What

is a Carnival?
An annual celebra4on of life found in
many countries of the world. By
learning about carnival we can learn
more about ourselves and a lot about
accep4ng and understanding other
cultures.

What is a fes4val?
A fes4val is a periodic
commemora4on, anniversary or
celebra4on. They originated from
religious celebra4ons, for example
Christmas, but there are now many
fes4vals all around the world
celebra4ng
r
eligious
a
nd
n
on
It is typically during the week before
religious occasions. These special
Lent in Roman Catholic countries,
dates
c
an
b
e
m
arked
b
y
f
eas4ng,
involving processions, music, dancing,
ceremonies, a program of fes4ve
and the use of masquerade.
ac4vi4es and all dierent kinds of
entertainment.

(Credited: http://www.allahwe.org/History.html)

(Credited: Google Deni4ons)


The dierence between a carnival and a fes4val is that carnivals originated
from people coming together to celebrate their culture, whereas fes4vals
originated from religion and celebra4ng religious events. Carnivals typically
involve processions, whereas a fes4val can stay in the same place, however,
there are types of fes4vals, for example Nirvana Day where some people
choose to celebrate by going on a Pilgrimage, so it really depends upon how
people decide to celebrate the occasion. The word carnival came from the
celebra4on being the week before lent when people didn't eat meat.

 Fes4vals originated from the commemora4on of religious events.

People came together for mass observance of these events and
therefore fes4vals began.

 A Chris4an Fes4val on the 25th December to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Roman pagans rst introduced the holiday of Saturnalia, a week long period of
lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25. During this period, Roman
courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one could be punished for
damaging property or injuring people during the weeklong celebra4on. The
fes4val began when Roman authori4es chose an enemy of the Roman
people to represent the Lord of Misrule. Each Roman community selected
a vic4m whom they forced to indulge in food and other physical pleasures
throughout the week. At the fes4vals conclusion, December 25th, Roman
authori4es believed they were destroying the forces of darkness by brutally
murdering this innocent man or woman.

 The ancient Greek writer poet and historian Lucian (in his dialogue en4tled Saturnalia)
describes the fes4vals observance in his 4me. In addi4on to human sacrice, he men4ons
these customs: widespread intoxica4on; going from house to house while singing naked; rape
and other sexual license; and consuming human-shaped biscuits (s4ll produced in some English
and most German bakeries during the Christmas season).
In the 4th century CE, Chris4anity took on the Saturnalia fes4val hoping to take the Pagan
masses with it. Chris4an leaders successfully converted large numbers of Pagans promising
them that they could con4nue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Chris4ans.
The problem was that there was nothing essen4ally Chris4an about Saturnalia. To x this,
these Chris4an leaders named Saturnalias last day, December 25th, to be Jesus birthday.
However, the Chris4ans struggled to rene the way this fes4val was celebrated, so in return
for mass observance of Jesus's birthday, the Church agreed to let the occasion be celebrated
how it always had been - drinking, sexual indulgence and singing naked in the streets (where
carol singing originated!)

 The Origin of Christmas Tree

Pagans had long worshipped trees in the forest, or brought them into their homes and
decorated them, and this observance was adopted and painted with a Chris4an veneer by the
Church.

The Origin of Mistletoe
Norwegian mythology recounts how the god Balder was killed using a mistletoe arrow by his
rival god Hoder while gh4ng for the female Nanna. Druid rituals use mistletoe to poison
their human sacricial vic4m. The Chris4an custom of kissing under the mistletoe is a later
combina4on of the sexual license of Saturnalia with the Druidic sacricial cult.

 The Origin of Christmas Presents

In pre-Chris4an Rome, the emperors forced their most despised ci4zens to
bring oerings and gids during the Saturnalia (in December) and Kalends (in
January). Later, this ritual expanded to include gid-giving among the general
populace. The Catholic Church gave this custom a Chris4an avor by re-roo4ng
it in the supposed gid-giving of Saint Nicholas.

 How did Nirvana begin?

Parinirvana (Nirvana Day) is celebrated mostly by Mahayana Buddhists, commonly on February
15th. The day commemorates the death of the historical Buddha and his entry into Nirvana.
Buddhists celebrate Paranirvana Day by medita4ng or by going to Buddhist temples or
monasteries, but celebra4ons vary around the world. In monasteries Nirvana day is typically
treated as a social occasion where people can bring presents and food to share with others.
Mahayana Buddhism is most prominent in North Asia, including China, Tibet, Mongolia and Japan.
Mahayana Buddhism is most dis4nc4ve for it's focus on the compassion inherent in enlightened
beings who are thought to postpone he ul4mate goal of Nirvana to guide other beings who
con4nue to struggle with the cycle of death and rebirth.

