HAPPY 20TH FOR FESTIVAL TROUPERS – N-W Evening Mail
Last updated 13:31, Friday, 30 May 2008
THE Barracudas will be taking their fantastic costumes, stilts, samba and general fiesta on the road for their 20th season this year.
Over the next few weeks the choreography, music and costumes will come together to create a show, which will be taken across the country.
Their high quality performances continue to bring kudos to Barrow, with the Barracudas having represented the town at Notting Hill Carnival, the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and The Queen’s Golden Jubilee in London.
A quest has now been launched to find the thousands of people involved in The Barracudas’ over the past two decades, to share their memories.
Barracudas’ artistic director, Julie Hammerton said: “Our 20th anniversary is for them to celebrate too. But it’s for us to find out where people are now, what they are doing and what stories they’ve got to tell.
“There’s been so many hundreds and thousands of them involved and people still feel a part of it, even though they don’t come and do it anymore.”
The ethos of bringing the spirit of carnival to the streets started for Barracudas in the summer of 1989 in Storey Square.With minimal resources to create costumes for more than 100 people, the Barracudas brought Caribbean magic to Barrow.
That June The Barracudas entered carnivals in Dalton, Askam and Barrow.
At the end of Dalton carnival a group photo was taken on Dowdales School field. Looking back at the black and white photos of that day has started Ms Hammerton on the search to discover the stories and whereabouts of the thousands involved in the charity over the past 20 years.
She said: “Over the past 19 years, thousands of people have played a part in Barracudas – nearly all Barrovians born and raised. “Like Barrow itself, there is a strong sense of community in Barracudas, and wherever we travel, we always make sure people know where we are from – proud of our town and the opportunities it has given us.”
Anybody who has been a Barracuda, or supported the charity, is encouraged to share their memories on the Barracudas Blog athttp://barracudasremixed.wordpress.com
The workshops and rehearsals are still well attended at the Barracudas’ base in the Nan Tait Centre.
