Scheduled to be held on Sunday 12 September, Hackney Carnival will once again go virtual. This year will be the second in a row that the eagerly anticipated event will be held in cyberspace rather than on the streets.
Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville has called on his culture chief councillor, Guy Nicholson, to “build a larger programme and portfolio of activities”. Hackney Carnival attracts around 80,000 people each year and is the second-biggest in London after Notting Hill Carnival.
Last year’s onscreen offering from Hackney Carnival saw some carnival groups create videos that reflected the work they do, while others produced guides to creating carnival crafts at home. In all, there were 21 short films, which together attracted more than 35,000 views.
The pandemic has taught organisers to think differently. Cultural development manager Lucy McMenemy said: “The aim of the programme was to support Hackney’s carnival groups in developing new digital skills. There was a strong response from the groups that it had been really helpful for them in developing their online presence, and appreciation of the fact that while we couldn’t do the live carnival, the online version had helped keep the carnival spirit going.”
As reported by the Hackney Citizen.
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