Guest Columnist: Jim Collins - North-West Carnival Initiative

This year, the North West Carnival Initiative (NWCI) proudly celebrates two decades of bringing colour, creativity, and connection to the streets of Derry and beyond.

Established in 2005, NWCI grew from a shared vision: to create an environment where Carnival arts, people, and communities could truly thrive. Led and managed by a consortium of community, arts and cultural organisations, we’ve worked to make Carnival a living, breathing part of the North West’s cultural fabric.

From the very beginning, we’ve been supported by our partners at Derry City and Strabane District Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Together, we’ve helped Carnival flourish, growing participation, creativity, and community pride.

Our parades on St Patrick’s Day and Hallowe’en have become iconic civic celebrations, bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together in a joyful display of imagination and diversity.

Derry’s Hallowe’en Festival has its roots in ancient Celtic traditions. During the festival of Samhain, our ancestors believed the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was at its thinnest.

Few people know that the spark for today’s festival began when a group of friends in a Waterloo Street bar decided to chase away the October gloom by dressing up and celebrating together. From that simple act of creativity, a citywide tradition was born and “the rest,” as they say, “is history.”

At its heart, Carnival is about people. It brings communities together, inspires creativity, and builds a shared sense of belonging.

Carnival is uniquely multidisciplinary - it weaves together music, costume, movement, design, and performance, offering countless ways for people to get involved. Through workshops, parades and public events, NWCI helps individuals and groups create, participate, and shine.

We’re especially proud of our work with underrepresented and hard-to-reach communities, including children and young people, older people, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA+ groups, and rural communities. Carnival belongs to everyone, and everyone has a part to play.

A key part of our mission is nurturing local talent. Our Carnival Workshop acts as a shared creative hub, a space where artists and communities can collaborate, learn, and grow together. Over the years, we’ve hosted countless masterclasses and welcomed local, national, and international artists, each sharing skills and inspiration.

None of this would be possible without our team that includes artists, costume-makers, samba drummers and dance performers. Volunteers are at the heart of our activity, from those who organise and look after bringing folk out, to our artists and board - their dedication and generosity keep the spirit of Carnival alive year after year.

Like many small arts organisations, we continue to face challenges. Rising costs, limited resources, and uncertain funding make it difficult to fully realise our ambitions. Many artists also struggle to find sustainable work, even as the value of participatory arts for wellbeing, connection, and creativity is clearer than ever. Investment in the arts rarely reflects the value and impact they deliver.

If you’ve never been to Derry at Hallowe’en, come along, dawn a disguise and join in the fun. It’s better craic to create than simply consume!

Jim Collins is the project manager and sole full time staff member of the North-West Carnival Initiative.

For full details of this year’s Derry Hallowe’en events, visit https://derryhalloween.com/