A RAINBOW of colours will shimmer along Cowley Road when carnival fever hits the city.

Students at schools across Oxford have been busy crafting colourful costumes ready for Sunday’s Cowley Road Carnival.

The youngsters are set to flaunt their creative talents when they join the festival’s procession along the East Oxford street.

Community artist Su Frizzell said: “I think we have a very adult-orientated society and I think it’s important to do something that allows children to own the street. I just love the fact that for one day the street is closed to cars and kids dance down the bottom of the street.

Dancers, musicians, schoolchildren and community groups will walk or cycle with giant-sized props along Cowley Road during the carnival’s fossil-fuel procession.

About 700 people representing about 30 groups are expected to set off from The Plain at 1.30pm before finishing at St Mary and St John between 2.30pm and 2.45pm.

Students from Cherwell School will don costumes representing the colours seen on flags at the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender festival Pride, as well as a rainbow-coloured swan. Colours will represent life, healing, sunlight, nature, harmony and spirit. It comes after Sir Ian McKellen visited the school, inspiring pupils to celebrate diversity.

The students used recycled materials as well as Christmas decorations, beads, sequins, netting and crisp packets to fashion their carnival masterpieces.

Cherwell School student Jo Taylor-Woods said: “It’s been amazing because anybody could join in and it’s really brought us together as a school community.”

Student William Ross-Russell added: “It’s been really great to take part in a big project.”

Youngsters at Oxford Spires Academy have taken inspiration from this year’s carnival theme, Creating Our Future, to create their environmentally-friendly costumes, which are based on their school colours.

Ms Frizzell said she spent months collecting materials to use with youngsters, along with fellow artists Emily Cooling and Sean Hampson.

Ms Frizzell, 47, of Donnington, said residents need to support the Quid for Carnival campaign launched by event organisers Cowley Road Works. The group still needs to raise about £30,000 of their £120,000 target. She added: “I think every single person who goes to carnival needs to put their hand in their pocket and pull out a quid. It’s not much to ask.”