About Us
watch the great british carnival story Video by Shayma Fouad, Future formed, waltham forest
Unleashing the Power of Carnival Arts
to Bring People Together and Create Joy
Great British Carnival CIC creates vibrant, multi-scale performances to showcase the artistic excellence and diversity of all the global Carnival styles in Britain
We are a diverse co-operative network of artists and producers spanning a wide range of disciplines and practices in inclusive and accessible community arts.
We collaborate in and with neighbourhood communities and use Carnival Arts to transform participants and audiences into artists and performers.
Together, we create visually spectacular processional performances, which celebrate heritage, diversity, culture and society and creates joy for artists, participants and audiences alike.
We are a diverse co-operative network of artists and producers spanning a wide range of disciplines and practices in inclusive and accessible community arts.
We collaborate in and with neighbourhood communities and use Carnival Arts to transform participants and audiences into artists and performers.
Together, we create visually spectacular processional performances, which celebrate heritage, diversity, culture and society and creates joy for artists, participants and audiences alike.
Artistic Director, TERESA ASKEWTeresa Askew is the Artistic Director of Great British Carnival, the UK’s leading organisation dedicated to celebrating cultural diversity through the power of carnival arts. With a vision rooted in creativity, community, and inclusion, Teresa leads a wide range of vibrant projects that bring people together through music, dance, costume, and street theatre.
Her background is in campaigns and major event production and she was a key member of the team that set up the anti-racist festival 'respect' and London's first St Patrick's Day Parade and festival. Teresa and Frank met when they were co-producers of the London/Rio Carnival exchange for the London 2012 Festival. They went on to produce the Great British Carnival in the Olympic Park, a major event to mark the halfway point between the London and the Rio Olympic Games Teresa's work champions emerging artists, engages underrepresented communities, and reimagines carnival as a platform for cultural exchange and social impact. Teresa is the artistic director of Ramsgate Carnival where she oversees one of the country’s longest-running community carnivals. Attracting over 900 participants and featuring more than 50 floats, Ramsgate Carnival is a celebration of local pride and shared heritage—brought to life by her leadership and passion. Teresa has become a key figure in the UK’s carnival and community arts landscape, known for her inclusive approach and bold artistic vision |
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CEO, FRANK SWEENEY
Frank Sweeney, MA, is a Senior Arts Manager with over 30 years’ experience in the Voluntary and Community Sector, using Carnival and Community Arts to inspire social change and cultural engagement.
As co-Director of GB Carnival, Frank works alongside his fellow directors, Teresa and Jimmy, to direct and produce the annual town carnivals in Leyton, Ramsgate, and Margate.
He developed a series of innovative Carnival interventions in Waltham Forest, including Doorstep Carnival during lockdown easing and the London Borough of Culture commissions Carnival Fantastico, Legends of the Orient, and Carnivalista Culture.
In response to the closure of the borough’s 120-year-old carnival, Frank formed the Waltham Forest Carnival Arts Network—a collective of local cultural practitioners, voluntary organisations, and public institutions—to co-create Leyton Más: The People’s Parade & Carnival Fête as a new community-led Carnival for Waltham Forest.
In collaboration with drummer Ricardo Boukie, Frank directs Jankonu Más, a masquerade band inspired by African-Caribbean folklore.
Frank is currently consulting with Hackney Council as Hackney Carnival transitions from a council-led to a community-led partnership model. Through his company, Desire Paths, he supports artists, directors, and producers to shape and realise their creative visions.
He is Executive Producer of the African Diaspora Festival Choir, directed by veteran Broadway choral conductor Chapman Roberts—an international cultural exchange project connecting communities across the African Atlantic Diaspora. His work is rooted in collaboration, inclusion, and cultural heritage.
Frank also serves as a Charity Trustee and Non-Executive Director for several youth and performing arts organisations. As a Sector Expert and Peer Mentor for the Clock Your Skills framework, he is completing a Level 8 Professional Award, advancing his research into African-Caribbean Carnival and Masquerade traditions.
desirepaths.uk
desirepaths.uk/jankonu-mas
desirepaths.uk/the-african-diaspora-festival-choir
clockyourskills.com
As co-Director of GB Carnival, Frank works alongside his fellow directors, Teresa and Jimmy, to direct and produce the annual town carnivals in Leyton, Ramsgate, and Margate.
He developed a series of innovative Carnival interventions in Waltham Forest, including Doorstep Carnival during lockdown easing and the London Borough of Culture commissions Carnival Fantastico, Legends of the Orient, and Carnivalista Culture.
In response to the closure of the borough’s 120-year-old carnival, Frank formed the Waltham Forest Carnival Arts Network—a collective of local cultural practitioners, voluntary organisations, and public institutions—to co-create Leyton Más: The People’s Parade & Carnival Fête as a new community-led Carnival for Waltham Forest.
In collaboration with drummer Ricardo Boukie, Frank directs Jankonu Más, a masquerade band inspired by African-Caribbean folklore.
Frank is currently consulting with Hackney Council as Hackney Carnival transitions from a council-led to a community-led partnership model. Through his company, Desire Paths, he supports artists, directors, and producers to shape and realise their creative visions.
He is Executive Producer of the African Diaspora Festival Choir, directed by veteran Broadway choral conductor Chapman Roberts—an international cultural exchange project connecting communities across the African Atlantic Diaspora. His work is rooted in collaboration, inclusion, and cultural heritage.
Frank also serves as a Charity Trustee and Non-Executive Director for several youth and performing arts organisations. As a Sector Expert and Peer Mentor for the Clock Your Skills framework, he is completing a Level 8 Professional Award, advancing his research into African-Caribbean Carnival and Masquerade traditions.
desirepaths.uk
desirepaths.uk/jankonu-mas
desirepaths.uk/the-african-diaspora-festival-choir
clockyourskills.com
dIRECTOR, jIMMY EDWARDS
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Jimmy Edwards was born in Margate and met with Great British Carnival during their residency at Margate’s Youth Club when he was just 15. Both Teresa and Frank were immediately impressed at his talent as a maker and his flair for both production and performance.
Jimmy went on to do his work experience with Great British Carnival and upon leaving school became a valued and trusted member of the team working in production, puppeteering, making and performance. In 2024 he joined the Board of Directors. Jimmy plays a key role in ensuring our approach remains fresh, open and relevant to the next generation. He is a custodian for the legacy of Great British Carnival and will continue to create and creat joy, and inspire others. He is playing a key role in the new generation of artists to push carnival creativity forward. Jimmy has designed costumes and floats and produced and performed in many Carnivals including Ramsgate, Margate, St George’s Day Parade, the Coronation and Jubilee Parades, New Year’s Day Parade. Waltham Forest’s Doorstep Carnivals and Windrush Day. Along with Teresa, he started Ramsgate’s Winter Lantern Parade and remains a key artist and producer of this spectacular event. Recently Jimmy has been broadening the range of depth of his experience, also working with industry leader, Mandinga Arts. |
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