Islington Arts Factory has had the great honour of collaborating with Glorious Backstage Arts over the past year in a series of workshops, including our week long summer intensive ‘Carnival Creativity’. All the children’s hard work will be showcased at this years Notting Hill Carnival Family Day, so if you fancy a fantastic fun day come along and support us!

Glorious Backstage Arts is a voluntary sector organisation based in the north London Borough of Islington. Established in 1998 by Angela Slocumbe, GBA evolved in response to a lack of local youth provision for teenagers and young people in the area.

Because playing Mas at the Notting Hill Carnival is a ‘valid’ ageless activity, and nothing similar already existed locally the idea of creating a local Carnival Mas Camp to which anyone both in and out of the borough might feel comfortable joining took shape.

”Our aim is to provide young people with somewhere to go and something positive and exciting to be a part of”. The team seeks to motivate and encourage those who often perceive traditional artistic pursuits as being for ‘other people’. We hope to encourage those who do not see themselves as ‘arty types’ to get involved by providing an opportunity to be part of high profile events which appeal to a young audience.