Luton Carnival

The main aim of Mas Camp is to bring Luton's local communities together to share skills and experiences, develop themes and successfully work together to develop spectacular costumes for the carnival parade - and make new friends at the same time!

Building the frame for an intricate costume!

Visitors have the chance to share ideas, meet experts and experienced carnival planners from all over the world - all of whom are happy to give advice and information in developing spectacular but wearable costumes for carnival.

With miles of colourful fabrics, feathers, sequins, glitter and more glue than you can possibly imagine, the costumes are now nearing completion.

With only a week to go now until Carnival, Beverley Thomas, together with friends and relations from The Luton Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Care Forum, were at Mas Camp adding the finishing touches to the head-dresses for the members of their group who would be taking part in the parade.

The Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia Care Forum ladies!

"Our theme for this year's carnival is 'Celebration' as it's the fifth anniversary of our our charity - so we're hoping for an even bigger party atmosphere!" explained Beverley.

"There will be forty of us from the Forum in the parade, from four years old up to seventy years old! 

"Some of us will be walking, but we'll also have a float in the parade as some of the children taking part suffer from Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia and so the walking would be too much for them - it's a long walk and it can take quite a long time, so we want to make sure everyone is comfortable and enjoys the parade.

Clemencia hard at work!

"It's our fourth year taking part in the carnival, and we're all really looking forward to it!" said Beverley.

Over in another corner of the room, Maria and friends from the Ghana Society were busy adding the red, gold green and black feathers (the Ghanaian colours) and sequins to their head-dresses.

"There will be fifty of us from the Ghana Society taking part in Carnival this year"  Maria told us.

"We're lucky to have some extra special performers joining the group who will be doing acrobatics and some special dance routines with us.

"We'll also have four dancers who will be doing a traditional Fetish Dance!   It's a traditional Ghanaian dance where the dancers appear possessed and able to talk to the spirits! So that should be worth seeing!"

Luton International Carnival 2008 - Bank Holiday Monday 26th May - procession leaves Wardown Park at 1.30pm.