Get Involved

Lantern Making Workshops

Our Lantern Making workshops are run by professional practitioners from Same Sky.

Working with willow, withe and tissue paper, participants create animal inspired lanterns ready to be illuminated at the parade.

Public Workshops

Our public workshops are held at Norden Farm and in Maidenhead Town Centre in the run up to the event.

This year's public workshops take place on the following dates:

The Carnival of the Animals – Lantern Making Workshop (3+ years) | £4 per person

Saturday 16 November | 10am – 4pm

Saturday 23 November | 10am – 4pm

Saturday 30 November | 10am – 4pm

Saturday 7 December | 10am – 2pm

Short and sweet lantern making - get parade ready in 20 mins! Drop in to make and decorate a simple willow and tissue lantern ready to illuminate on parade night.

Suitable for all ages 3+ years

Please note – these workshops take place in Maidenhead Town Centre and are drop in sessions.

Our drop-in sessions allow you to come down to the session at any time throughout the day – you don’t need to get there bang on 10am! So, you don’t have to rush! Sessions run start at 10am and end at 4pm, and lanterns at our Town Centre workshops take around 20 – 30 minutes to make

The Carnival of the Animals – Lantern Making Workshop (6+ years) | £7 per person

Sunday 17 November | 10.30am – 12.30pm & 2pm – 4pm

Sunday 24 November | 10.30am – 12.30pm & 2pm – 4pm

Sunday 1 December | 10.30am – 12.30pm & 2pm – 4pm

Across 2 hours, our artist will guide the group through the process of weaving an intricate animal inspired willow frame ahead of covering and decorating. Suitable for 6+ years. Pre-booking for these popular workshops is essential

Please note – Sunday workshops take place at Norden Farm and last 2 hours. You need to arrive for your booked start time of 10.30am or 2pm. In these workshops, you create lanterns which are more intricate and will take the whole 2 hours to do so. This capacity for these workshops is limited.

The Carnival of the Animals – Lantern Making 2.0 (adults workshop) | £17.50 per person

Saturday 23 November | 10am – 4pm

Lantern Making 2.0 is brand new this year and takes place across 6 hours at Norden Farm.

Across a full day, working as a group, guided by our professional artist you will create a large-scale willow structure which will shine bright in the parade!

This workshop is suitable for 16+. Young people under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a paying adult -booking for this workshop essential.

Take a look at our Lantern Making Workshop FAQs here!

Community Groups

Each year we offer a number of workshops to local community groups.

This year we are working with Family Friends, Maidenhead Innovation Project, Thames Valley Adventure Playground and Alexander Devine Children's Hospice.

If you have a community group which you think would benefit from a Community Lantern Making Workshop in 2019 please get in touch.

School Groups

As part of the Lantern Parade project we offer subsidised workshops to local primary schools in the weeks before the parade.

Workshops are suitable for KS2 and SEN students, and take place at your school. The sessions are run by professional arts practitioners, who are DBS checked.

During these hands on workshops students create withe and tissue animal inspired lanterns. The workshops allow children to develop 3D visual skills and experience working with different materials in your school environment.

All schools taking part in these exciting workshops are encouraged to come along with friends and family to see their hard work light up the town during the Parade on Saturday 8 December.

Schools workshops cost: £135 donation per booking, depending on timings we can work with up to 3 classes in a day. (Lantern Parade workshops do not form part of the SMR Farm Out allocation.)

School Workshop bookings are taken directly through Same Sky, but to register you interest, or for more information please email [email protected]

The Parade

This year’s Carnival of the Animals Lantern Parade takes place on Saturday 8 December.

You don’t need to have a lantern to take part! – just come on down, enjoy the music, walk the parade and celebrate with the town.

• 4.30pm - Live music and entertainment
• 5pm - Parade departs from Maidenhead Town Hall
• 5.45pm – 6.15pm - Live music and entertainment continues

all times tbc

Live Entertainment

New for this year we will be holding a post parade gig in the Desborough Suite at The Town Hall between 6.30pm and 9pm. The Brass Funkeys will be providing your entertainment and there will be a bar and food available so come and join us!

Volunteer

We are always looking for proactive volunteers that can help at the event, and keep the parade moving.

Last year we were joined by around 1600 people on the parade, and expect more people to take part in 2019.

If you would like to get involved on parade day, please get in touch – email [email protected]

(Video credit Luminous Photography)