Carnival Mask Trail spreads delight
Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival touches our lives locally in many ways, including those of some of our youngest citizens who are being encouraged to get creative in the run-up to the yearly parade.
Thanks to funding by Arts Council England, Bridgwater Carnival provides outreach projects for local schools – one of them the creation of a town centre Carnival Mask Trail. Twenty-five large masks were delivered to participating schools and nurseries early in the Autumn term for decoration by pupils. This year the theme is Festivities.
Young hands and minds have a free hand to design and create elaborate masks on large fibreglass faces mounted on a surround with a stand for display in a variety of town centre shops and businesses. This year the Mask Trail began on Saturday 25 October. All local children are challenged to find the 25 masks – most will be visible from the pavement, but entry to premises may be needed to find them all – to complete an entry form. These are available from participating schools, the Carnival Centre in High Street and online on our website (www.bridgwatercarnival.org.uk).
The Mask Trail runs until Friday 31 October and entry forms should be returned to the Carnival Centre where a winning entry will be randomly picked to award a gift voucher. The masks will eventually be judged to find the overall winner, second and third places.
Mask Trail organiser Sarah Humphrey said: “Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival is extremely grateful to all the shops and businesses hosting masks this year and appreciate that shop window display space is extremely valuable. We greatly enjoy this outreach project which spreads the joy of our carnival to us all.”
The schools and nurseries taking part this year are: Bridgwater College, BCA Primary, Buttercups Nursery, Butterflies Nursery, Brent Knoll Primary School, Cannington Primary School, Cannington Pre-School, Enmore Primary School, Hamp Academy, Little Crickets Nursery, Martock Primary School, Northgate Primary School, North Petherton Primary School, Otterhampton Primary School, Pawlett Primary School, Polden Bower School, Puriton Primary School, Spaxton Primary School, St John and St Francis Primary School, St Joseph’s Primary, St Mary’s Primary School, Somerset Bridge Primary School, Westover Green Primary School and Willowdown Primary School.
The Mask Trail entry forms will be available from participating schools, the Bridgwater Carnival Centre, High Street, or via download from Bridgwater Carnival’s official website (www.bridgwatercarnival.org.uk).
