London College of Fashion

Carol Alevroyianni and Richard Broderick are the key people behind the Whitley Bay Carnival which was revived in 2013. It’s thought the carnival first ran a hundred years ago but petered out over the years, was revived in the 1980s but again disappeared. It's now flourishing again, and many local groups and schools get involved, with around a thousand people taking part in the parade, and more than 10,000 watching it. Carol and Richard explain that the carnival is artist-led, and all the costumes are informed by artists. The 10th anniversary parade was led by a giant animated puppet called Billy, which was made by Richard.

Simon Pipe is the creator of the Banbury Hobby Horse. In 2000 councillors in the town of Banbury in Oxfordshire wanted to capitalise on the famous nursery rhyme 'Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross'. Simon, who was a Morris dancer and had attended one-day events like Jack in the Green in Hastings, suggested a hobby horse festival for Banbury. The councillors agreed to it and the event started to take place annually. People created their own hobby horses and brought them to Banbury to parade through the streets. Simon's hobby horse is a white creature with ping pong eyes, four legs and a blue horse rug covering the wearer.

Mattie has been clowning for 52 years, and in this interview he talks about becoming a clown, creating his ‘look’, making his first costume and designing the one he wears now. He describes the many things he’s done in his career including working abroad, performing in theatres, being a laughter therapist in a children's hospital, meeting the Queen and appearing on TV shows. He is now the archivist for Clowns International, and the curator of the Clown Museum. The museum collection also contains the clown egg register, approx. 300 eggs with clown faces on them. Every year Mattie organises the annual Clown service celebrating clowns since Grimaldi and commemorating those that have passed.

Michael Fowell has been dancing in the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance since he was 7 years old. He’s now 29 and proud to be involved in a tradition which goes back hundreds of years. In fact, the reindeer horns worn by the performers (which hang on the wall of St Nicholas’ church in Abbots Bromley for the rest of the year) are more than 1000 years old. The dancers consist of six deer men, a Fool, hobby horse, bowman and Maid Marian. They perform all around the neighbourhood covering about 10 miles during the day. Michael's family has been involved for generations. He carries the No 4 horn which is the lightest one.

Moira Budge first got involved in the Orkney Festival of the Horse in the late 1970s when her son was about 7. The event is held annually on the island of South Ronaldsay. Traditionally boys would take part in a ploughing match, copying their fathers and grandfathers and using miniature ploughs made from horn or bone. In the mid 1950s, girls started joining in, dressed as plough horses. The costumes were basic at first but have become more and more elaborate. Moira describes an outfit she made for her daughter Amy out of an old school blazer decorated with buttons, ribbons, pom poms and lace. The 'horses' also wear decorated yokes round their necks.

Malik was born in the Gambia but moved to the UK as a child. He set up Yaram Arts to showcase African music, culture and dance. Moulaye is a 'zimbalia' artist (a medieval art form) and performs with Yaram regularly. He is Senegalese and moved to the UK in 2010 where he met Malik. They promote African Carnival (pre-dating Caribbean carnival but there are many links between the two practices). Moulaye performs the Zimba Lion Masquerade which originates in Senegal. He wears a lion costume, made of hairy material with a headdress and neck piece made of cowrie shells.

Bettina and her husband Richard set up Para Carnival in 2010. She describes it as an all-inclusive carnival group working with vulnerable people. Many of the members are disabled, use wheelchairs or live with conditions such as autism. About 400 people take part each season in dance classes, festivals and local parties, and many take part in both the Notting Hill and Hackney Carnivals as well. Richard is the main costume-maker. He once made a Bayana costume for a wheelchair in one night. For each carnival, they come up with a theme such as Egyptian or Windrush. They either create costumes from scratch or modify previous costumes.

Bob Crouch won the Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race in 1958, the year he completed his apprenticeship as a waterman on the River Thames. It’s the oldest rowing race in the world and has been continuously run for more than 200 years. Bob competed against 4 other apprentices and won against the odds. The prize is the right to wear the red coat and badge. Bob explains how he felt when  he won the race, what the coat is like to wear and the pride he feels in upholding the Doggett's tradition. He has written a book on the subject called 'The Coat of Mr Doggett'.

Ian was a puppeteer before becoming a clown. He created his clown persona Gingernut (because of his red hair) on a cruise in 1976. His first costume came from a London store and was a Royal Stewart tartan suit. He used plastic gingernut biscuits for the buttons. Over the years Ian has learnt skills and tricks associated with clowning such as tightrope walking and magic. He has worked abroad and in many different environments. Later in his career his costumes were made for him by a lady called Heidi who designed things like false arms for some of his characters. In Ian's view, clowns are part of folk tradition and have much in common with fools, jesters and comic Morris characters.

Jerry has been a swan upper since 1996. He’s a sixth generation Thames Waterman, and has also taken part in the Dogget’s Coat and Badge race. He talks about his involvement in the Dyers Company which is one of three livery companies which undertakes the monitoring of the King’s swans on the River Thames each year. The Dyers dress in blue, Breton-style striped tops, white trousers, and navy jackets. Jerry feels very strongly that the tradition of Swan Upping needs to be more widely known about.