 While most Buddhists ock to temples and shrines to celebrate Nirvana Day,
many also travel to Kushinagar, the Indian City believed to be the site of the
Buddha's early death. The city becomes a major pilgrimage des4na4on for
the Buddhists. Stupas, sacred monuments that oden contain relics of the
Buddha are also major des4na4ons for Buddhists on Nirvana Day.

 Diwali or Deepawali is one of the most signicant fes4vals in Indian culture.

It's the fes4val of lights (deep = light and avali = a row i.e., a row of lights)
that's marked by four days of celebra4on, which literally illumines the
country with its brilliance, and dazzles all with its joy. Each of the four days in
the fes4val of Diwali is separated by a dierent tradi4on, but what remains
true and constant is the celebra4on of life, its enjoyment and goodness.

 Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important harvest fes4val .
However, there are various legends poin4ng to the origin of Diwali or 'Deepawali.' Some believe it to
be the celebra4on of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. Whereas in Bengal the fes4val is
dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali , the dark goddess of strength. Lord Ganesha , the elephant-
headed God, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshiped in most Hindu homes on
this day. In Jainism , Deepawali has an added signicance to the great event of Lord Mahavira
aiaining the eternal bliss of nirvana . Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with
Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In
joyous celebra4on of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama,
illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers.

 These Four Days

Each day of Diwali has its own tale, legend and myth to tell. The rst day of
the fes4val Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka
by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya , the second day of
Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi , the goddess of wealth in her
most benevolent mood, fullling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya
also tells the story of Lord Vishnu , who in his dwarf incarna4on
vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali was allowed to
return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness
and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is on the
third day of Deepawali Kar4ka Shudda Padyami that Bali steps out of
hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The
fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvi4ya (also called Bhai Dooj ) and on this
day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.

 The Signicance of Lights & Firecrackers

All the simple rituals of Diwali have a signicance and a story to tell. The illumina4on of
homes with lights and the skies with recrackers is an expression of obeisance to the
heavens for the aiainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity.
According to one belief, the sound of re-crackers are an indica4on of the joy of the
people living on earth, making the gods aware of their plen4ful state. S4ll another
possible reason has a more scien4c basis: the fumes produced by the crackers kill a lot
of insects and mosquitoes, found in plenty ader the rains.

 The Tradi4on of Gambling

The tradi4on of gambling on Diwali also has a legend behind it. It is
believed that on this day, Goddess Parva4 played dice with her
husband Lord Shiva , and she decreed that whosoever gambled on
Diwali night would prosper throughout the ensuing year. Diwali is
associated with wealth and prosperity in many ways, and the fes4val
of ' Dhanteras ' ('dhan' = wealth; 'teras' = 13th) is celebrated two days
before the fes4val of lights.

 From Darkness Unto Light...

In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the signicance of the
victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that
illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth nds new reason
and hope. From darkness unto light the light that empowers us to
commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity.
During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of
incense s4cks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of re-crackers,
joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe . Outside
India, it is more than a Hindu fes4val, it's a celebra4on of South-Asian
iden44es. If you are away from the sights and sounds of Diwali, light a
diya , sit quietly, shut your eyes, withdraw the senses, concentrate on this
supreme light and illuminate the soul.

 Where did the word carnival come from?

Hundred and hundreds of years ago, the followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the
tradi4on of holding a wild costume fes4val right before the rst day of Lent. Because Catholics
are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they called their fes4val, carnevale which means
to put away the meat. As 4me passed, carnivals in Italy became quite famous; and in fact the
prac4ce spread to France, Spain, and all the Catholic countries in Europe. Then as the French,
Spanish, and Portuguese began to take control of the Americas and other parts of the world,
they brought with them their tradi4on of celebra4ng carnival.
(Credited: hip://www.allahwe.org/History.html)

 The dynamic economic and poli4cal history of the Caribbean are indeed the ingredients
of fes4val arts as we nd them today throughout the African and Caribbean Diaspora.
Once Columbus had steered his boat through Caribbean waters, it was only a few
hundred years before the slave trade was well established. By the early 19th century,
some six million slaves had been brought to the Caribbean. Between 1836 and 1917,
indentured workers from Europe, west and central Africa, southern China, and India
were brought to the Caribbean as laborers.

(Credited: hip://www.allahwe.org/
History.html )

 Trinidad's carnivals are a beau4ful example of how carnival can unite the world.
In this small na4on, the beliefs and tradi4ons of many cultures have come together; and for a brief
ve days each year, the whole company forgets their dierences to celebrate life!

(Credited: hip://www.allahwe.org/History.html)

The Birth and Evolu4on of Trinidad Carnival
No fes4val is greater than the Trinidad Carnival. The dynamism of the fes4val has sparked it's
reproduc4on throughout the rest of the Caribbean island chain, and as far away as Toronto, New
York, Miami and Nosng Hill. But everyone knows that Trinidad is the "mother of all West Indian
Carnivals," which airacts visitors from all over the world.

