UKON Careers

11/10/2026

🎉🌈 Barking and Dagenham Carnival 2026: A Celebration of Creativity, Culture and Community! 🌈🎉

What an incredible journey to celebrate! ❤️💛💚💙
From inspiring creative workshops and colourful carnival costumes to dance, music, flag making and cultural exhibitions, the journey leading up to this year’s Barking and Dagenham Carnival was filled with creativity, connection and community spirit. 🦜🌺🎭

We are delighted to share a wonderful feature by Pen to Print looking back at Carnival 2026 and celebrating the many activities, people and creative experiences that helped bring our carnival to life.

✨ Discover the stories behind the celebrations.
🎨 Explore the creative workshops and activities that brought people of all ages together.
💃 Watch the videos and see the creativity, talent and enthusiasm in action.
❤️ Celebrate the people, partnerships and community spirit that make our carnival so special.

Our theme, Birds of Paradise, celebrated colour, movement, cultural heritage and self-expression, reminding us of the power of arts and culture to bring people together, inspire confidence and create a sense of belonging.

📲 Read the full feature and watch the videos using the link shared by Pen to Print. Take a moment to explore the journey behind the carnival and see the wonderful work taking place across our community.

👏 A heartfelt thank you to everyone who took part, including our artists, performers, schools, community organisations, volunteers, partners, families and participants. Your passion, creativity and commitment helped make this celebration possible.

🌈 One community. One celebration. So many stories to share!

Here is the link: https://pentoprint.org/look-back-barking-carnival-2026/

Ukon Careers shared a wonderful write-up about this year's Barking Carnival. You can catch up and read the post here:

https://pentoprint.org/look-back-barking-carnival-2026/

30/09/2026

🌟 A Huge Thank You to Pen to Print! 🌟

We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Pen to Print for their incredible support and for showcasing the Barking and Dagenham Carnival 2026 and the amazing creative journey that takes place in the months leading up to Carnival Day. ❤️🎭

Their latest blog beautifully captures some of the work delivered by UKON Careers, including our pre-carnival workshops, dance and movement sessions, carnival costume and flag making, creative activities and exhibitions at Barking Learning Centre and Dagenham Learning Centre. 🎨✨

It is wonderful to see the creativity, commitment and participation of local residents, children, young people, older residents, artists and community organisations recognised and celebrated. The blog also highlights the importance of bringing people together through arts, culture and creativity. 🙌🏽

We are incredibly grateful to the Pen to Print team for helping us share the story of the Carnival and the many creative opportunities that happen behind the scenes. Your continued support helps us reach a wider audience and celebrate the incredible creativity within our communities. ❤️

We are proud of what we have achieved together and look forward to continuing our partnership and creating more opportunities for people across Barking and Dagenham to participate in arts and culture.

📖 Read the full Pen to Print blog here:
🔗 https://pentoprint.org/look-back-barking-carnival-2026/

Thank you, Pen to Print, for your wonderful work, continued support and for helping us tell the story of Barking and Dagenham Carnival! ❤️👏🏽

barkinganddagenham artsandculture creativecommunitiess CommunityEngagementt localartist partnerships workingtogether

22/09/2026

Thank you CM Production Management for sharing your amazing video!!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdlqFlqEhCu/?stkn=bnk3MmZkZm54ZDVu

15/09/2026

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdToPEUEYJD/?stkn=MTdjeGJnNW1taWZsMQ==

14/09/2026

🎬✨ WATCH THE OFFICIAL BARKING AND DAGENHAM VIDEO! ✨🎬

We are delighted to share the official Barking and Dagenham video with you! 🎥👏

🌟 Want to see the full video and find out more?
Head over to the UKON Careers YouTube Channel and watch the official video in full. ▶️📺

👉 CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO WATCH NOW:

🔗https://youtu.be/5BHPBDlbi6Q

The video is a fantastic opportunity to see, hear and discover more about Barking and Dagenham, our community and the people and work that make a difference. 🙌❤️

📢 Please watch, like and share the video with your friends, family, colleagues and wider community. Every share helps us reach more people! 🔄👏

🎥 Don't miss out. Click the link and watch the full official video today!
❤️ Watch it. Share it. Spread the word.

