Flower Power
By Sarah Becker
What started as a writer’s curiosity ended in sashaying, samba, and a slightly rebellious flower costume.
The crowd hit us like a tonne of bricks — cheering, waving, and most noticeably, holding their phones up high. As our troupe burst onto the Kettering Road from the Racecourse, it was surreal to see so many people silently snapping away, arms outstretched, camera phones skyward.
Usually, I’m part of that crowd, watching the Northampton Carnival, not in it. But this time, I didn’t even get to glimpse the other troupes. I was too busy leaping about on St Giles Street (not quite in time with the choreography), waving at the crowd and soaking up the party atmosphere.
But how did I end up shimmying my way down Abington Street dressed as a giant flower?
The Call That Changed Everything
It all started with a call to carnival costume designer Emma Garofalo, who was putting together a brand-new troupe funded by the Arts Council.
Founder of Inspiration Arts, she was midway through facilitating workshops for children, adults and students at Coconut Paradise café, who were industriously co-creating amazing carnival costumes along with some fantastical set pieces Emma had in her collection.
I was working on a story about the Northampton Carnival — and wondered: what if I told it from inside the parade?
“Great idea,” said Emma. And just like that, I became the troupe’s newest member — with only a week to go.
Stumbling Into the Samba
Emma suggested I attend a carnival dance workshop to get into the spirit. So off I went to St Matthew’s Church in Kingsley, where I found myself in a group of adults and kids led by none other than Manuela Benini — a powerhouse festival director who’s choreographed parades around the globe.
“Carnival is protest,” Manuela told us. “It’s about interacting with your audience, expressing who you truly are — and having fun whilst misbehaving!”
Did she say misbehaving on purpose? I was in.
We started learning ensemble routines, plus individual movement sequences inspired by the classical elements which was this year’s theme: Fire, Earth, Water… and Wind aimed at celebrating community and togetherness.
I didn’t have my costume yet, or my fellow dancers, but I enjoyed trying out some flower-like flourishes. Arms like petals, hips like the wind.
More Than Just a Parade
Between the dance steps and laughter, Manuela reminded us of carnival’s deeper roots — storytelling, protest, defiance and celebration of one’s identity.
In the Caribbean, carnival emerged from enslaved Africans’ defiance of restrictions on participating in European-style masquerade balls, incorporating African dance traditions and satire. In Brazil, carnival celebrations evolved from earlier street parades and blocos (street bands) to the elaborate samba schools and street parades.
Manuela, who comes from Brazil, said:
“The big costumes are very much part of Caribbean carnival culture representing in a grand style who you are, and taking over the streets. If you imagine you were a slave many years ago, you had no space. Carnival became a time when you shone, when you show the world who you really are.”
Today, carnival is a tradition celebrated in many countries not only in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is very much a tradition representing localities and local culture.
With only a week till the Northampton Carnival, I still was aware that I didn’t have a costume to wear.
Emma reassured me: “Don’t worry, we’ve got a great costume for you.” And that’s how I ended up in a jumbo flower skirt with a giant stamen headpiece, ready to take on the streets of Northampton.
Carnival Day Arrives
The troupe consisting of local performers, children and adults, arrived at 11am at the Racecourse to put on the costumes. It took a huge amount of teamwork to co-ordinate make up and costume for every troupe member.
Gradually, the costumes, lying so forlornly on the grass, started to come to life.
Backpacks were adorned, flower skirts adjusted, Marley managing the giant monkey costume, took his first tentative steps.
We lined up down the Racecourse pathway and started tumbling out onto the Kettering Road. And there the cheers from the crowds hit us. It was an amazing feeling as we moved through the streets of Northampton, seeing the crowds lined up all along the sides of the street.
Several streets later, all the leaping and waving down the Kettering Road, St. Giles Street and through the town centre was starting to take its toll.
My skirt was fairly light, but my headpiece had a mind of its own, slipping down my face every few minutes. By the time we hit Wellingborough Road, I gave up and chucked it on the truck.
By the time we hit Wellingborough Road, I’d lost sight of the other flowers and was sticking close to the truck for musical moral support. It gave me a new respect for the stamina and spirit it takes to party your way through an entire parade — especially in costume. The children were committed; I didn’t hear a murmur of complaint once!
Some performers had huge constructions to carry, like Marley in the monkey outfit. “I’ve never met such a positive guy,” said Jack, our troupe’s photographer, admiringly.
And Then — We Won
By the end of the route, we were a sweaty, glittery, euphoric mess. But the joy was real — and the celebration even sweeter when we were announced as Best Carnival Troupe. It gave me a great respect for the hard work that went into making every piece, for the performers who carried them with such determination and commitment shown by adults and children alike to the very end.
And it was wonderful to be part of such a huge community event involving local schools, organisations, charities and small businesses. A huge thank you to Emma Garofalo, Inspiration Arts and Weekes Baptiste for the tip off and to everybody who took part to make the day a truly memorable one.
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