(Credited: hip://www.discovertnt.com/ar4cles/Trinidad/The-Birth-Evolu4on-of-Trinidad-Carnival/109/3/32#axzz3VD7JZ7fE)

 One of the exci4ng aspects of the Caribbean carnival is

the appearance in the early 20th century of the steel pan,
which are instruments made from oil drums that have
been cut o on one end and then shaped, pounded and
tuned. These steel bands take to the streets and stadiums
to create some of the most beau4ful music in the world.
The history of the steel and in Trinidad and Tobago is
directly 4ed to the banning of all types of drumming in
Trinidad in the 1880's. Though this ban was not readily
accepted and rio4ng resulted, ul4mately Africans applied
and readapted their tradi4on of the drum to create new
forms and mediums of music, including the tamboo
bamboo, a rhythmic ensemble made up of bamboo joints
beaten together and pounded on the ground. Biscuit 4ns
and dustbins were manipulated and craded into
instruments becoming the rst "pans.
(Credited: hip://www.allahwe.org/History.html)

 The use of masks had a special meaning for the

slaves. For many African people, masking is
widely used in their rituals for the dead.
Banned from the masked balls of the French, the
slaves would of had their own liile carnivals in
their backyards using their own rituals and
folklore but also imita4ng their masters behavior
at the masked balls.
For African people, carnival became a way to
express their power as individuals. Ader 1838
when slavery was abolished, the freed Africans
began to host their own party's in the streets that
became more and more elaborate and became
more popular than balls.

(Credited: hip://www.allahwe.org/History.html)

 In order to put a carnival together, it takes many weeks of wielding, sewing, glueing,
applying feathers, sequins, foil papers, gliier, lots of energy, crea4vity and pa4ence.
You came up with a theme or overall concept for the band and develop costume
illustra4ons for each sec4on of dancers. Costumes are then sewn, decorated and
ied to each individual dancer. All of this crea4ve ac4vity takes place in what are
referred to in the Caribbean as "'mass camps" where teamwork and organisa4on are
crucial to crea4ng an award winning produc4on.
Larger costumes are more dicult to design and build. Huge frames are created by
bending wire into shapes, then covering with paper mch, foam and other materials.
They have to be able to move and dance across streets without falling apart!

(Credited: hip://www.allahwe.org/History.html)

 Ancient African tradi4ons such as parading and moving in circles through villages in
costumes and masks is important to Caribbean fes4val arts.
Circling villages was beloved to bring good fortune and heal problems.
Carnival tradi4ons also borrow from the African tradi4on of pusng together natural
objects (bones, grasses, beads, shells, fabric) to create a piece of sculpture, a mask, or
costume - with each object a combina4on of objects represen4ng certain ideas or
spiritual force.
Feathers were frequently used by Africans in their motherland on masks and
headdresses as a symbol of our ability as humans to rise above problems, pains,
heartbreaks, illness; to travel to another world to be reborn and to grow spiritually.
Dance and music tradi4ons transformed the early carnival celebra4ons in the Americans,
as African drum rhythms, large puppets, s4ck ghters and s4lt dancers began to make
their appearances in the carnival fes4vi4es.

(Credited: hip://www.allahwe.org/History.html)


Carnival arts oers all of us a dynamic tool for self expression and
explora4on, a took to seek out our roots, a took to develop new forms
of looking at the world and it's cultures, and nally, a tool to unite the
world, to discover what we all have in common, and to celebrate what
makes us dierent. The power and crea4vity that underlines these art
forms can transform our lives.

(Credited: hip://www.allahwe.org/History.html)

 An independent arts company compromising the Beat Ini4a4ve charity and a social
enterprise.
They create and produce carnival arts
Organise and direct performances
Train and develop ar4sts
Encourage community par4cipa4on and ambi4on
Deliver workshops and training programmes from drumming, costume design, dance and
puppetry.
A wide range of people have the chance to develop their crea4ve skills and be a part of
the carnival community.

(Credited: hip://beatcarnival.com/beat-carnival-vision)

Researching this organisa4on shows that carnival art can be a massive part of a community. It's a great example
of how the history of carnivals can be carried through to the present day and used to help people express
themselves.

 Commedia dell'arte is a type of comedy developed in Italy in the 16th and

17th centuries and it is characterized by improvisa4on from a standard plot
outline and the use of stock characters, oden in tradi4onal masks and
costumes. Actors adapted their comic dialogue and ac4on according to a
few basic plots (commonly love intrigues) and to topical issues.

 The exact origins of Commedia dell arte are unclear. Most scholars believe it
was inuenced by ancient roman and Greek comedy and by the medieval
tradi4ons of carnival, acroba4cs and jugglers.
The rst recorded Commedia dell arte performance took place in Padua, Italy
in 1545.

