Art students at Barnfield College were tasked with supporting the UK Centre for Carnival Arts with the Luton International Carnival.
UK Centre for Carnival Arts are a charity and company focused on promoting excellence within the carnival arts. It has a dedicated carnival arts centre located in Luton and hosts the annual Luton International Carnival. It also supports and champions the work of carnival groups across the UK and facilitates carnival and creative education in Luton and across the UK.
The students have helped prepare creative elements for the Luton International Carnival 2026. Throughout the workshops they produced embellishments, costume details, painted surfaces, foiled garments, and contributed towards the development of visual pieces inspired by carnival arts and sustainable fashion.
Students also helped explore creative direction for editorial imagery and documentation, so the project became much more than simply making costumes, it became a live collaborative studio experience.
Melissa Simon-Hartman, Founder of S.H.A.C.E (Simon-Harman Academy of Creative Excellence) says: “Working with Barnfield College has been incredibly valuable because it creates a bridge between education, creativity, and real community engagement. The students were able to experience what it feels like to work within a professional creative studio environment while contributing to something meaningful within the local community.
Projects like this also show young people that creativity can have real-world impact, bringing together sustainability, collaboration, culture, and community celebration through the arts”.
This live brief was part of the College’s GAP programme which offers a variety of activities to help prepare students for the jobs of the future, such as on-the-job training, industry placements, masterclasses, and live briefs.
Emma O’Hara, Art and Design Tutor at Barnfield College added: “Our students had a brilliant experience, and it was wonderful to see them come together to work on the given brief with such enjoyment and enthusiasm. I saw them come out of themselves and really enjoy working together. As their tutor it was a real pleasure to witness”.
At Barnfield College, we provide students with opportunities to work on live briefs with employers to help students build confidence, skills and the knowledge needed for their future careers.
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