Notting Hill Carnival Strategic Review - Intelligent Space

• traces the cultural and historical roots of the Notting Hill Carnival, it’s multicultural and multidimensional
nature, as well as the strong political and community focus that shaped its
formative years;
• offers a brief description of the Notting Hill Carnival as it is today, highlighting the particular
changes that have taken place since 2000; and
• identifies the main ‘interest groups’ within the Notting Hill Carnival – the ‘stakeholders’. The
chapter also examines the relationships amongst these stakeholders and summarises their key
issues and concerns.
Part II: Public Safety, Responsibility and Accountability
As one of the largest urban festivals in the world, attracting vast numbers of visitors onto the streets of
central London, the Notting Hill Carnival poses extraordinary public safety challenges. This section:
• raises questions about who is (or should be) held accountable for ensuring that public safety
planning for the Carnival is effectively co-ordinated;
• examines the roles and responsibilities of the various organisations and statutory agencies
involved in planning and delivering the Carnival;
• assesses the impact of the Carnival Review Group’s interim report and recommendations on
event planning for the Carnival; and
• provides an overview of the Carnival Public Safety Project, its assessment of the routes used in
2001 and 2002, and its conclusions in relation to the public safety risks presented by such
routes.
Part III: Carnival Management and Leadership
The folklore of the Notting Hill Carnival suggests that it ‘just happens’ and that it is an ‘unplanned’
event. This is not however, entirely correct. The series of activities and tasks undertaken in the lead up
to the August Bank Holiday weekend are the result of months of detailed planning and organising by
the Carnival performers and organisers. A community-based management committee of one kind or
another has, from the very outset, always overseen the Notting Hill Carnival. Over the years, these
committees have been responsible for the planning and co-ordination of the event, undergoing as
many transformations as the Carnival itself. This section:
• charts the recent management history of the Notting Hill Carnival, from the mid-1980s to the
present day. It explains the various changes in leadership that have taken place, providing the
background and context to establishment of the present management, London Notting Hill
Carnival Ltd (LNHCL);
• revisits the conclusions and recommendations of two major reports into the administration of
the Carnival, the Coopers & Lybrand Report in 1988 and the end-of-funding review conducted
by the Arts Council in 2001;
• discusses the limitations of the community-based management, leadership and structure of
successive Carnival organisations; and
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