St Pauls Carnival - History

History

The carnival started in 1967 as a multi-cultural event, St Pauls Festival, which was aimed at bringing together the European, African-Caribbean and Asian communities living in the area. The initial organisers were the St Pauls and Environs Consultative Committee and the West Indian Development Association, aided by the vicar of St Agnes Church and Carmen Beckford, Bristol's first community development worker.

Researcher Thomas Fielding said that the first event had an "extravagant multiculturalism which juxtaposed steel bands, Scottish dancers and a weight lifting competition."

Trinidadian Francis Salanday became organiser in 1975 and under his leadership, the festival incorporated more elements of traditional Caribbean carnival, such as the Mas parade and sound systems. In 1991 the event was renamed St Pauls Afrikan-Caribbean Carnival, but it retains "an inclusive ethos and still attracts a wide range of Bristolian celebrants."

The festival ran every year until 2002, when it was cancelled. Amirah Cole, of the organising committee said: "We've worked hard to get funding for carnival projects and events, but it has been much more difficult to get support for training and extra staff." "The fact the carnival happens each year is down to the hard work of a few association members who give their time freely throughout the year to plan and fund-raise" "Carnival has grown so much that this is no longer sustainable."

In 2006 the carnival was not held as the organising committee took a year out to re-structure and develop plans for a festival in 2007 which would be part of the commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807.

Carnival returned in 2007 improving its diversity and popularity, with a reported 70,000 people attending in 2008.