From Centros Miller, the Northern Link road and out-of-town supermarket plans at Lawson’s bridge, Lancaster is subject to a barrage of proposed developments designed to benefit large companies, yet threaten the fabric and liveliness of our communities. We are tired of the lack of any say for the residents of the city as to the direction that the planners are taking us.
The Carnival is about giving Centros, the Council and any other developers a taste of the strength of our communities and of our opposition. It’s also about making links and creating lots of exciting and fun events!"
Taken fron website....
The procession also took up the City's one-way system in between events, with a bike sound-system providing the bassy beats. Stewards for the carnival on bikes blocked side streets and on foot, handed lollipops to car drivers caught up in the blockage. The police, it has to be said, facilitated the whole thing in a low-key manner, except for the unnecessary presence of 3 undercover cops and evidence gathering team. Why don't they just use our website for pictures!? ;-)
The protest/procession was organised over several months at open, public meetings run by consensus, and at 'infrastructure group' meetings (also open), with tasks divided into working groups for e.g. music, performance, carnivalism...The event itself was proceded by a street performance where corporate 'grey men' pulled the maggot of consumerism through saturday shoppers, sucking the souls from 'unsuspecting' 'random' Lancastrian shoppers, who were offered empty shiney bags and emerged with zombie-mask blank faces.
It is impossible to convey the 'vibrancy' and 'diversity' (we wanted to reclaim these corporate-propaganda words from the developers) of the day, it's best to visit the website at www.carnivalofculture.org.uk. We have sent a loud and colourful, well-organised and diverse, unambiguous 'NO' to the corporate take-over of our city, and a multi-faceted 'YES' to the alternatives of non-commercial community and creativity.
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carnival of culture
06.03.2008 12:32
ceri mumford
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cerimumford@hotmail.com