Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink
Island Carnival Memories.
Street theatre, costuming and performance have always been in Chris and Frankie’s blood and are a shared passion.
Chris and Frankie met in their twenties in Norwich where they founded ‘No Name Street Theatre’ progressing to work from Norwich across the East of England, and then take new posts in Stevenage and later to Luton where they discovered carnival.
1984 Lord Mayors Street Procession Norwich - No Name Street Theatre.
Photographs belonging to Chris and Frankie.
1985 Wymondham Carnival Norfolk
- No Name Street Theatre.
Photograph belonging to Chris and Frankie.
1987 Arbury May Day parade, Cambridge. No Name Community Arts Ltd.
Photograph belonging to Chris and Frankie.
They moved to the Island in 2002 to take up posts with the Isle of Wight Council as Arts Development and Carnival Regeneration Officers. The early 2000s were exciting years for Island carnival as the European Social Fund channelled money through Adult Learning for carnival arts development.
They set about providing training course and workshops on carnival arts, bringing esteemed national and international teachers and trainers to the Island and establishing the first NCFE formal learning qualification for carnival arts in the country. One of their priorities at this time was engaging Island schools and young people and embedding carnival into the curriculum – they established Ryde Arts Parade - which later led to the formation of the Mardi Gras programme which now involves over 30 schools and community groups and culminates in a parade in June each year.
In 2012 Chris and Frankie formed The New Carnival Company, a community interest company that promotes carnival arts engagement and learning. In their interview Chris and Frankie talk about their journey to and careers here on the Isle of Wight and explore how carnival has shaped them and how they have shaped carnival on the Island.
1996 Luton Carnival.
Photograph belonging to Chris and Frankie.
1990 Luton Carnival costume making workshop.
Photographs belonging to Chris and Frankie.
1998 Luton Carnival on set at Blue Peter.
Photograph belonging to Chris and Frankie.
Frankie and Chris talk about two turning points in their discovery of Carnival - going to Notting Hill Carnival for the first time and visiting Trinidad.
Chris and Frankie talk about taking up their posts with the IOW Council, how they felt initially about working on the Island and the impact that their early work made, particularly for young people.
Chris and Frankie talk about some of their work for the IOW Council - becoming part of the core arts team, Lantern Leaders, Ryde Arts Parade and the formation of Mardi Gras.
Chris and Frankie talk about creating the NCFE Carnival Arts Qualification and leading on to form the Carnival Learning Centre at Westridge.
Chris and Frankie talk about austerity coming, cuts to the arts, being made redundant and the Island Games parade.
Frankie and Chris talk about establishing and naming The New Carnival Company.
Frankie and Chris talk about linking Carnival to the National Curriculum, creating themes for Mardi Gras which inspire learning across all subjects and benefits for schools and young people.
Chris and Frankie talk about the impact being part of Carnival can have.
Chris and Frankie talk about the opportunities they have created for people to travel to learn about Carnivals nationally and internationally and how this enables reflection on the local tradition.
Frankie and Chris talk about their work around the social model of disability.
Frankie and Chris talk about their work with West Wight Landscape Partnership and their Down to the Coast projects - All Along the Riverbank and Dark Nights.
Chris and Frankie talk about environmental considerations of Carnival, and the IOW becoming a UNESCO Biosphere and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
1992 - Frankie at Trinidad Carnival. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
1992 - Chris at Trinidad Carnival. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2001 - Trinidad Carnival at Jouvert. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2002 - Ryde Carnival workshop at Greenmount Primary School. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2002 – Ryde Development Trust at Ryde Carnival. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2002 – Yemanja at Ryde Carnival with Kinetika. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2005 – Lantern Making Masterclass at Ryde Development Trust. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2005 – Ryde Lantern Parade. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2003 – Introduction to Carnival Design workshop. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2005 – NCFE Level 1 Certificate in Carnival Crafts at Cowes. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2007 – NCFE Level 3 students at The Arts Parade. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2005 – Ryde Development Trust Umberto Cinquini residency (Viareggio, Italy). Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2006 – Touring Island Carnival to Viareggio, Italy. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2016 – Touring to Gabravo Carnival, Bulgaria. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2017 – Alegria Partners meeting Rio, Brazil. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2019 – Presentation at UNESCO Biosphere Conference, Dublin, Ireland. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2006 – Teachers In Service Training at Ryde Development Trust. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2008 – Teachers in Service Training at Horsham, West Sussex. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2004 – The Arts Parade, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2007 – The Arts Parade, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2007 – The Arts Parade, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2011 – Nat West Island Games Opening Ceremony, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2011 – Nat West Island Games Opening Ceremony, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2011 - Nat West Island Games Opening Ceremony, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2008 – Official Opening of Isle of Wight Carnival Learning Centre with Junkanoo artists, Bahamas. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2008 - Official Opening of Isle of Wight Carnival Learning Centre with Junkanoo artists, Bahamas. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2008 – Paralympic Carnival workshop, Isle of Wight Carnival Learning Centre. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2019 – Isle of Wight Mardi Gras opening with Jo Treagus and Bob Seeley MP. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2015 – Magna Carta Mardi Gras, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2018 – Global Biospheres Mardi Gras, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2017 – Reflections of India Mardi Gras, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2013 – Opening of the Coaching House, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2013 – Welcome to the Coaching House, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2015 - New Carnival Company at Bestival, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2012 – Kite Festival, Culver Down, Bembridge, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2017 – Down to the Coast, Dark Nights at the Garlic Farm, Newchurch, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2018 – Down to the Coast, All along the Riverbank, Newchurch, Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2021- National Children’s Carnival Week, Yarmouth Primary School, Yarmouth Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2021 - National Children’s Carnival Week launch, Brading Roman Villa Isle of Wight. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.
2021 National Children’s Carnival Week at Way Forward project. Photograph belonging to Chris Slann and Frankie Goldspink.