THE New Carnival Company (NCC) has launched a free digital carnival club for families with children stuck at home during the COVID-19 crisis.

The Virtual Carnival Club delivers online weekly classes and tutorial showing how to make simple yet colourful costumes, create percussion music and enjoy carnival dancing in your own space.

The move came following the cancellation of this year’s Mardi Gras parade, the company’s flagship event, which was due to take place on June 27.

Frankie Goldspink, creative director of NCC, said: “We wanted to keep the energy alive by providing some fun, creative activities around carnival for people to try at home.

"This is a Blue Peter style club, using whatever is lying around like recycled plastic containers, empty crisp packets and upcycled jumble. We want to show that anyone can make and do carnival.”

Over a series of weekly sessions, families can create their own outfits and learn easy dance moves, working alongside NCC's creative team.

Gina said “Virtual Carnival Club provides us with a platform to explore creating great carnival in an eco-friendly way. By using everyday recycled, repurposed, and reusable materials we can ensure carnival in the future is more sustainable, and accessible to everyone. "

The New Carnival Company plans to organise a Let Loose street parade in Ryde when restrictions on social gatherings are lifted.

Regular Mardi Gras programmes will resume for 2021 when the theme ‘The Story of Carnival’ will be presented in Ryde on Saturday June 26.

More information can be found at www.thenewcarnivalcompany.com/virtual/