Part of our mission as a creative space firmly rooted in the heart of the community is to offer a venue to meet the needs of our locals, creatives and general public. Studio 3 , Studio 4 and our Main Arch are available for hire for a number of activities Spaces for hire
Another band and true carnival artist are Clary and Speedy from Mahogany mas band they are also a regular band that S.i.A works with on national and international projects... 'My first memory is of winning a carnival competition in a gorgeous little fairy costume,' Clary recalls. 'I still have the cup from it.' Speedy's parents, […]
Welcome to Glorious Backstage Arts Providing opportunities to develop experience in: theatrical costume design and construction; dance and theatrical presentation; arts and event management. https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=ANzXZ9P900E
Flamingo mas band was the first band S.i.A collaborated with for NHC ,we performed alone side the band for four years alongside NHC before taking to the road on our own as S.i.A - Martha was always welcoming and accommodating at a band leader Flamingo Carnival Arts was founded in 1983, in common with many […]
SUNSHINE INTERNATIONAL ARTS. Carnival and Community Arts Drawing on his Indo Caribbean roots, Ray Mahabir has used his experience gained by working with the masquerade tradition of Trinidad Carnival as inspiration for his designs for costumes used in processional art. #siasummer20nhc http://www.natt.gov.tt/sites/default/files/pdfs/Nelson-Island-and-Indian-Indentureship-in-Trinidad_02.pdf
THE EXPERIENCE OF INDIAN INDENTURE IN TRINIDAD: ARRIVAL AND SETTLEMENT #siasummer20nhc Between 1845 and 1917 a total of 143,939 Indians migrated to Trinidad under the system of Indian indenture. Most of these indentured labourers were drawn from the agricultural and laboring classes of the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar regions of north India, with a comparatively […]
“As a carnival designer what is important about what you are creating is knowing the true meaning of masquerade (Mas) and how wearable art works. Mas is a unique and important art form that allows any individual to become a performer - this often shows when someone is wearing your creation and they are able […]
This post will showcase the cross section of artist who are involved in the creation of large scale carnival costume and the hard worked and passionate that goes into each costume. Ma Ma La Terre This piece was showcased at the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition Carnival in Close-up , From the Caribbean to Britain and beyond […]
MULANA ‘the art of people’ 2001-2020 #siasummer20nhc Click Here “During part of this trip to India I visited the village my forefathers come from in India - I am five generation Indian, my family came from a village called Sidhownay village, Bikhapur, Fyzabad, which is nearest city to Lucknow and is the capital city of […]
A video presentation outlining the arrival of East Indian Indentured labourers to Trinidad during the period 1845 to 1917. This presentation was done for Indian Arrival Day celebrations at St Augustine South Government Primary School (SASGPS). The background music is in Hindi and is based on Psalms 91: "He that dwelleth in the secret place […]
Ray Mahabir talks about Brouhaha and about Liverpool International Carnival 2016.
International Slavery Museum, Art Commission Brief – Sailor Mas costume 2007 #siasummer20nhc Concept for the Sailor Mas costume (Fancy Sailor) Ray Mahabir- February 2007 Perhaps the most visual manifestation of cultural transformation is Carnival – a complex merging of European religious festivities within Latin America with elements of African festival. Trinidad is the cradle […]
#siasummer20nhc “All the youth in the neighbourhood used to play mas with that band so it was like one big family. In my neighbourhood there were lots of steel bands. We had Tokyo, Fascinators, Hill 60, and City Symphony” Neil Macey Photo Neils dad in Sailor mas Click Here
Minshall A Ship of Fools 2003 Peter Minshall's 2003 Carnival presentation, "A Ship of Fools", has tremendous creative material to choose from the present goings-on in this so-called independent republic with all the brouhaha about the apparent newspaper exposure of a secret Muslim sect with a "lab" of supposed biological and chemical weapons of war, […]
The Bele Costume-By Ray Mahabir - Commission for the British Liberty exhibition A journey through time, the Bele Costume by Ray Mahabir is indicative of Caribbean history, struggle, freedom and celebration. The costume relates the cross-cultural rags-to-riches story of Carnival and inspires mental imagery of the Bel Air dance, culture and folklore through the ages. […]
#siasummer20nhc Reach the Unreachable Kenya 2019 - As the Artistic Director of S.i.A, my main focus so far has been within Britain, as well as some international projects. I have spent the past 23 years taking carnival arts to new audiences national and international, but one piece of the puzzle was missing. In 2018 I […]