Great Yarmouth’s first Mardi Gras carnival is going to take place in King Street on Tuesday 16th February, starting at 3.30 p.m.  The area between St. George’s Chapel and York Street will be packed with street bands, dance groups, cabaret, traditional games and cooking.  Along with street walkabout acts, there will be a traditional English pancake race as well as a traditional Lithuanian wrestling match – where a fat man fights with a thin one to represent the passage of the seasons.  Drop in workshops from 3.30 p.m. include mask-making, dance and drumming.  From 5.40 p.m. to 6.10 p.m. there will be a small fire show on Unicycles outside St. George’s Theatre amongst other finale wonders and from 6.30 – 8.30 pm the Kings Wine Bar are hosting a Cabaret Night.

Jankie D is delivering a workshop on the 6th February at Martham Sure Start Centre from 10.00-16.00hrs for those who want to get ahead of the game by creating their own carnival heads, wavers, banners, shakers and masks.

The Mardi Gras carnival is organised by SeaChange Arts. For more information go to www.seachangearts.org.uk

Sambistas at the Lord Mayor's Parade

Photographs by Manuel Seixas, from Great Yarmouth, who was the official photographer for the Lord Mayor’s Parade in Norwich last Saturday.   Samba Magdalena joined Norwich Samba for the carnival, with costumes created by Jankie D from Gorleston.

Carnival at the Lord Mayor's Parade, 11th June 2009