14/09/2026

🎬✨ WATCH THE OFFICIAL BARKING AND DAGENHAM VIDEO! ✨🎬
We are delighted to share the official Barking and Dagenham video with you! 🎥👏
🌟 Want to see the full video and find out more?
Head over to the UKON Careers YouTube Channel and watch the official video in full. ▶️📺

👉 CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO WATCH NOW:
🔗 https://youtu.be/5BHPBDlbi6Q

The video is a fantastic opportunity to see, hear and discover more about Barking and Dagenham, our community and the people and work that make a difference. 🙌❤️

📢 Please watch, like and share the video with your friends, family, colleagues and wider community. Every share helps us reach more people! 🔄👏

🎥 Don't miss out. Click the link and watch the full official video today!

❤️ Watch it. Share it. Spread the word.

11/09/2026

✨🎭 JULY DUMP — A MONTH OF CARNIVAL, CREATIVITY & CELEBRATION! 🎭✨

July was another vibrant month across our local community, filled with culture, creativity and opportunities to celebrate young people and their achievements. 💙🌟

From celebrating at the Barking & Dagenham Carnival to continuing our Carnival Costume Mentoring Programme, young people had the opportunity to get creative, develop new skills and take part in the excitement of Carnival season. 🎨🪅✨

We also had the pleasure of celebrating the achievements of pupils at Marsh Green Primary School’s Annual Awards, recognising their hard work, dedication and accomplishments throughout the year. 🏆👏🏽📚

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make July such a memorable month! 💙

10/09/2026

🪅✨ JUNE DUMP: A MONTH OF CREATIVITY, CULTURE & COMMUNITY! ✨🪅

June was full of creativity, connection and Carnival celebrations across our community! 💙🌈🎭

From launching Carnival season at Valence Library 📚✨ to bringing Carnival Connections to Barking Market 🛍️🎭, it was a month filled with opportunities to learn, create and celebrate culture.

🎭 Carnival Costume Mentoring Programme
💃🏽 Dance Sessions at Marsh Green Primary School
🚩 Carnival Flag Workshop at John Smith House
🎨 Flipside Creative Workshops
🌈 Carnival arts, creativity & community connection

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, got creative and helped make June so special! 💙👏🏽

We’re proud to continue creating spaces where people can learn, create, connect and celebrate culture together. ✨

Here’s to more creativity, culture and community! 🪅💙🌸

02/09/2026

🌼✨ MAY DUMP — A MONTH OF CREATIVITY, CULTURE & COMMUNITY! ✨🌼

May was filled with creativity, culture and community at John Smith House, with a range of exciting activities and projects bringing people together through music, dance and the arts. 💙🎨✨

🥁 Steel Pan Workshop

Our Steel Pan Workshop provided participants with the opportunity to explore the sounds and rhythms of steel pan music while developing new skills and having fun. It was fantastic to see everyone getting involved, discovering their creativity and enjoying the power of music to bring people together! 🎶🥁✨

🎭 Carnival Costume Mentor Programme

Our Carnival Costume Mentor Programme continued to inspire creativity and encourage participants to develop their skills through costume design and making. The programme offered a fantastic opportunity to learn, create and explore the vibrant traditions of Carnival. 🌈🎨✨

🎨 Carnival Arts Project

Our Carnival Arts Project was filled with colour, creativity and imagination! Participants had the opportunity to get involved in a range of creative activities, express themselves and contribute to the celebration of Carnival and our community. 🎭🖌️💙

💃🏽 Dance Sessions with Marsh Green Primary

We also enjoyed working with Marsh Green Primary through our dance sessions, giving pupils the opportunity to get active, have fun and express themselves through movement. It was wonderful to see their energy, enthusiasm and creativity shine throughout the sessions! 🌟💃🏽🎶

A huge thank you to everyone who took part, shared their creativity and helped make May such a memorable month. We’re proud to continue creating opportunities for people of all ages to learn new skills, express themselves and connect through creativity and culture. 💙👏🏽

Here’s to more creativity, culture and community! 🌸✨