 Masks forced actors to project their characters' emo4ons

through the body. Leaps, tumbles, stock gags (burle and
lazzi), obscene gestures and slaps4ck an4cs were
incorporated into their acts.
Stock Characters
The actors of the commedia represented xed social types,
4pi ssi, for example, foolish old men, devious servants, or
military ocers full of false bravado. Characters such as
Pantalone, the miserly Vene4an merchant; Doiore
Gra4ano, the pedant from Bologna; or Arlecchino, the
mischievous servant from Bergamo, began as sa4res on
Italian "types" and became the archetypes of many of the
favorite characters of 17th and 18thcentury European
theatre.

 The stock characters of Commedia dell arte live on in modern sitcom

characters. Such as the loveable but dum husband, the know it all next door
neighbour and the wise cracking best friend who deal with changing
situa4ons each week. For example, friends.
Troops were usually run by a single leader although the leading players also
had a say. A company consisted of anywhere from 10 15 performers, each
with his or her specic character to play.


The plays of Commedia dell'Arte were oden performed by a small group of
actors who travelled around and performed in town squares. The actors would
pass a hat round for people to put money in. The words of the plays were
mostly never wriien down. This reminds me of busking as it's a informal type
of entertainment, which the performers would earn money from the
pedestrians that were watching. This being an informal piece of art as it wasn't
compulsory for the audiences to pay.

 Arlecchino was the most famous. He was an acrobat and a wit, childlike
and amorous. He wore a catlike mask and motley colored clothes and
carried a bat or wooden sword.
Brighella, Arlecchino's crony, was more roguish and sophis4cated, a
cowardly villain who would do anything for money.
Il Capitano (the captain) was a caricature of the professional soldier
bold, swaggering, and cowardly.
Il Doiore (the doctor) was a caricature of learningpompous and
fraudulent.
Pantalone was a caricature of the Vene4an merchant, rich and re4red,
mean and miserly, with a young wife or an adventurous daughter.

 Pedrolino was a whitefaced, moonstruck dreamer and the

forerunner of today's clown.
Pulcinella, as seen in the English Punch and Judy shows, was a
dwarsh humpback with a crooked nose, the cruel bachelor who
chased preiy girls.
Scarramuccia, dressed in black and carrying a pointed sword,
was the Robin Hood of his day.
The handsome Inamorato (the lover) went by many names. He
wore no mask and had to be eloquent in order to speak the love
declama4ons.

 The Inamorata was his female counterpart; Isabella Andreini was the most
famous. Her servant, usually called Columbina, was the beloved of Harlequin.
Wiiy, bright, and given to intrigue, she developed into such characters as
Harlequine and Pierreie.
La Ruana was an old woman, either the mother or a village gossip, who
thwarted the lovers.
Cantarina and Ballerina oden took part in the comedy, but for the most
part their job was to sing, dance, or play music.
There were many other minor characters, some of which were associated with
a par4cular region of Italy such as Peppe Nappa (Sicily), Gianduia (Turin),
Stenterello (Tuscany), Rugan4no (Rome), and Meneghino (Milan).

 The audience was able to pick up from each character's dress the type of
person he was represen4ng. For elabora4on, loosesng garments
alternated with very 4ght, and jarring color contrasts opposed
monochrome ou~its. Except for the inamorato, males would iden4fy
themselves with character-specic costumes and half masks. The Zanni
(precursor to clown) Arlecchino, for example, would be immediately
recognizable because of his black mask and patchwork costume.
While the inamorato and the female characters wore neither masks nor
costumes unique to that personage, certain informa4on could s4ll be
derived from their clothing. Audiences knew what members of the various
social classes typically wore, and also expected certain colors to represent
certain emo4onal states. Regardless of where they toured, commedia
dell'arte conven4ons were recognized and adhered to.

 Masks -

All the xed character types, the gures of fun or sa4re, wore colored leather
masks. Their opposites, usually pairs of young lovers around whom the stories
revolved, had no need for such devices.
Music
The inclusion of music and dance into commedia performance required that
all actors have these skills. Frequently at the end of a piece even the audience
joined into the merrymaking.

 Commedia dellarte troupes traveled with everything they needed:

props, costumes, and simple, portable stages that they could set up in
any outdoor public space. Most commedia dellarte was designed to be
performed in front of a basic backdrop represen4ng a street lined with
houses, or a public square. As troupes became more successful, they acquired
wealthy patrons, who would some4mes provide theaters for the
company to perform in. Even when they had a permanent home, commedia
troupes kept the props and scenery to a minimum: the focus was
on the comic performances

 Commedia dell Arte was tradi4onally performed in market squares. Traveling

companies of professional actors performed outdoors in public squares. They used
simple backgrounds and props. Comparing this to carnivals and fes4vals, there is a clear
similarity because carnivals are performed outdoors and oden have the street feel to
them and become really interac4ve and part of the community. Fes4vals can also be
performed outdoors and they are there for the audience/spectators to enjoy directly
for specic occasions. The loca4on of Commedia performances in the past certainly had
a big impact on the performers and the audience. The performers would have had to
take everything around with them and eec4vely be a travelling theatre company.
They would have also had to adapt quickly to dierent loca4ons and make sure it was
appropriate for the story and characters. Similarly, performers in carnivals and fes4vals
have to ensure the loca4on is suitable and that it's appropriate for the occasion. The
loca4on also has a big impact on the audience because they are more directly involved
and encouraged to be a part of the performances.

