Overshadowed by the more famous sibling in Nadur and hounded by lack of official support and an array of logistical nightmares, carnival floats and parades in Gozo risk disappearing. Ricky Bugeja finds out more.

In recent years Gozo has gained a rather large notoriety with the Maltese masses braving the wintry fliegu to flock to Nadur’s supposedly spontaneous carnival activities.

Activities which, over time, have given the general impression that the events in Nadur are quite simply one giant street party with boiler suits, Halloween masks and Tele-Tubbie onesies thrown in for good measure.

However, there is another side to carnival in Gozo – one that has been dwindling over recent years, both in terms of participants as well as spectators. One that, had it not been for the hardcore commitment, dedication and enthusiasm of a few, would certainly diminish into obscurity alongside the għonella, gramophone and the Dodo.

Some 50 volunteers carry out all the work on the floats.

I am, of course, referring to the organised carnival activities which, in a very similar manner to our larger sister island, bring to life neon floats, grotesque masks and elaborate (read: expensive) costumes of all shapes, colours and sizes – or at least that’s what it used to do. For the past decade or so participation and audience attendance, especially from the youth segment, has plummeted. I took a look behind the scenes at the preparation of one of the relatively new kids on the block – Drew and Co. Carnival Company which, this year, with the use of five giant grotesque masks, will be taking part in a number of organised displays and dances.

The 50 person group consists of a variety of people who, have come together from the ashes of various other carnival groups which have dissolved over time. These vary from their teens to their 30s; from complete newbies to seasoned carnival veterans. They come from all over Gozo, including people from Victoria’s two main bands – the Aurora and the Astra, normally renowned for their rivalry.

Despite this, there’s a sense of group adhesiveness with this tightly-knit clan of carnival connoisseurs, displaying the unique way in which carnival can make people set aside their differences and come closer together.

“This is the real carnival,” one volunteer says. “But participants have really decreased in recent years,” he adds. “From an operational standpoint, things can get very tough. There used to be many more organisations from all over Gozo taking part. But, for some reason or another, they have disbanded over the years.”

Another volunteer pointed out logistical issues that the group faces. “In Gozo, there is no Plan B in case of poor weather; you either risk ruining all of your hard work in the rain, or leaving everything in the garage and not taking part.”

Speaking of garage, that’s where these people have had to build their giant masks – in a private garage which was temporarily leased. There is no public allocation of land for these sorts of companies as there is in Malta.

Drew and Co have had over 20 volunteers working from their own time since September. These have to pay everything out of pocket until the commissioning fees or prize money comes in. “Then, we have to find a place, get the basic materials, tools and everything in between so that we can work. Even then, we get complaints from neighbours for working late into the night. We even have to make sure that whatever we make can be disassembled in sections to fit through the door.”

There used to be many more organisations from all over Gozo taking part, but for some reason or another, they have disbanded over the years

Pressure has been put on authorities in the past from various local companies who tried to lobby for land where to build and store carnival floats and props – with earmarked places, including the derelict dairy processing plant opposite Lidl and other spots in and around the Xewkija industrial estate, but no results have been achieved so far.

It seems that Gozo’s organised carnival may have suffered from being a little bit too dispersed, with celebrations happening in each village in Gozo, some of which clash with others.

For the most part, the village celebrations are organised by their respective council, which normally means there is little communication between all parties involved. This has, in turn, led to schedule clashes in the past, forcing companies to choose only one activity in which to take part.

Naturally, on vital practise days and for the show itself, volunteers have to make use of their own personal leave to have all the preparations ready.

“I wonder why this should not fall under a scheme such as cultural leave from the work place,” said one volunteer. “We even have to pay rent to the Gozo Sports Complex to practise our dance routine. And, because of booking clashes on certain days, we have to squeeze into a private residence to try out our routine, so as not to miss a day of rehearsals. Even just keeping our 50 members informed of changes like this is a headache.”

So what, despite all these difficulties, keeps these people coming back to take part?

“This is a passion for us, otherwise we wouldn’t do it. Most of the time we don’t break even, let alone make a profit – but that is not the point. Just like people are into sports or other pastimes, we’re into carnival – it’s what makes us tick.”

The Gozo carnival takes place in various locations around Gozo between Friday and February 9, with the main activities taking place in Victoria.