The Govanhill International Festival and Carnival Programme Announced!
The anti-racist Govanhill International Festival and Carnival (GIFC) celebrates the diversity and creativity of the Govanhill community. What started in 2016 as a weekend long affair has now become a full fledged festival, lasting for two weeks between the 2nd and the 14th of August, and featuring diverse events, from concerts, to workshops, to photography exhibitions.
Brass Aye play at Govanhill International Festival carnival
By Sorana Horsia
"Govanhill International Festival and Carnival is back!” says Jude Mckechnie, festival festival coordinator. “We're delighted to be able to bring you a whole host of events centred around art, heritage and activism that testifies to the incredible diversity of our thriving arts and culture scene."
The festival has grown exponentially from when it launched in 2016 - from a weekend to a full two weeks of festivities. But organisers say that despite this growth, it remains an anti-racist festival. The programme states:
“Every year, we continue to celebrate the contributions that immigrants have made to Govanhill, showing that there is no room for racism in our community. Govanhill really is a neighbourhood unlike any other in Scotland; home to people of 40+ nationalities and 60+ languages. The richness of our flourishing arts and culture scene shows that our diversity, history and heritage is what makes Govanhill so unique and why we feel so proud to live here and call this community ours!”
The festival starts on Roma Genocide Remembrance day, which will be marked with performances and speeches delivered by the Roma community in the Poetry Rose Garden in Queen's park. After this rememberance, the festival continues in full force with all its constituent mini-festivals including books, art, film and music.
The arts festival will feature photography and visual arts exhibitions as well as dance events throughout the neighbourhood. On the 12th of August, Greater Govanhill will launch the open air exhibition "FONDS: Objects speak louder than words". Look out for the photographs of people’s special objects and their stories!
Resident artists from Govanhill Baths Culture Collective will take you on an immersive journey using image and sound while the Street Level Culture Collective will showcase the projects resulting from a year long community based residency.
To get ready for the carnival, first go to the Anti-Racist Screen and Block Printing Workshop with Kengkeng
The film festival is looking to bring cinema to new audiences. The Microcinema, delivered by the GAMIS Working Group, will be a two week exploration of moving image as a creative medium through screenings and talks from local artists and activists.
The book festival will promote local and Scottish authors such as Bruce Downie and his book "Loved and Lost: Govanhill’s Built Heritage" or Mark Brown and his piece "Modernism and Scottish Theatre Since 1969: A Revolution on Stage".
Last but not least, the traditional Govanhill carnival and parade will mark the peak of the festival on Saturday, the 6th of August. The anti-racist celebration of unity and pride will fill the streets of Govanhill with music and joy.
Street concerts, movie screenings, talks about social change, historic walks, local markets, wellbeing workshops, and many other diversified events will celebrate Govanhill's diversity this year at the GIFC.
See all the events of the festival on the our events page here.