When Commedia came into theatre's.

Before the rise of Commedia dell arte,
women were not generally permiied to
perform in the theatre breaking with
tradi4on, Commedia troops welcomed
actresses, some of them became
famous for their comedic and
improvisa4onal skill.

(Credited: hip://www.humanracetheatre.org/commedia_dell'arte_aug_7_screen.pdf)

 From researching it's also clear that the essence of Commedia can relate directly to
carnivals and fes4vals. For example, it is believed that it's inuenced by roman and
Greek comedy and the medieval tradi4ons of carnival acroba4cs and jugglers. However,
fes4vals originated from the celebra4on of religious occasions, but Commedia has no
link to religion and was not known to trace back to religious themes. Also, at it's most
popular 4me during the 16th and 17th century, most theatre was very classic and stylish,
but Commedia went for the opposite loud and vulgar, which was not thought to be
very popular amongst religious people at the 4me. However, I do believe Commedia
shares more of a link with Carnivals, which celebrate culture and oden the dierences in
society, no maier how grotesque e.g. The Feast of Fools, so people can all come
together and I think this compares to Commedia's portrayal of stereotypes in society
performed in a very grotesque manner. Both Carnivals and Commedia represent
dierences in society in a very heightened, theatrical and entertaining way.

 Another dierence is that in

Commedia there are troops of
performers each with their specic
character to play. Whereas, carnivals
and fes4vals oden are very ensemble
based and there are groups of the
same characters to show the
spectacle.

 Great silent movie comedians Charlie Chaplin,Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd
drew on the acroba4c physical comedy of Commedia in their lms.
Charlie Chaplin his character was known as the liile tramp. He was a clear
descendant of Arlecchino.
Buster Keaton in one of his early lms he teamed up with Roscoe "faiy"
Arbuckle. The contrast of Arbuckles big and clumsy character with Keaton's
acroba4c deadpan was a classic Brighella and Arlecchino combina4on
Arlecchino "Harlequin" the nimble acroba4c servant, the nimble acroba4c
tricky servant. Childlike, some4mes not too bright hut always wins out in the
end.
Brighella his name means "Brawler" ('knuckles' or 'bruyser' someone ready
for a ght) Arlecchinos wise guy older brother.

(Credited: hip://www.humanracetheatre.org/commedia_dell'arte_aug_7_screen.pdf)

 Shakespeare took direct inuences from Commedia dell arte from

plays such as the 'Comedy of errors' and 'Midsummers night dream.'
Shakespeare's fools are based in the Zanni character type.

 Antonio Fava is an inuen4al director around the world for his vast
knowledge of Commedia dellarte which he teaches in mul4ple countries
world wide. He has been teaching Commedia dellarte for 35 years now
and is one of the most creditable Commedia dellarte actors out there at
the moment. With the crea4ng of his own masks too it really shows how
much he knows about all of the characters to be able to create a mask
based on the physicality they hold. The masks he creates are made with
exquisite detail and take days to make just one, so for him to have all
created all 10 Commedia dellarte characters masks his absolutely
incredible, and when using them in shows it shows real detail for his
passion and also the way he teaches it to young actors, or even older
actors. Obviously there are no masks for the lovers, as they are the
naturalis4c aspect of the piece.

 There are many carnivals and fes4vals all around the world.
These carnivals and fes4vals look so exci4ng and the spectacle is
amazing! It's all so colorful and has a great celebratory feel to it!
hip://www.emlii.com/78e50642/22-Breathtaking-Fes4vals-Around-
The-World-That-You-Must-See-Before-You-Die

The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a world famous fes4val held before Lent
every year and considered the biggest carnival in the world with 2 million
people per day on the streets. The rst fes4vals of Rio date back to 1723. The
typical Rio carnival parade is lled with revelers, oats and adornments from
numerous samba schools which are located in Rio.
(Credited: hip://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Carnival)

Rio's stunning parade!
hip://youtu.be/kTc3pv7d5vY

Credited: Google Images

Chinese New Year

The biggest holiday, with dragons, reworks, symbolic clothing, owers, lanterns, and
celebra4on is China's most important and signicant day of the year. Also known as the
Spring Fes4val, Chinese New Year celebra4ons tradi4onally run from Chinese New Year's
Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Fes4val on the
15th day of the rst month, making the fes4val the longest in the Chinese calendar!
It marks China's greatest fes4val - an important tradi4onal Chinese holiday celebrated at the
turn of the Chinese calendar. In China, it is also known as the Spring Fes4val. Chinese New
Year celebra4ons tradi4onally run from Chinese New Year's Eve, the last day of the last
month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Fes4val on the 15th day of the rst month,
making the fes4val the longest in the Chinese calendar.

