Kids art will light up Olympic torch route in Carlisle
News & Star, Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Young painters could see their handiwork beamed around the world on TV when the Olympic torch relay comes to Carlisle.
Its route will be lined with more than 20 banners, each depicting the countries and cultures of nationalities living within the city.
And groups of six will carry the flags of 30 nations represented in Carlisle.
Multicultural Carlisle and Carlisle City Council ran a ‘Paint the World’ event in English Street on Saturday when anyone could help paint the 3.5-metre-high banners.
Those taking part included five-year-old Marcel Kiss, of Charles Street, Carlisle.
His mum Ildiko, from Hungary, said: "He’s really excited. He loves painting. Hopefully we can be involved in carrying the flags when the torch comes.”
Volunteers laid on entertainment including a fire dance, songs, music, a DJ, face painting and flag making. There was a also a competition to identify 30 world flags, with a Kindle as first prize.
Saj Ghafoor, chairwoman of Multicultural Carlisle, said there was a serious point to the event.
She said: "It’s a way of bringing people together because they often don’t know where to go or how to meet people from different backgrounds. The best way to bring down barriers is to put a face to different nationalities. When people talk to each other, they realise there are not a lot of differences in the way we live our lives.”
Carlisle Youth Zone and several schools are working on the banners including Trinity School, and Brook Street, Norman Street, St Bede’s RC, Stanwix and Houghton primaries.