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UK CENTRE FOR CARNIVAL ARTS

Carnival is a unique spectacle bringing millions of people around the world together on city streets every year. Opening in 2009, the UK Centre for Carnival Arts (UKCCA) will be the country’s dedicated centre of excellence, based in Luton, the home of Europe’s biggest one-day carnival.

The Centre will focus on artists’ professional development, skills and business training in the fields of music, stagecraft, and performance, alongside hosting international residencies, with the world’s leading carnival artists.
UKCCA will offer the first foundation degree in carnival arts in partnership with the University of  Bedfordshire, and carnival summer schools designed to enhance educational attainment of children and young people. UKCCA is also developing a national carnival archive in partnership with the Victoria & Albert Museum.
UKCCA will attract a large number of national and international audiences to the region including carnival artists, cultural tourists, course attendees and conference visitors.
Over ten years, the activity of UKCCA and the Luton International Carnival, is expected to:
-contribute over £34 million to the region’s economy
- attract over 3 million people

“UKCCA goes beyond the parochial: UKCCA does not ‘just make costumes’, but offers Regeneration in action… UKCCA has helped shape future of young people… Engaging young people in carnival arts and diverting youth away from crime and other disruptive behaviours, this is a crucial first step in encouraging young people to benefit from active participation… In short, the work being done by the UKCCA is very important, helping to build sustainable and long-term projects that benefit the community and those who live in it.’
Margaret Moran, MP for Luton South