join us again for a special carnival – barrow 28th june 2008

meet up with old friends and rediscover your carnival spirit

all welcome

special get-together rehearsal for all vintage Barracudas on tuesday 24 June 6-8pm

costume fitting thursdays 3.30-8pm, fridays 2-5pm

or telephone (01229)  812 036 for an appointment

1988:The Barracudas, set up for the Carnivals of Furness by Pete Moser, musician-in-residence for Welfare State International’s programme of arts development in Barrow-in-Furness.  Dancers from Marion Barstow School of Dance, Dalton-in-Furness, and musicians from Pete’s community music programme.  First rehearsal altogether at Barrow Civic Hall.   Two person submarine firing off coloured smokes.  Group photo taken at first carnival for Barracudas on Dowdales School Field.

1989:Theme:  The Carnival of the Sea. Rainbow Worriers – first backpack costumes, design by Marlis Price, using coloured plastic. HQ:  Storey Square, Barrow

1990:Theme:  Shipyard Tales. Feast of Furness culminating in The Golden Submarine, Welfare State International’s outdoor show at Furness Amphitheatre.  Dancers had their own ‘terraced house’ costume they inhabited and joined up to represent one of Barrow’s streets.  Musicians wore boat hats. Appeared at Granada TV Festival, Glasgow City of Culture Lantern Parade. HQ Garage opposite The Strawberry.

1991:HQ:  Dalton Town Hall. Theme: ‘Freedom of the Air’ celebrating first year of independent identity.Worked with Grand Union Orchestra musicians. Becomes project managed by Arts Service of Barrow Borough Council. Design by Marlis Price, using ripstop fabric.  Male section of six ‘Macho Mackaws’.WOMAD – Morecambe.Toxteth.Kendal Torchlight Parade. Festival of Comedy, Liverpool.Torrisholme Carnival.Ulverston Lantern Procession.

1992:‘The Underworld’ created at HQ Brady’s Warehouse.Backpacks includes Bright Sparks, Bats Hounds and many tailed Devil.Moved into The Old Technical College for the first time. Design Marlis Price, Choreography Tanya Cusan, Pippa Coleman. Music Karli. Cent, 5 Cent, 10 Cent, Dollar.

1993:Theme ‘Barracudas in Space’ Design Betty Vaughn Richards. Newcastle:  Washington Kite Festival. Stockton:  Riverside Festival.  The Space Posse, Robots and Rockets.Melmerby Dance Festival.Torrisholme Carnival.Maryport Carnival.Kendal Torchlight Procession.Production based at Park View School Annexe.

1994:Theme ‘Seventh Heaven’ designed by Ali Zaidi of Moti Roti, Production based at Unit 5B, Furness Business Park. Used dyeing techniques, and Asian fabrics sourced in Bradford. Made a big puppet ’spirit’ character, who broke in Maryport and had to be stretchered into someon’e garden.

1995:Ideals’, designed by Ali Zaidi. ‘Geordie’ Paul Brown as Music Director and Amanda Quigley Choreographer & Performer. Aileen & Russ makers, creating plaited neon newspaper costumes and beaten aluminium photo frames.

1996:Special Performance for The Dock Museum Launch, Barrow. ‘The Open Sea’ .  MD Colin ‘Doc’ Williams who puts guitars in the Band Design. Co-ordinator Ali Zaidi leads team of international carnival artists.  

1997:‘Swarm’ – a plague of insects- dragonflies, bluebottles and greenfly!  First appearance at Bradford Festival. The Barracudas registers as a limited company – Barracudas Limited.  

1998:HQ at the Old Fire Station.Theme:  ‘Glassycle’, designed by Salvatore Forino for the opening of the National Glass Museum, Sunderland where we perform on the glass roof. First stilt walking. Steve Newby creates reconstructed carnival bikes.

1999:Theme:   ‘The Firebird’ to symbolise the end of the millennium. Artistic Director travels to Venice and Viareggio for the carnivals of northern Italy.  First use of our trademark ’spiral’ costumes.

2000:Theme:  ‘Flesh’… textures and shapes of the body and putting insides on the outside. Back to Unit 5B.First appearance at Notting Hill Carnival.Work with Mahogany Arts.

2001:Move in permanently to The Old Technical College, now renamed The Nan Tait Centre.  Purposely refurbished workshops and rehearsal space.Theme:  ‘Fujiyama’ with guest designer Eiko Kawashima. Arts Council of England invite Barracudas to form “The Carnival Consortium” with The Trinidad-n-Tobago Carnival Club and the Nottingham Carnival Club.  

2002:Theme: ‘Fuse’ – to show the fusion of cultures in our show. Queen’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations in London. Manchester:  Commonwealth Games Street Arts Programme.Became Registered Charity. Music Director Doug Gillam.  

2003:Guernica’ – the opposite of carnival – a lament for people who suffer because of war.  First appearance at Manchester Caribbean Carnival.Costumes made from specially printed fabric in black and white depicting life’s struggles. Choreography by Vicki Van Mechelen. Guest artist: James Martins from Rio de Janeiro. 

2004:‘Caravel’ – a journey over land and sea, with fantastic creatures, to celebrate man’s desire for discovery.Premiered at Festival of the Sea, Barrow in Furness.First appearance at Leeds Caribbean Carnival.

2005:Theme:  ‘Microcosm’ – the little world of the goldfish bowl and the desire to escape…Artistic Director becomes Arts Council Fellow with a six week fellowship at Estacio de Sa in Rio de Janeiro.Glasgow West End Festival and 15 other events!

2006:Theme: ‘Polaris’ – magnetism and polarity – the effect on the world of natural phenomena. Year round workshops at our Carnival Centre.   Work with Eraldo and Adriana from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

2007:Theme:  ‘Vanguard’ Our planet is just a ‘pale blue dot’ when photographed from the extremity of our solar system by Voyager, a vanguard of space exploration.

2008: Early summer carnivals: Barracudas Remixed. Later summer: Leicester Carnival, and new project planned with Meninos Oldham.