(Credited: hip://www.emlii.com/78e50642/22-Breathtaking-Fes4vals-Around-The-World-That-You-Must-See-Before-You-Die)

Samba bands!
The Samba Parade in Rio de Janeiro is something everybody should experience at least once in their lives. The
event is broadcast live to several countries. The Rio Samba Parade is very dis4nct from all other street parades
held at some other places in the world. It started as street fes4vi4es with groups of people parading through the
streets playing music and dancing. The Carnival parades in Rio developed into something special, a compe44on
between the samba schools. The main compe44on was originally held downtown. Un4l the mid-80s, bleachers
for the spectators were simply assembled and disassembled every year on Av. Presidente Vargas, one of Rio's
major arteries. Then the main parades were moved to the Sambaodrome, specially built for this event.

(Credited: hip://www.rio-carnival.net/samba_parade/samba_parade.php)

Samba band at Rio carnival!

hip://youtu.be/iw8uLesWgUQ

History of the Samba band.

Emerged from Brazil
- One of the most popular music and dance styles
- Evolved in Rio de Janeiro
- Quintessen4al music and dance associated with rios carnival
- Rich and syncopated rhythm
- Has circled the globe as one of the most infec4ous and popular styles from
the South American con4nent
- The word 'samba' came from Kimbundu (Angolan) term semba referred to as
an 'invita4on to dance.

(Credited: hip://www.sambassadorsofgroove.org.uk/history-of-samba.html)

 An early pioneer of the song was Alfredo da Rocha Vianna Jr - helped to crystal
use the form and develop a richer harmony.
1920's and into height of radio era of the 30s sambas were slow and more
roman4c
(Credited: hip://www.sambassadorsofgroove.org.uk/history-of-samba.html)

London school of samba

To entertain, educate, and engage the public in tradi4onal Brazilian carnival
arts, for cultural, social and educa4onal benet.
We oer high quality, fun and open access training and workshops in:
Dance
Percussion
Costume design and making
Carnival parade
History of tradi4onal Brazilian carnival arts
(Credited: hip://londonschoolofsamba.co.uk/about/)

El Da de la Tomatina
La Toma4na tomato ght in Buol near Valencia happens every year on the last Wednesday
in August though the partying starts earlier in the week. The highlight of the fes4val is the
tomato ght which takes place between 11am and 1pm on that day. The event has become
one of the highlights on Spains summer fes4vals calendar with thousands of people ocking
to this liile Valencian town for this chao4c event. The numbers are so big now that the
fes4val takes place not only in the town centre, but par4es con4nue onto the many
surrounding streets.

History of La Tomatina
The origins of La Toma4na arent clear with several theories explaining how Bunyol
has become home to the worlds biggest tomato ght. However, the most plausible
suggests that the most likely explana4on dates back to 1945 when an annual parade
of enormous gures with big heads (Gigantes y Cabezudos) was passing through the
streets of Bunyol. It seems that some youngsters tried to join in the parade and
accidentally knocked over one of the giants who got to his feet and started swinging
out at everyone around him. In retalia4on the youngsters grabbed some tomatoes
from a nearby vegetable stall and started throwing them at him un4l the police
arrived to break things up.
The following year on the same last Wednesday of August these young people
returned to the town hall square and started another tomato ght using their own
tomatoes. Again the police intervened and in subsequent years the local council
tried to ban the El Da de la Toma4na but with liile success as the event con4nued
to grow year ader year reaching the ludicrous size it is today.

White Nights Festival

In St. Petersburg, the grand city of the czars, they call them the White Nights: those 80 or so
evenings, running from May to the end of July, when the city emerges from long months of cold
and darkness and celebrates the brief return of nearly round-the-clock daylight. Residents of
Russias cultural capital situated a few la4tudinal lines south of the Arc4c Circle, at the eastern
end of the Gulf of Finland have been welcoming the summer with relief and celebra4on ever
since Peter the Great founded the city in the early 18th century. (The czar named the new capital
ader his patron saint, St. Peter the apostle.)

 For most of the 20th century, however, these celebra4ons were muted by wars,
revolu4on and the grim impera4ves of the Soviet state. The Russian Revolu4on
broke out here in October 1917, when the city was called Petrograd. Only a few
decades later, between 1941 and 1944, as many as 800,000 people died of hunger,
disease and exposure during the nearly 900-day Nazi siege of the city that the
Bolsheviks had renamed Leningrad. Under Joseph Stalin and his Communist
successors, White Nights were disciplined aairs, limited to a smaiering of classical
music concerts. Even ader the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, St. Petersburgs
summer remained subdued: the economy had deteriorated so sharply ader
decades of misrule that many people became dependent on food ra4oning. For a
4me, St. Petersburg, which regained its original name in 1991, was even forced to
accept humanitarian food aid from foreign donors hardly the economic
environment in which to stage all-night, citywide revelries.
During the last decade, however, Russias booming economy has rejuvenated St.
Petersburg, and the White Nights have become more and more lively consis4ng of
par4es, operas, ballets and the most popular celebra4on The Scarlet Sails.

