THOUSANDS of visitors flocked to a Newport primary school on Saturday to celebrate community and inclusivity as a popular arts festival celebrated its 21st anniversary.

For Maindee Festival's milestone year, a colourful parade filled with puppetry, music and dance marched from Rodney Parade to Maindee Primary School.

Several Newport organisations, politicians and families turned out for the festivities at the school, with entertainment ranging from spoken word and drama to Viking combat re-enactments.

The festival has gained a reputation for its celebration of unity and community spirit, passionate volunteers and its creative and spectacular parade and an estimated 4,000 people attended this year.

In March, the Maindee Festival Association (MFA) gained £2,000 from a £75,000 Gwent High Sherriff’s Community Fund to hold workshops with Maindee Primary School.

The funding saw year five and six pupils develop workshops around different cultures and working with local artists and teachers, to design materials and source ideas for the parade.

This included a large inflatable plastic globe which Ismael Velasco, of the MFA, described as a “symbol of the Earth as one country”.

“These ten and 11-year-olds ran workshops for over 500 children with no adult help. It was incredible," he said.

“They facilitated workshops on diversity that generated very rich conversations about what it meant to be different, what it meant to be yourself and how to manage all of that".

He added: “The festival is a symbol of the unity of the community. It’s like a glue.

“On the one hand, it represents all the relationships in the community. The diversity is so huge but everyone doing everything is volunteering so in a sense it’s love embodied in action.

“It's people caring about each other and sharing their identity in an inclusive way.

“At a time when there is so much division, political, ethnic or religious, (the festival) is a reminder that most people are not divided.”

The towering puppetry showcased in the parade was also the work of Crindau-based artist collective, Malarky Arts, who worked with pupils on the parade.

Kate Verity, of Malarky Arts, said: “In Maindee you have so many cultures living alongside each other who are all prepared to work together on an event like this.

“You have all these different people coming from all around making something bigger happen which is really lovely”.

Author Kay Williams, originally from Chepstow, was at the festival showcasing her work and credited the festival for its community spirit.

Chairman of the Merchant Navy Association Newport Branch (MNA), Alan Speight, also said the festival coincided with Seafarers Awareness Week and that the MNA received a good response from festival-goers.

“It’s a good atmosphere. I used to do work with Communities First and anything that can bring the community together, especially a diverse community, is a good thing," he said.

Several political figures also attended including Newport’s Mayor, Cllr David Fouweather, Gwent's Police and Crime Commissioner, Jeff Cuthbert and Newport East MP Jessica Morden.

Newport West MP, Paul Flynn, speaking as the parade filed towards Maindee Primary School, said: “It’s always a sumptuous romp of gloriously technicoloured, multi-racial, multi-community.

“It’s just proof of the continuing narrative of how Newport has developed into a happy mixed community."

Newport East AM, John Griffiths, added: “The parade is a massive part of the festival, people expect it and do come out on their doorsteps.

“What’s particularly important about the Maindee Festival is that it brings people together from different backgrounds.

“At a time when there are so many tensions and suspicions around, it’s really good to bring people together and allow them to form friendships”.

Organiser John Hallam, speaking as the festival drew to a close, thanked the organisations and communities who did a “tremendous job”.

This included the Senegalese and Gambian Community and the Hispano-Latina Community, who both took part in the parade.

He said: “We have had Vikings, Brazilians and people from all sorts of different backgrounds coming together for a great time.

“Everyone kept safe and well, there was a great crowd and the traders have been so busy. It’s one of the best festivals we have ever had."