As a national arts charity, the UK Centre for Carnival Arts (UKCCA) is dedicated to promoting excellence within the field of carnival arts in all its professional forms – from Mas (carnival costume making), music, dance, and performance. Through its learning and participation strategy it aims to make a significant impact on the aspirations and educational attainment of children and young people and be central to widening participation in schools, colleges and universities.

Carnival arts encourages all participants to develop modes of performance, which allows them to communicate their thoughts, concerns, feelings, ideas and enthusiasms; to represent themselves to each other and to the world. Performing arts provides children with ‘opportunities to communicate, to interpret, and to create for themselves.’ Children do not all learn in the same way or at the same pace. There is a need to respect children’s different learning styles and needs and to provide multimodal learning so that ‘multiple intelligences’ can operate.

The UKCCA offers a safe environment for children to experience all of carnival arts; costume design, mask making, dance and performance skills.