The History of The Scarlet Sails

When the Revolu4on came to Petrograd in 1917, Alexander Grin was a writer with a strong Socialist
background, but also with a poli4cally unfortunate penchant for wri4ng roman4c short stories. Ader
a brief s4nt in the Red Army, he returned to the city, where he met a young woman named Nina. So
taken by her was Alexander that he wrote perhaps his best known work with a young woman like her
as the main character, calling it Alye Parusa, or The Scarlet Sails".
This beau4ful fairy tale, published in 1923, took place in a c4onal land where a sailor named
Longren, ader the premature death of his wife, was forced to re4re and make toys while he cared for
their young daughter, Assol, in a quiet port city. One day, the young woman chased a toy boat, one
she was supposed to sell, down a stream deep into a forest, where she ran into an old man named
Aigle, who claimed to be a great wizard. He predicted that a prince would someday come for her and
take her away to live with him in a faraway land on a ship with scarlet sails. She believed the old man,
despite being teased incessantly aderward for doing so. When a wealthy ship captain (with the
English name of Arthur Grey) much later came along and fell in love with her, and learned of the
predic4on, he decked his ship with scarlet sails and swept her o her feet, taking the happy dreamer
away to a happy ever ader.

 Fast forward some 45 years later.... Somewhere between 1967s Summer of Love and the 1969
Woodstock Fes4val in the United States, the Zhdanov Palace of Culture in the Soviet city of Leningrad
put together a huge celebra4on for the gradua4ng class of 1968 of all the high schools of the
metropolis. To the strains of Hymn of the Great City, the rst Scarlet Sails show featured a parade of
escort vessels and reworks, leading up to the highlight of the performance, the sailing of the ship
Secret (actually the schooner Leningrad), bedecked with the eponymous scarlet sails and carrying
characters from the fairy tale. With the music of Isaak Dunayevsky and Dmitri Shostakovich in the
background, the students were told of the power of their dreams and hard work as the boats oated
past the Winter Palace, ader which the guests of honor par4ed un4l dawn.

The modern fes4val comes fairly close to replica4ng the original fes4val. Ader an invita4on only
concert and theatrical performance held in Palace Square and on Vassiliyevsky Island, boats
parade along the Neva River waterfront in front of the Winter Palace while reworks go o to
classical music composed by famous Russian composers. Over the past few years, the Swedish
brig Tre Krunur has served as the dream ship Secret for the parade, one of the largest of its
kind in the world. In 2011, it was es4mated that some 3.5 million people watched the Scarlet Sails
parade and reworks show in person, as well as it being broadcast to many more around the
world. The stated theme of the show remains much the same as the original: Russia the Land of
Opportunity...

Holi is a spring fes4val, also known as the fes4val of colours or the fes4val of love. It is an ancient
Hindu religious fes4val which has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, as
well as people of other communi4es outside Asia.
It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, and other regions of the world with signicant popula4ons of
Hindus or people of Indian origin. The fes4val has, in recent 4mes, spread to parts of Europe and
North America as a spring celebra4on of love, frolic, and colours.
(Credited: hip://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi)

The fes4val today...

hip://www.holifes4val.com/uk/en/your-city/london

Credited: Google Images

The Notting Hill Carnival

The Nosng Hill Carnival is an annual event that since 1966 has taken place on the streets of Nosng Hill, Royal
Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, UK, each August over three days (the August bank holiday Monday
and the two days beforehand). It is led by members of the West Indian community. The carnival has airacted
around one million people in the past years, making it one of the largest street fes4vals in the world.Despite its
name, it is not part of the global Carnival season preceding Lent.
History
'Professor David Dabydeen has stated: "Carnival is not alien to Bri4sh culture. Bartholomew Fair and Southwark
Fair in the 18th century were moments of great fes4vity and release.

(Credited: hip://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosng_Hill_Carnival)

 There was juggling, pickpocke4ng, whoring, drinking, masquerade - people dressed up as the
Archbishop of Canterbury and indulged in vulgar acts.
It allowed people a space to free-up but it was banned for moral reasons and for the
an4authoritarian behavior that went on like stoning of constables. Carnival allowed people to
drama4se their grievances against the authori4es on the street.... Nosng Hill Carnival single-
handedly revived this tradi4on and is a great contribu4on to Bri4sh cultural life."
Bartholomew's Fair was suppressed in 1855 by the City authori4es for encouraging debauchery
and public disorder.
(Credited: hip://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosng_Hill_Carnival)

Refers to theatre that aiempts to create a perfect illusion of reality through a

range of drama4c and theatrical strategies.
- Detailed three dimensional sesngs
- Everyday speech forms
- A Secular world view (no ghosts, spirits or Gods intervening in the human
ac4on.)
- An exclusive focus on subjects that are contemporary and indigenous ( no
exo4c, otherworldly or fantas4c places, nor historical or mythic 4me periods.)
- Extension of the social range of characters portrayed
(Credited: hip://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalism_(theatre)

 - A style of ac4ng that aiempts to recreate the

impression of reality
- Naturalis4c role play is used within theatrical
performances to demonstrate to the audience
or show them how this would appear in real
life.
- No s4ll images are used as this does not show
the full quality of the piece of drama.

