIFICENT MACHINES - a new Procession for Cowley Road on Sunday 4th July 

June 2010:  A inventive new procession is happening at Cowley Road Carnival this year.  The Magnificent Machines Procession will be on Cowley Road at the Carnival on Sunday 4th July, promising to be a colourful array of amazing, sustainably-propelled ‘vehicles.’  The Procession is open to all and the Machines will be judged on the day.   

The Magnificent Machines Procession will start at Noon at The Plain, make its way up Cowley Road and then be on full display at Manzil Way Gardens.  The magnificent creations will then be assessed by a judging panel and prizes will be awarded in categories such as Most Inventive, Most Good Looking and Most Ingenuously Powered.   This new Procession is in addition to the Carnival Procession, which takes place in South Park at 3pm. 

Simple rules apply but as much as possible is being left to the creative invention of the teams and individuals who enter.  Katie Wilson is organising the procession: “The machines can be literally anything from a decorated bicycle to an elaborate float.  We want people to be inventive and create fascinating machines that carry at least one person and aren’t powered by fossil fuels,” she says. Anyone who wishes to enter a Magnificent Machine should email procession@cowleyroadworks.org by 25th June 2010.  
 

Magnificent Machines - The rules 

Entry Fee: 

Nominal entry fees are necessary to cover costs, scaled as follows: 

Individuals, schools and colleges: £5 

Community and voluntary groups: £15

Businesses: £45 

Requirements

Vehicles MUST: 

Carry at least one person

Be sustainably powered - No fossil fuels

Be controllable! 

Be registered by the 25th June, contact procession@cowleyroadworks.org 

Dance groups join the Carnival for Big Dance South East England in Oxford 2010

Cowley Road Works is delighted to announce that Cowley Road Carnival will be hosting Big Dance South East England in Oxford 2010.  Throughout the Carnival, Big Dance South East England in Oxford will present a variety of dance performances from regional youth groups, schools and community groups, featuring a diverse, international range of styles.  Performances are to take place on the main Carnival Stage in South Park and there will be a selection of master classes open to all.  Expect some surprises too with dance events happening among the crowds in the Park and on Cowley Road. 

“Cowley Road Carnival is a fantastic event to host Big Dance South East England in Oxford as it attracts a hugely diverse audience with many people who are passionate about dance and youth culture,” says Miranda Laurence of Oxford City Council.  “We are planning Big Dance South East England in Oxford right now and are appealing to schools, community and dance groups in and around Oxford to contact us if they’d like to get involved or be on the Big Dance programme.  We are also looking for volunteers to support us on the day.” 

Big Dance South East England in Oxford 2010 is supported by Pegasus Theatre, Arts Council England, Oxford City Council and Cowley Road Carnival organisers Cowley Road Works. Oxford is one six locations for Big Dance South East England, a coordinated series of dance events in different hubs around the South East region that take place during the week 3-11 July 2010.  Originating from Big Dance London, an extremely popular event that involves hundreds of performers in events across the capital, Big Dance South East England events take place in Brighton, Dover, Kent, Hampshire, High Wycombe, Oxford, Portsmouth and Woking.  

Dance groups who would like to participate in Big Dance South East England in Oxford should email Miranda Laurence at mlaurence@oxford.gov.uk. 

GLOBAL STREAMING SERVICE WE7 HELPS CARNIVAL REACH OUT TO MUSIC FANS 

We7, the award winning UK music streaming service at www.we7.com, has become the first major music company to support Cowley Road Carnival this year, providing a range of services to help the Carnival broadcast its message to music fans across the region.  We7 is sending audio updates on Cowley Road Carnival to subscribers as they listen to We7, and is streaming music from its huge catalogue directly to the Carnival website, www.cowleyroadcarnival.co.uk.   

“We7 is providing us with a significantly valuable platform from which to connect with music fans across the region,” says Paul Wolf, Chairman of the trustees of Carnival organisers Cowley Road Works.  “We will have an incredibly diverse line-up of musicians, dancers and performers with styles from all over the world and with We7’s help we are able to reach lots more people who come to Carnival for music and dance.  This is such a great example of the ‘in kind‘ support for which we are appealing to businesses and we are highly appreciative.” 

Steve Purdham, CEO of We7, comments:  “Although we are a national service, we have a base in Oxford and are really pleased to be able to give some support to the local community, especially one that has such a strong heritage in music.  The Carnival is a natural match for us with its commitment to local and diverse musicians and we wish them well.”  

The support that We7 is providing consists of paid-for audio ads which are played between tracks when subscribers listen to the service.  The organisers will use these to send programme updates and Carnival news to music fans.  We7 is also providing streamed music, royalty-paid, to the Carnival website, enhancing the experience for visitors and promoting Oxford bands on the We7 service.  We7 will be at the Carnival with a presence in South Park. 

Talent Oxford finalists to perform at Cowley Road Carnival

Cowley Road Works announces that Talent Oxford, Oxfordshire’s leading talent contest for county schools, has become an Official Partner for Cowley Road Carnival. The Carnival is one of the South East’s biggest outdoor events and a highlight event in Oxford’s summer calendar taking place in South Park and on Cowley Road, 3rd and 4th July and the sixteen finalists of Talent Oxford 2010 will give performances on the Carnival stages in South Park, participate in the Procession and take part in various happenings during the two-day event. Talent Oxford celebrates the diverse and vibrant talent found in Oxfordshire’s school children and the finalists will cover a wide range of performance styles, from dance and music to comedy and martial arts. Talent Oxford will also have a presence in South Park over the weekend as a focal point for the contest. “Cowley Road Carnival is all about showcasing local talent and cultural diversity from all ages, which is why partnering with Talent Oxford is such an exciting idea,” says Euton Daley of Cowley Road Works and Carnival Programming Director. “We have a huge amount of participation from our local schools, especially in the Procession, so these performances provide another platform for children and young adults to share their talent with the community.” “As a performing arts enthusiast, I set up Talent Oxford to give young people in Oxfordshire a platform to showcase their performance skills,” says Lydia Igweh, Talent Oxford Founder. “Cowley Road Carnival is a great place for our finalists to gain invaluable experience performing on stage to a live audience, as well the perfect opportunity to hone their performance skills ahead of the all-important Talent Oxford Grand Final.” Talent Oxford is open to all county school children from 5 to 18 years. The Talent Oxford finalists are to be selected at auditions on 8th and 9th May and will compete in the Talent Oxford Grand Final at Headington Theatre in October. For more details visit www.talentoxford.co.uk.