Magna's mega party

Former Hellaby Hall manager John Silker officially launched the South Yorkshire Carnival and Arts Regional Festival (S.Y.C.A.R.F) - due to samba into Magna in July - on Thursday.

It is hoped that the two-week event will become an annual fixture in the former steelworks’ calendar and help raise desperately needed funds to secure the long-term future of the venue.

Magna has hit the headlines in the past after receiving a series of loans to help with running costs but Mr Silker hit back at the critics, saying: “Those people are blinkered, they are like a horse - take those blinkers off and everyone in South Yorkshire can join together to make this an international event.”

Mr Silker will be working with the creative director of the hugely successful Notting Hill Carnival, Debora Alleyne De Gazon, to organise the event.

He said: “It is great for South Yorkshire to have something like this. 

“Every time I sit down with Debora, it’s mind-blowing. The possibilities of what we can do here for South Yorkshire are endless.

“There’s nothing like this event or like Magna anywhere else. 

“Magna is a cathedral to industry, the steel finished but we still have that heritage, we can still educate people as to what went on here.

“This event has got to be sustainable, it’s not going to be a one-off.”

Ms Alleyne De Gazon, creative consultant for the festival, said: “The carnival will allow you to showcase your heritage through things such as aesthetic recycling.

“There are a lot of people in Rotherham who are into designing or music so we want to identify the talent of South Yorkshire and create that platform for them to showcase themselves.

“The carnival is a blend of talent, theatre, exhibitions and so much more.

“We also want to use the opportunity to educate people about other carnivals.

“I think every county has a different energy, when you come to Yorkshire you can feel the vibrancy of the talent, and the energy is connected to that.

“South Yorkshire has people who want to know and explore new things, that’s what attracted me to the area.”