Europa: the show!

Produced at the Carnival Learning Centre in Spring 2009 as a bespoke commission for the launch of the UK Centre for Carnival Arts in Luton.

The project involved over 70 artists, performers and technicians from various Isle of Wight carnival groups working together under the artistic direction of Sharon George and Jill Wade Smith from Island-based Mas Fusion.

Europa tells the story of the mythological birth of Europe based on Greek legend. The god Zeus, disguised as a tame white bull, falls in love and abducts a beautiful Phoenician princess and carries her to Crete to make her the first Queen of Europe.  He bestows on her 4 magical gifts – Talos, a winged guardian, drawn from the sun, Laelaps, a dog so fast it could outrun anything, a javelin that never missed and a necklace of stars (destined to become the European flag). All are represented in our mas band.

Zeus the bull, a massive 5 meter high moving structure, was created in Italy by our partners Umberto and Stefano Cinquini from the famous Viareggio Carnival. www.frattellicinquini.com.

In order to portray the European roots of Carnival, Europa was choreographed and presented on stage using traditional characters from pantomime and commedia del arte, using mime, dance and tumbling acrobats.

Still under contract to UKCCA, Europa will be next presented at Bridgwater Carnival in Somerset on November 6^th and is thereafter available for bookings. Please call to discuss.  

Visit our gallery page to view pics of Europa!