Photos by Alan Taylor and Becky Wilson

LATEST NEWS - CARNIVAL 2007!! Planet Sound Carnival Programme 2007 culminates in City Centre Carnival Parade Planet Sound’s 2 month carnival programme came to a close on Saturday 16th June with a fantastic display of colour, music and dance in Planet Sound’s third City Centre Carnival Parade. The parade, which was broadcast live on Radio Stoke, began at midday and lasted just over an hour, opening this year’s Sanity Fair Street Festival. Over 170 people performed in the parade, as thousands of people watched on. The weather was kind, as a heavy downpour held off until minutes after the parade had finished, before soaking audience and performers alike. The Carnival Programme saw over 500 local residents and young people take part in carnival skills workshops during April – June, learning skills including drumming, singing dancing and costume making. The workshops were led by Planet Sound’s artist team of local artists working alongside Brazilian sambistas Bosco De Oliveira and Romero. This year’s carnival song ‘Unsung Heroes’ was composed by Planet Sound with Bosco De Oliveira was based around The Sentinel’s Unsung Heroes Awards - celebrating those who ‘not for money, not for fame, helping others through their pain’ tirelessly work to benefit their community. A number of the 2006 award winners joined in the parade. A diverse mix of community groups learned the song and developed their own choreography for the parade including Planet Sound Drum School and dancers, MaDuLa, The Cultural Sisters, St Luke’s Primary School, Galaxy, a group of asylum seekers, Staffordshire Dance Collective and Breaktho dance company, Yet again Planet Sound developed its partnership working with The Cultural Sisters who made costumes for each performer in the parade, based around the theme of Unsung Heroes, as well as teaching costume making to groups across the city. Thanks go out to this year’s Carnival King Andy Billington and Queen Helen for leading the parade, as well as The Cultural Sisters, Frontline Dance Company, The New Vic Theatre, Stoke on Trent College, Capoiera Art Brasil, Kasanti, the City Centre Stewards, The Cultural Development Team, Sanity Fair & MAGMH as well, of course, as all the artists, performers, teachers and volunteers involved in the project. Carnival 2007 Galleries! Gallery 1 / Gallery 2 / Gallery 3 / Gallery 4 / Gallery 5 "Close ups" Gallery / Becky Wilson Gallery Planet Sound carnival links! Listen to the song / Download Song Carnival 2007 flyers / Song lyrics 2006 Carnival video / Photos and report from 2006! Sanity Fair Website