From the haka to hula – children to kick-start Norwich Lord Mayor’s Celebrations

This year's Lord Mayor's Celebrations will be getting into the carnival spirit right from the off this year, with a children's 'Carniv-Isle' on Friday evening.

Organised by Spirit of Carnival – the group who put on last year's successful Fridi Gras parade – the Norwich Children's Carniv-Isle will be taking inspiration from different island cultures around the world, such as Jamaica, Japan, Trinidad, Hawaii and New Zealand.

It will be an evening of carnival, music and dance featuring a range of children's and young people's groups and performers from across Norwich – starting with a street procession and ending with a showcase at The Forum.

The free family event is being held on Friday from 6.45pm, starting from the cathedral gates on Tombland for a procession through the streets of Norwich city centre before arriving at The Forum for the showcase from 7.15pm.

It features groups from around the Norwich area including Mile Cross Primary School, Future Youth Projects, Thorpe Hamlet Sure Start, Colman Junior School and YMCA Norwich.

Spirit of Carnival organiser Linda Blakeway explained further, saying: 'We have one group dressing in traditional New Zealand Maori dress, who will be doing the haka and teaching the crowd how to do it as well.

'Another has got Hawaii and will be doing hula dancing, there's lots of different cultures being represented.

'We had about 1,000 people line the streets for Fridi Gras last year, and we're hoping for the same again this year.'

- Leaflets with the line-up for this weekend's Lord Mayor's Celebrations are available from all Evening News vending kiosks in Norwich city centre and the EDP offices in Cromer, Dereham, Beccles, Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.

- Are you organising a community event in Norwich? Call reporter David Freezer on 01603 772418 or email david.freezer@archant.co.uk