Representatives of UK’s Notting Hills Carnival Roadshow and Seychelles Carnaval International de Victoria met in London to discuss their future cooperation.
Claire Holder of the UK’s Notting Hill Carnival and Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture met on Saturday 19 September in London to discuss future cooperation between the greatest carnival out of the UK and the Carnival of Carnivals that takes place annually in the Seychelles.
Claire Holder and her delegation from the colourful Notting Hill Carnival Roadshow in the UK have been participating in the carnival in the Seychelles ever since this unique event was launched over five years ago. In the Seychelles carnival the UK delegation have been parading in the streets of Victoria, the Capital of the Seychelles alongside the carnival delegations coming from Brazil, Dusseldorf of Germany, Trinidad & Tobago, Italy and Indonesia and together with cultural troupes coming from the Community of Nations in what is described as the parade of the “Melting Pot of Cultures” .
After five editions of the Seychelles carnival, an event that has really captured the interest of the press from every where and that continues to grow year after year, it was seen as important that the representatives of the two carnivals meet to analyse their future cooperation.
Seychelles also hosts a second festival in October, based on rallying the Creole People together. This event rallies interest from the Indian Ocean islands of the Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion and Rodrigues as well as Haiti, New Orleans in the USA and the French Speaking Caribbean Islands. This October Festival coincides annually with the UN Creole Day and for Seychelles it is a festival that enables them to showcase that Creole is more than just a patoit, but that the Creoles are a people in their own right with their own language and culture.
The islands International de Victoria on the other hand has been rallying together the best carnivals from the world and ensured that cultural troupes from countries who are proud to showcase their own respective cultures are seen by the world media in a carnival parade full of colour, culture and buzz.
Clair Holder and Minister Alain St.Ange discussed the workshops undertaken by the Notting Hill Roadshow delegation every year when they are in Seychelles, workshops said Claire Holder aimed at empowering Non Governmental Organisations to get more involved with their countries’ event that has become their biggest cultural event. “We meet with Lungos and we are determined to keep working with them to get them more involved” said Clair Holder.
Different ideas and proposals were discussed and Clair Holder and Minister St.Ange will be meeting again in November on the sidelines of the WTM (Tourism Trade Fair) of London. “We are committed to continue to work with Seychelles because they have a great carnival” said Claire Holder of the Notting Hill Carnaval Roadshow.
Minister St.Ange on his par was thankful to Claire Holder and her Team at the Notting Hill Carnaval Roadshow and to the UK for the support received by the Seychelles carnival. “We salute your sponsors who continue to ensure that the Union Jack flies annually at the carnival in the Seychelles. We thank you Claire and the whole delegation who marks our carnival with your presence and we look forward to many more years of working together” said Minister Alain St.Ange of the Seychelles.
Read more about the Seychelles Carnaval International de Victoria – click HERE and HERE.
