Carnival Court
Selection Dance
2016
We are so excited to announce that we are searching for 2016/2017 Mersea Island
Carnival Court!
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for individuals with a pleasant personality and good sense of humour
that are confident or wanting to become more confident, charismatic, enjoy meeting
people and having fun! They MUST live on Mersea Island or in Peldon,
Langenhoe, Abberton or Blackheath OR attend school on Mersea Island.
Why should you apply?
Being part of a Carnival Court enables you to
 help raise money for local groups
 grow in confidence
 develop your social skills
 work as part of a team
 meet a wide variety of people from across Essex
 have volunteer experience for college and university applications or as part of
your Duke of Edinburgh award
 have fun
What would you need to do as part of the Carnival Court?
King & Queen: They will be expected to lead their court in all aspects, modelling
appropriate behaviour, ensuring the court knows what is expected of them and
advise / support them in carrying out their role. The King and Queen will share the
responsibility of accepting any awards and performing any speeches that may be
required.
Princess & Prince: the two princesses are expected to work well as part of the
Carnival court. It is unlikely that they will have to give any kind of speech. The
Princesses’ main role is to support the King and Queen and to help to raise money
when attending any charity events.
The new court will be made up of four members and a combination of King, Queen,
Prince and Princesses.
All members of the court are expected to get on well together and, alongside the
Chaperones and Float Driver, work as a team.
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The court will be expected to attend various events in Essex throughout the year
e.g. other carnival parades, court crowning ceremonies, presentation ceremonies
(where all monies raised on the carnival day are presented to the local charities or
beneficiaries), present donation cheques after our own Carnival and other local
events such as the Mersea Easter Egg Hunt. They will need to be prepared to make
themselves available for these events but not necessarily all of these events.
Regalia
Regalia includes crown / tiara, dress / suit, sash, bags, flowers and shoes. The
carnival committee will provide all of these apart from shoes.
How, when and where will the Court be chosen?
The new court will be chosen at our Selection Dance on Saturday 19th March 2016
at Mersea Primary School, Barfield Road, Mersea Island from 7.30pm.
Full details of the selection process will be sent to you on receipt of your application.
Entry to the selection evening is free to the Carnival Court applicant and two guests
/ parents. Additional entry tickets can be purchased for £2 (adults) and £1 (children
under 16) on entry. There will be tea, coffee and soft drinks available for purchase
but please feel free to bring your own drinks and snacks. There will also be a
fabulous raffle with all proceeds going towards the Carnival and dancing!
All entrants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult on selection
night.
How can I apply?
Age groups
King or Queen aged 12 – 18 years old
Princess or Prince aged 8 – 12 years old
Your age must be within these age brackets on the day of the Carnival which is
Saturday 11th June 2016
You can apply by phone, email or application form and this should be received by
the Carnival Court Chaperone no later than Tuesday 15th March 2016
How to apply:
 by post to… Carnival Court Chaperone, c/o 22 Fairhaven Avenue, West
Mersea, Mersea Island, CO5 8EZ
 by phone on… 01206 383363
 by email… merseaislandcarnival@gmail.com
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Mersea Island Carnival Court Selection Entry Form
NAME ………………………………………………………………………………………..
ADDRESS
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
POST CODE ……………………………..
TELEPHONE NUMBER ………………..……... MOBILE ………………………..
DATE OF BIRTH ………/………/………..…………..
AGE ON 11th JUNE 2016 ……………………..
E-mail address
…………………………………………………………………………………..
I confirm that I/my child (please delete those that don’t apply) resides on Mersea
Island, is a pupil at Mersea Island School AND/OR reside in Peldon, Langenhoe,
Abberton or Blackheath.
I understand that photographs will be taken by Mersea Carnival Association team
members during the Selection Night Dance and throughout the year at the various
events we attend.
I understand that Mersea Carnival Association will only use these images for the
Carnival website and advertising and will NOT use them for the Carnival Facebook
page.
Parent or Guardian signature required if entrant is under the age of 18 years.
Signature ………………………………………………. Date ………/………/………
Print name …………………………………………………………………
All details on this application form will be kept confidential by Mersea Island Carnival
Association and will not be given to any other party unless required to by law.
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Rules and responsibilities
Should you be successful and be crowned as part of the 2015/2016 Mersea Island
Carnival Court, it brings not only wonderful experiences, fun and enjoyment but also
responsibilities.
So, here are a few guidelines we would expect you to adhere to, please note that
some may not apply if you are a Princess or Prince:
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You will need to be good role models even when you are not on duty
You will be expected to work as a team
No smoking at any time when on duty
No swearing
No drinking alcohol when on duty including the evening before an event
No using drugs. If you need to take medication, let your chaperones know as
soon as possible.
No using mobile phones whilst on the float or when on duty
Always listen to your chaperones and follow their instructions in order to stay safe
Please remember the Carnival committee’s decisions are final
You will be escorted by Carnival chaperones at events at all times. Unfortunately,
whilst on duty you will be unable to go off with friends or family during a Carnival
event unless agreed with your chaperone. Please stay together as a Carnival
Court when going to Carnival teas and going to the toilet during events etc
Enjoy building good relationships with the other Carnival Courts. You will see
them often throughout the year and some may become lifelong friends!
Respect others. Avoid gossiping about others – it will not make you a good role
model or help you enjoy your experience
Whilst on the float, look at people directly, wave and say hello. Be kind and polite
to everyone. This means a great deal to people. Always be ready to smile even
though, sometimes, you may not feel like smiling
DON’T ALLOW ANYONE TO PROVOKE YOU, for example, if someone shouts
at you whilst you are on duty, don’t answer them back. Just smile. Allow your
chaperones to deal with these situations and protect you from such comments
Make sure that you tell the MCA if you are able / not able to attend events in
good time. All of our chaperones volunteer their time and have to organise their
families and work so that they are able to be your chaperones
You will have the chance to attend Presentation or Selection evenings where you
may be expected to give a little speech, do a curtsey / bow together and/or a
court ‘presentation’. You will plan this with your chaperones beforehand and
perhaps practice a little. There will dancing at these events and we hope you will
enjoy participating fully. It makes for a great evening, good fun and making new
friends!
You must be in full Carnival regalia at all times whilst at an event
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 You will be responsible for maintaining your outfit. The chaperones will keep and
maintain your crowns, flowers and sashes etc. This just helps prevent someone
forgetting them on an event day
 There are a few competitions that you will be involved in during the year. This will
include competitions at other Carnivals for best float, court, etc. At the
Presentation evenings there is also usually a competition for example, Court of
Court, Queen of Queens or Princess competition. For us these competitions are
about enjoying yourself with your court rather than winning or losing
 You may also be invited to events on the island or in the local area
 You will be asked to bring a packed lunch with you when attending other
Carnivals
 If you are under 18 your parent / carer will be required to attend at least two
events (other than Mersea Carnival) as your chaperone
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