Amas is Esperanto for “Love”.
Hackney Torch Moment- Gillett Square , Hackney July 2012
Bernie Spain Gardens the Thames Festival September 2012
This Carnival Art installation is a piece that both echoes the Olympic celebration of our place in the world, whilst simultaneously celebrating our capacity for unique national self-expression. Arising from a collaboration with Renato Lage, one of Brazil’s most famous carnival designers, Paul Mclaren of Shademakers has embraced the scale and flamboyance of Rio Carnival and created both a homage to and a uniquely British interpretation of the experience. Worker Ants converge on the raw bones of Amas, industriously building and connecting the elements of the piece. Lions cavort, the lions of Trafalgar Square brought to life and a revisiting of the emblematic lions of the England Football shirt, here portrayed as vividly coloured pigeon-chasing animals of courage and playfulness. Roses, red and white, refer to the great battle for English identity in our past. Angels, derived from the ancient Greek spirit of excellence Arête, rise to the sky as an icon of hope and purpose. They also refer to the glories of our industrial past directly and the achievements of the British car industry. The show becomes a wall of costumed performers, glamorous Samba dancers in costume parade before the Amas Carnival Piece, as an award-winning musical orchestra drums, sings and plays up a hip-stirring storm. A moment of sunshine, of escape, of release and a truly unique moment in Carnival Art.
Amas.
May the love be with you?
The Artists
Paul McLaren- Shademakers Artistic director
A reading of Paul Mclaren’s body of work would show his preoccupation with Archetypal myths and legends. Amas is no exception, playing as it does with UK and Brazilian motifs of identity and expression. Paul works closely with Sharon George, whose stunning costume-making skills bring their own contribution of? Life, colour and energy into this extraordinary work.
Renato Lage
Carnavalesco (designer) for G.R.E.S Salguiro, one of Brazil’s Greatest Samba Schools. As
A five time winner of the Rio Carnival championship, Renato Lage is often described as the “Carnavalesco’s Carnavalesco”
Rhythms of the City
UK’s premier samba percussion squad.
They perform not only authentic carnival samba, but create stunning and unique fusions with funk, soul and hip-hop, all with the same passion and energy. Rhythms of the City is the beating heart of London’s multi-award winning jazz community the F-IRE Collective.
London School of Samba
The UK’s original Samba School in the Brazilian style, with a rich history of performances and workshops dating back to 1984.
Paraiso School of Samba is the only organisation in the UK whose artistic direction is led by artists who grew up in the Rio de Janeiro samba community and which closely follows the authentic Brazilian School of Samba structure and objectives. Like Brazilian Samba Schools, Paraiso strive for pure Samba as a celebration of the artistic excellence found in the Brazilian Carnival ethos.
Tropical Isles
Hackney-based carnival group. Tropical Isles provide year-round carnival art activities, with a specific focus on developing the skills and talents of young people.
Homage to Rio will be a colourful carnival hand over from London to Rio showcasing carnival artists from both cities who have been working together over the past year and will continue the collaborations into Rio 2016.
At the heart of London’s ‘Homage to Rio’ is the Shademakers spectacular Carnival Art Installation ‘Amas’. It is the largest and most spectacular Carnival commission ever seen in the UK (about 12.5m high). It reveals itself in a 20 minute show that ends in a tableau of British cultural icons on a giant record cover sleeve, a living wall of 37 costumed performers, and additional costume pieces, inspired by the large floats of Rio de Janiero. The Shademakers reveal the underbelly and penetrate the superficial in a ‘warts and all expression of true love.