Following the successful 8th International Biennial Conference in Carnival Arts "The Transformative Power of Carnival Arts - Rebounding from the COVID-19 Pandemic" at the Tabernacle in London, plans for hosting a conference at Oxford Brookes were formed. This is the first step to bring the conference to different locations and their local Carnival communities.
The annual Cowley Road Carnival usually attracts tens of thousands of residents and visitors in the streets of east Oxford on the first weekend in July. This year's activities have been cancelled and the Carnival is facing an uncertain future. Although the conference team hoped to align the event with celebrations of Cowley Road Carnival, the conference has now turned into an important platform to explore and discuss the future of Carnival in Oxford.
Over two days, the conference offers an exciting programme of keynote lectures, panels and roundtables in a hybrid format - inviting participation online and in person. It brings together researchers, costume designers, musicians, culinary artists, community leaders and members of Caribbean Carnival organisations in the UK and internationally to showcase and analyse Carnival’s multifaceted manifestations.
The event builds on the succession of international biannual conferences on carnival arts held in London from 2006 and also seeks to promote the activities of the International Journal of Carnival Arts. Find out more about the journal:
The conference is supported by the Creative Industries Research and Innovation Network and School of Arts at Oxford Brookes University. More information on the research network, community and industry collaborations: