Location: Prague, Czech Republic Date: the 17th of November Description: Velvet Carnival is a masked satirical parade of NGOs and civic groups, which strives to reanimate the way events of the Velvet Revolution of 17 November 1989 are remembered and commemorated. The participants embody pressing social and political issues byContinue Reading
The covid-19 related events of this year unfortunately made in most of the countries around the world any big processions or gatherings impossible. With limited social contact some new ways of thinking and new forms of social and cultural aspects of life started to emerge. The Velvet Carnival procession wentContinue Reading
Olga Cieslarova has played a key role in the creation and development of Prague’s Velvet Carnival, which grew part out of her doctoral research on Basel’s Fasnacht. This interview is from Swiss radio SRF, from 2013.
Do public parades and processions have the power to germinate and strength democracy? Martin Pehal thinks so, and here is why. Profound words from Martin Pehal.
A short video with some descriptive text of the 2019 edition of Velvet Carnival.
A series of videos on Prague’s Velvet Carnival, by Ronald L. Grimes. Ron Grimes is co-editor of the Oxford Ritual Studies Series, Director of Ritual Studies International, and the author of several books on ritual, most recently The Craft of Ritual Studies. He is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Religion andContinue Reading
On November 16, the day before Velvet Carnival, the Initiatives perform a chivaree, moving lanterns, floats and masks from the workshop location to the staging area of the procession. The chivaree provides an opportunity for practice and testing equipment, for building anticipation, and offers participants a more private performance opportunity,Continue Reading
Velvet Carnival Blends activism with satire on 25th anniversary of Velvet Revolution – from, Radio Prague, 07.11.2014.