 From researching Commedia dell'arte, its clear that its a type of theatre
that is heightened. It requires a lot of physical commitment from the actor
performing inside the art form. As much as the characters are making a
mockery of typical stereotypes in society, they are portraying the
stereotypes in a heightened, absurd and grotesque nature. The audience
are seeing realism because these characters are relatable, however,
theyre not necessarily realis4c representa4ons of the actual social
stereotypes. To compare Commedia dellarte to naturalism which is a type
of theatre that stands to create an accurate interpreta4on of reality, there
are only some vague similari4es. One being the fact that Commedia
dellarte are presen4ng an exaggerated interpreta4on of reality, therefore
the inspira4on for the characters comes from a realis4c stand point.

 Another point being the fact that they are types of theatre that have
been performed inside an actual theatre. The dierences being that
Commedia dellarte originated as a form of theatre performed on
outdoor stages, were as the performance of Naturalism originated inside
theatres.

 Its very clear the major contrast from naturalism and Carnivals and
fes4vals. To start with they are both are there to serve completely
dierent purposes and entertain audiences in dierent ways. Naturalis4c
ac4ng is all about nding the truth in the characters and the scenario you
are in. It also demands a specic skill from the actors. Actors should be
able to relate to the scene, be in the moment and bring a sense of
sincerity to it. On the other hand, carnivals and fes4vals are completely
open. They are much larger than life with huge costumes and fancy props
giving over an extravagant feel. Characters can also be directly linked to
sstereotypes and actors involved in the carnival are not going to be
concerned with the emo4onal connec4on like naturalis4c actors would
be. In a carnival, it's your job to entertain by bringing an energy physically
and vocally that is appropriate to the theme and occasion.

 You also have to be really aware of everything around you, for example,
being an eec4ve part of an ensemble. However, in a naturalis4c scene, the
actor is more than likely going to be much more focused on themselves and
the other actors in the scene.
Carnivals and Fes4vals also have no boundaries and stretch the imagina4on.
You can take the audience on a journey and allow them to suspend their
disbelief at the spectacle in front of their eyes. In contrast, naturalis4c ac4ng
is about staying true to the scene and oden holds a mirror up to society.
There is no magic involved or otherworldly fantasy, its reality and
believability is key.
Carnivals and Fes4vals are also much more likely to contain a vast array of
skills such as dance, song and circus. There is more scope for the actors to
branch out and do lots of dierent things. Whereas, naturalis4c ac4ng would
tend to be script specic and in more 'normal' situa4ons.


In the carnival of Venice, people dress up in extravagant costumes and wear masks to irradiate the
dierences in class hierarchies. Whereas in contrast naturalis4c ac4ng is very stripped back and true to life.
Visually actors look will look realis4c. Also, in naturalism status and class is not something that is hidden
otherwise it wouldn't be a true reec4on of society.

This is also in complete contrast to Commedia dell arte because the characters are very well dened and
have clear status dierences. The variety of characters can go from one extreme to the other. For example,
(Magnico to Zanni)

 Another dierence is that in Carnivals and fes4vals the bizarre and

eccentric elements of society that would usually be deemed as outcast
tend to be celebrated. For example, Feast of Fools, ( as depicted in the
Hunchback of Notre Dame) celebrates the ugliest person in Paris, which is
a complete parody of real life where beauty is celebrated.

hip://www.oxforddic4onaries.com/deni4on/english/carnival
hip://www.allahwe.org/History.html
hip://www.spanish-estas.com/fes4vals/la-toma4na/
hip://www.travelallrussia.com/news/scarlet-sails-r89.html
hip://www.emlii.com/78e50642/22-Breathtaking-Fes4vals-Around-The-World-That-You-Must-See-Before-You-Die
hip://sambassadorsofgroove.org.uk
hip://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosng_Hill_Carnival
hip://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalism_(theatre)
hip://ncci.org
hip://discovertnt.com
hip://www.humanracetheatre.org/commedia_dell'arte_aug_7_screen.pdf
hip://beatcarnival.com

hip://youtu.be/iw8uLesWgUQ
hip://youtu.be/kTc3pv7d5vY
hip://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi
hip://www.holifes4val.com/uk/en/your-city/london
Images Google Images

Thank you for watching!!!