Inflation weighs on return of London's Notting hill carnival

Record ID: 1686375

  • Title: Inflation weighs on return of London's Notting hill carnival
  • Date: 26th August 2022
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 26, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MAKING COSTUMES MASKS MASKS, WOMAN MAKING COSTUME SEQUINS BEING STUCK DOWN VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MAKING COSTUMES ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT SUNSHINE INTERNATIONAL ARTS (SIA), RAY MAHABIR, LOOKING AT PATTERNS MAHABIR/MASK (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT SUNSHINE INTERNATIONAL ARTS (SIA), RAY MAHABIR, SAYING: "There's a bittersweet kind of going back out, not knowing what we're going to meet is one of the main concerns for us." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT SUNSHINE INTERNATIONAL ARTS (SIA), RAY MAHABIR, SAYING: "The economical situation. Now, everyone doesn't have money or don't want to spend money because they're not sure what they're going to meet. So there is a lot of issues around this year’s what we call going on the road, you know?" HAT BEING EMBELLISHED COSTUMES (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT SUNSHINE INTERNATIONAL ARTS (SIA), RAY MAHABIR, SAYING: "This year, the prices of everything have doubled. I mean, like in the pandemic I had commissions - we do commission work - and you couldn't believe the cost of everything. Now, something like this, a full set like this would cost you almost £1,000." (SOUNDBITE) (English) COSTUME MANGER AT SUNSHINE INTERNATIONAL ARTS (SIA), NATALIE RUSSELL, SAYING: "Like, you know, a single peacock feather has tripled in price, if not more than this. Over a pound for a peacock single peacock feather. Which is insane considering how many and how much we use.” VARIOUS OF ACCESSORIES BEING STUCK DOWN HATS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT SUNSHINE INTERNATIONAL ARTS (SIA), RAY MAHABIR, SAYING: "The history of carnival is, carnival was for - talking about Trinidad now - the carnival was for the rich. And the poor could not be involved because the slave masters and the plantation owners who used to have things. So the slave had whatever they had. And we're getting back there, I mean, a costume now is like between seven (hundred) and £1,000." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MAKING COSTUMES (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT SUNSHINE INTERNATIONAL ARTS (SIA), RAY MAHABIR, SAYING: "I have a group of people that have been with me, some of them have been with me for the last 25 years from different groups I was working with, and so on. And I suppose that's one of the main reasons I still do Notting Hill because of the feeling for carnival, their contribution to the art form and culture. It's important." (SOUNDBITE) (English) COSTUME MANGER AT SUNSHINE INTERNATIONAL ARTS (SIA), NATALIE RUSSELL, SAYING: "So excited. I'm so excited. I'm so excited just to be able to, like, jump around and like, yeah, have fun, you know?" VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MAKING COSTUMES
  • Embargoed: 9th September 2022 16:20
  • Keywords: Notting Hill carnival costumes inflation
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: UK
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
  • Reuters ID: LVA001083526082022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Nestled in a railway arch in Brixton, south London, a large studio hosts a troop of flamboyant feathers and a colourful array of elaborate costumes for one purpose: to bring to life a Mas Band parade at London's Notting Hill Carnival this year.
    Billed as Europe's biggest street party, carnival returns over Britain's August Bank Holiday weekend after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
    This year, the challenges facing organisers and participants are not nationwide lockdowns but the rising cost of goods and soaring prices amid inflationary pressures blighting the country.
    Mas Bands provide the costumes for the Notting Hill Carnival, where members of the public can buy a costume and join a band on the parade route at carnival.
    Mas originates from the word ‘masquerade,’ which has its roots with the emancipation of enslaved people in the Caribbean during the nineteenth century.
    Prior to their emancipation, enslaved people would ridicule and mimic the elaborate gowns worn by their masters' at celebration balls, incorporating elements of their African traditions including costumes made of natural materials.
    Once enslaved people were freed they continued these traditions - with the Caribbean carnival evolving as a fusion and mixture of African and European culture.
    (Production: Natalie Thomas)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register