Established in 2004, NWCI have led the development of community and civic carnival arts in City & Strabane District Council area. Through creative, quality carnival creation and skills NWCI – development programmes, we have Company worked in partnership to grow the appeal of the city’s two main carnivals – Background, Spring Carnival & Halloween Carnival, History & developing and increasing participation and audiences to create family friendly, Experience inclusive quality, safe events for visitors and local communities alike.

The Arts and Community Working in Partnership

NWCI is a consortium and management committee and member groups are representative of arts and cultural organisations, individual artists and communities of interest and art-form from throughout the Derry City & Strabane District Council area, this includes Waterside, Cityside, rural and Strabane. Newgate Arts, Greater Community Arts, In Your Space, Playhouse, UVArts, Bluebell Arts, Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership, Sollus Centre and Strabane Health Improvement Project.

NWCI enjoys membership from over 40 community based groups and organisations. In addition we have worked with an array of carnival and Engaging arts organisations to deliver carnival arts training, community skills Communities development programmes and parades: these include Same Sky, UK in Civic Centre for Carnival Arts, Handheld Parade, The Dome Company, Francis Celebration Morgan, LUXe, Inishowen Carnival Group, The Beat, Border Arts, Macnas, Kinetika, Cosan Glas, Big Hat productions, Kadakaboom, Bui Bolg and Fools Paradise.

Delivering world class events…….

In 2019 NWCI secured a 5 year Service Level Agreement totalling £104,000 annually with Derry City & Strabane District Council for programming that includes the delivery of community participation in carnival parades at St Patricks day and Halloween and Rural Carnival Skills Programme. We have delivered carnival arts programmes and supplied animation for a wide range of festivals and events including the Foyle Maritime Festival, Foyle Pride, Ubuntu Global Festival, Culture Night, Walled City Market, Foyle Days, Carnival of Colours, Strabane Hay Bale Project, Errigal Arts Festival, Strabane Anglers Festival, Strabane Summer Jamm, Awakening the Walls and the Derry and Strabane Christmas Lights Switch On.

NWCI annually delivers services through its various carnival skills and community support programmes to well over 3000 people.

Supporting artists across Derry City & Strabane District Council

Since North West Carnival’s Service Level Agreement with Developing Derry City & Strabane District skills in Council we have rolled out training programmes engaging Strabane and community, arts and cultural Rural organisations from , , Bready and wider Strabane area.

Nurturing Carnival Artists of the Future