Hundreds of young artists from schools across Futura Learning Partnership are celebrating Bridgwater Carnival in a community exhibition at Bridgwater Arts Centre opening on 28 October.
Part of the Arts Centre’s 80th anniversary celebrations, the four-week exhibition has been created and curated by children from six local schools including Puriton Primary School, Westover Green Community School, Woolavington Village Primary School, Northgate Primary School, Willowdown Primary School and Chilton Trinity School.
Children produced artwork through collaborative school projects, Arts Week events and partnerships with parents and carers. The pieces showcase both the spirit of Bridgwater Carnival and the imagination, talent and enthusiasm of local young people.
The project reflects Futura Learning Partnership’s commitment to enriching experiences for pupils. Following the success of last year’s highly acclaimed Bridgwater Hub Poetry Slam, Katie Williams, Headteacher of Puriton Primary School, saw an opportunity to further strengthen links between local schools and the wider community through a collaborative arts project inspired by the iconic Bridgwater Carnival.
Drawing on her connections with the Carnival Committee through Lime Kiln Carnival Club and her experience as a Carnival judge, Katie approached Chris Hocking, Project Lead for the Carnival Daytime programme about displaying children’s artwork during the carnival season. Chris welcomed the idea and with support from a grant from Arts Council England, helped bring the ambitious project to life.
Katie Williams, Headteacher of Puriton Primary School, said:
“We’re incredibly proud to have brought this project together. It has been wonderful to see children from across our local schools engaging with such an important part of Bridgwater’s heritage while expressing themselves creatively. This exhibition is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when schools, community organisations and cultural partners work together. We hope it will continue to strengthen the links between our schools and the wider community for years to come.”
The exhibition is open to the public, with residents encouraged to visit Bridgwater Arts Centre throughout the carnival season to enjoy the children’s work.
It forms part of a wider programme of community celebrations around Bridgwater Carnival, with local children also taking part in activities and events across the carnival weekend. Festivities begin on the evening of Friday 6 November with a lantern parade and firework display.
The lantern parade, also funded through the arts grant and initiated by the Bridgwater Carnival Committee, promises to be a spectacular community event involving families from across the area. A Carnival Mask Trail has also been set up following the decoration of 25 masks by local children on the theme of ‘Energy’. The masks are now in place in various locations in the town centre and everyone is invited to see if they can find them all. Entry forms are available from the Carnival Centre in the High Street or on www.bridgwatercarnival.org.uk
The exhibition highlights the power of collaboration between education, arts and community organisations, ensuring that local children play a central role in celebrating one of Bridgwater’s most significant and historic traditions.
The exhibition runs from 28 October to 21 November 2026 at Bridgwater Arts Centre, 11-13 Castle St, TA6 3DD. The gallery is open 10am – 3pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Please visit: www.bridgwaterartscentre.co.uk/ for more information.
