How two musicians turned a mill town into a carnival capital

What began as a dream for two music-obsessed teenagers has grown into an international Carnival hub in the foothills of the Pennines.

In a town more commonly associated with its industrial heritage and panoramic views of the Peak District, two local musicians have planted the seeds of a cultural carnival of revolution.

The Northern Carnival Centre of Excellence at the Vale in Mossley is one of just two such institutions in the UK, has become a beating heart for music, dance and storytelling, welcoming artists from Brazil to Korea, and making Carnival accessible to everyone, right here in Tameside.

Creating Carnival aims to produce a spectacular Carnival performance developed by emerging artists, with support from established artists in their field.

At the centre of it all is Holly Prest, co-founder of the Centre and the arts organisation Global Grooves, who with long-time collaborator Leon Patel, has turned this dream into a bold and deeply meaningful reality.

“People come through the doors not quite knowing what to expect,” said Holly, speaking from the team’s HQ at The Vale.

“Then they end up visiting every week. It becomes part of their lives. That’s the real magic of Carnival.”

Holly and Leon’s story begins with a samba drumming class in Mossley Community Centre in the 1990s. She was 13. He was 16.

The pair, raised in Mossley and Greenfield, bonded over shared rhythms and the infectious energy of community music. Their passion quickly evolved into something deeper.

“We learned how to run rehearsals, lead gigs, and when our teacher Ian couldn’t make it, we stepped up,” Holly recalled. “He really encouraged us to take the reins. That kind of belief changes you.”

As young adults, they each made pilgrimages to Brazil, immersing themselves in Carnival culture and returning home transformed. It was during one of these exchanges that they met Eraldo Marques, a Brazilian percussionist connected to a social project in São Paulo.  Aldo would later settle in the UK and become the third co-founder of Global Grooves.

The idea of setting up a world-class Carnival centre in a former mill town might’ve seemed far-fetched at first, but for Holly and Leon, the dream was always rooted in home soil.

“We didn’t want to be just another city-centre venue. There’s a vibrant arts scene in Tameside, Oldham, all across Greater Manchester. It just needed somewhere to grow, and we’re just encouraging that,” said Holly.

In 2021, that vision crystallised with the launch of The Vale: a converted textile mill transformed into a bustling community arts hub. Inside, purpose-built studios buzz with drumming, costume-making, dance rehearsals and puppet-building. The Centre also offers vital storage space for the oversized, spectacular Carnival creations used in parades and performances.

For many, Carnival means feathers, drumming, dancing: a joyful, noisy parade. And while those things are certainly part of the picture, Holly is keen to share the depth and cultural richness that lies beneath the spectacle.

“Carnival originated as a form of resistance. Enslaved communities were allowed one small window each year to express their culture,” she explained. “The rhythms, costumes, and dances we see today are often rooted in centuries of storytelling.”

At The Vale, Carnival is a fusion of visual art, music, movement, and activism. Each performance begins months earlier in studios filled with sketches, research, experiments and collaboration.

“We don’t just ‘put on a parade’. We study, reflect, and build themes around stories that matter. Whether that’s historical, cultural, or environmental.”

Since opening, the Centre has hosted an extraordinary range of international artists, including Malawian one-man band Gasper Nali, Gambian master musician Suntou Susso, Korean-American puppet artist Andrew Kim, and Brazilian samba reggae expert Vinícius Silva.

And this summer, the energy kicks up a notch.

On 22nd of June, Brazilian percussionist Guga Santos returns to The Vale alongside Congolese dancer Ruth Asidi for Tambor Vital for a day-long exploration of music, sustainability and food through storytelling and performance. 

You can get tickets by clicking here

Then on 15th of July, Carnival royalty touches down in Mossley: Mestre Nilo, flown in from Rio de Janeiro’s legendary Portela Samba School, will deliver a rare samba masterclass — his first visit to the UK.

You can get tickets by clicking here

“It’s an absolute honour,” said Holly. “He’s one of the top names in Samba. We’re making the event ‘pay what you feel’ so anyone can experience it.  No barriers.”

Despite its international focus, the Centre’s roots remain proudly local. One of their standout projects,  The Incredible Plastic Street Band, is a brass-inspired ensemble for kids aged 4-12, designed to revitalise interest in brass band culture with a playful twist.

“When we heard local brass bands were struggling to find young players, we thought — what if we made it fun, noisy, and a bit wild?” Holly said. “It worked.”

The band has gone on to perform at Whit Friday, Stalybridge Carnival, and more. But perhaps the most exciting local-global fusion is yet to come.

Later this year, a Morris dancing troupe from Greater Manchester will travel to a major European outdoor arts festival, joining forces with classical Indian dancers from Oldham to represent the region on the international stage.

“We get asked, ‘Why not celebrate our own heritage?’ And we say: we do. This is about expanding what that means.”

In 2022, Global Grooves helped represent the North at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant, showcasing Carnival alongside tributes to West Africa, Trinidad and the UK’s own folk traditions.

“Carnival isn’t about replacing culture. It’s about sharing, learning, and celebrating together.” 

Find out more about the Northern Carnival Centre of Excellence and Global Grooves

You can find out what’s happening at the Northern Carnival Centre of Excellence at the Vale by clicking here

You can find out more about Global Grooves by clicking here