SERC students to move to the beat at parade

Beat Carnival will be managing the parade on Saturday May 10 and have been creating spectacular floats for the event on the theme of ‘Fairytales’.

Beat’s professional performers will be joined by talented SERC students on the day, for what is one of the biggest Mayor’s parades in the country. Beat Carnival director, David Boyd, said: “I particularly wanted to have local young people create one of the main performances in the parade.

“At Beat Carnival Centre we have constructed a ‘Gingerbread House’ for Performing Arts students from the South Eastern Regional College, Lisburn Campus and I am delighted that fourteen SERC musicians will play on the float for nineteen dance students, while six other performance students entertain the parade audience as costumed storybook characters.”

Musicians from the college who have received training in Afro-Brazilian percussion from Beat’s in-house samba band, BEATnDRUM, have already had the opportunity to show off their skills to big crowds, performing to an audience of 22,000 at Beat’s 2013 Belfast St Patrick’s Day Carnival.

Lisburn SERC’s Senior Performing Arts Lecturer, Sarah Collyer, said of the collaboration: “In assisting with the provision of parade content such as walkabout artists, dancers, musical performers and samba drummers, the students are given the opportunity to enhance their performance skills.

“In addition to this, they are developing vital soft skills required by future employers in the creative industries.

“Participating in this event gives the students a real sense of community and they are proud and excited to take part in such a high-profile event in the local area.”