Arts & Culture
Oxford Brookes University announces sponsorship of Cowley Road Carnival 2017

Oxford Brookes University is sponsoring the Cowley Road Carnival again this year. This cements a long term partnership between Cowley Road Works, the charity behind the Carnival, and the University.

Johannah Aynsley, Executive Director of Cowley Road Works, the charity behind the organisation of the Cowley Road Carnival said: “Oxford Brookes University clearly cares about the community that we all live in and, with one third of Oxford’s population attending the event, it is really keen to be involved.

“This year’s Carnival theme is celebrating the great industries and technologies from the city and county - we are home to a truly impressive landscape of innovation and industry and this will be the inspiration behind this year’s Carnival and procession.

“Brookes University is one of the key organisations in the city working with young innovators and nurturing fresh new business minds. We are really pleased to announce that the University will be celebrating the theme in its own sponsored ‘zone’ at carnival on 2nd July and bringing some excellent examples of exciting technological creations from robots to racing cars - come down and see for yourself.”

Oxford Brookes University is home to humanoid robot Artie the Robothespian. Artie is useful for both teaching robotics and cutting-edge research in human-robot interaction.

Artie is a full-sized robot who is designed to entertain and educate the public. He has become something of a celebrity, making appearances on the BBC Breakfast show, BBC South Today, CNBC, and the BBC World TV programme. Artie can sing songs and enact extracts from famous movies, you can even write your own script for him to perform. Artie can also guess your age, gender and mood, and track hand and body movements. 

Pro Vice-Chancellor, Paul Inman said: “Cowley Road Carnival and the East Oxford community are so important to Oxford Brookes. The Carnival allows us to remain connected with local neighbours face-to-face and celebrate what our vibrant community has to offer.  

“This year’s theme – Industry and Technology – is one we can relate to. Strong links with business and industry are vital to our students’ success. These links refresh the currency of our teaching staff and ensure that leading experts continue to shape our highly vocational programmes.

“The Carnival has established itself as an important cultural event for the city and it is one that we are proud to support again in 2017.”

Around 50,000 people are expected to attend Carnival 2017 on 2 July. For more information and to sign up for the newsletter please go to the website www.cowleyroadcarnival.co.uk