Claire Kay

Claire originally trained as an Optician, but after being made redundant she decided to retrain and is now an Internet Accessibility Design Specialist who has produced this website for us.

Claire is also a passionate professional carnival photographer who has been widely published both in the UK and in Europe; and sees carnival photography as an art form. Because she designs costumes, helps to build floats and performs in carnivals for fun, her photography captures carnival from the perspective of the artists and performers.

Often quirky and sometime surreal, she captures the hard work behind the scenes when costumes and floats are being produced at Mas Camps; to the fun, dance and sheer enjoyment that carnival performers instill in their unique performances. We are pleased that she has agreed to work with us as one of our photographers.

In 2006 Claire gained a level 2 NCFE cert in carnival arts and in 2006 was awarded a Scholarship by the Islands Art Unit to train under Italian Master Maschere Artist Umberto Cinquini from Viareggio, who trained her in the art of Italian Maschere. Claire then spent time working in Viareggio with Umberto in 2007 on an Art Council of England Grant. Claire is a specialist Italian Maschere (Papier Mache) Carnival Artist, who teaches the design and production of Masks, Giant Puppets and other items from papier mache for Carnival. Claire is enhanced CRB checked.