Belgium/Tournai: people with disabilities proudly build the Carnival King and Queen
In Tournai, residents of the Valère Delcroix home are building the float on which the Carnival King and Queen will parade. After parading through the streets of the city of five steeples, the float and the royal couple will be burned at the end of the parade, on Saturday March 14, during a bonfire to which the whole city is invited. It's a spectacular moment and a source of immense pride for the residents.
While the carnival season is already in full swing - in Binche, Charleroi, Basècles - the Tournai carnival is being prepared in the greatest secrecy. In their workshops and homes, the brotherhoods and Tournaisians are fine-tuning their costumes. This year, the theme is deliberately very free: "Fais à t'mode". In other words, there's no limit to imagination, daring and creativity. Meanwhile, out of sight, the Carnival King and Queen, two giants on a float, are being built by the residents of the Valère Delcroix home: 36 mentally handicapped adults.
After parading through the streets of the city of five steeples, the float and the royal couple will be burned at the end of the parade, on Saturday March 14, during a bonfire to which the whole city is invited.
Steven and Stephane are, at the time of writing, making the Queen's hands with their educator Jesse Ferré, in this shed where they do it every year. The hands are immediately attached to the structure.We're not pros," admits educator Jesse Ferré. Sometimes we get the idea, but it's something else when it comes to practice (laughs)". "And we all dance around the float and celebrate!" enthuses Steven.That's the beauty of it too," Jesse continues, "is that it doesn't have to be perfect. We're not looking for perfection.
The two giants and the float are mostly made from recycled materials, or donated by local businesses. The team from the Valère Delcroix home removes their bulky pallets and uses them to make kindling wood.In exchange, the company supplies thin sheets of compressed wood to make certain details, cut out with a jigsaw, like the hands that are screwed on by Jesse and his electric screwdriver. "Careful, eh! Steven ironically throws to his educator, those are my fingers underneath!".
The fabric? We don't even know where it came from. "It's been there forever," explains Jesse. In addition to the recycled materials, certain supplies are purchased to guarantee the sturdiness of the float, which has to withstand a parade on the cobblestones of Tournai and any bad weather. The platform on which the structure with the giants will be placed, and the tractor needed to pull the platform, are on loan from the town.
Another constraint: the two giants must be burnable. No plastic or non-flammable materials are allowed, as the float and giants will be at the heart of the bonfire on Saturday evening. Edouard, who knits hair for the giants all year round, admits he'll be shedding a tear that evening. Yes, some of them will have a little tear," Jesse enthuses. But they know it's part of the parade. Besides, it's a great day. The residents celebrate with us, they meet people. And frankly, the people there are always friendly with our residents. And then there's the pride of having shown their work".
Source: www.rtbf.be/article/
