Sunshine International Arts and Circus Solarus have more in common than both incorporating ‘the sun’ in their names, since Tricia Cooney from Circus Solarus first worked with SIA on costumes for the Notting Hill Carnival in 2001 during her Churchill Fellowship tour, there has been a regular exchange of visits and projects in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
The carnival costumes designed by artist Ray Mahabir of SIA derive from the tradition of the Trinidad Carnival, 3 and 4 metre high backpack costumes which are animated as the performer moves, each movement enlarged by the flexible structure and light fabrics in the sculptural frame.
An invitation arrived for Tricia to work with Ray Mahabir from SIA this August at the carnival parade in Liverpool for the European Capital of Culture 2008 and on decorating costumes for the Southwark and Notting Hill Carnivals in London and the excitement is building as the day of departure nears.
This follows a large local parade project in March commissioned by The GPT group for the opening of the new Rouse Hill Town Centre. Circus Solarus designed the parade, the costumes and large parade performance elements. We project-managed several community projects working with a number of outstanding local groups, including the indigenous students from Windsor High who painted and performed with a 9 metre long Rainbow Serpent puppet designed for the parade by Bundeluk Watson, a local Darug artist.
2008 has been a year of wonderful celebrations and it’s not over yet.