Notting Hill Carnival Strategic Review - Intelligent Space

1.11 A third aspect of the Review Group’s work was the commissioning of independent research to
support the investigation process and secure additional expertise in addressing key elements of
the strategic review. Two significant and groundbreaking studies were commissioned in this
regard:
1.11.1 Carnival Public Safety Project: a two-year analysis of the Carnival route, crowd buildup,
movement and dispersal using computer modelling and established risk
assessment guidelines; and
1.11.2 Economic Impact Study: commissioned by the London Development Agency on behalf
of the Review Group, an analysis of the Carnival’s economic contribution to the local
and regional economy was carried out in 2002.
1.12 In addition to these two studies, a professional evaluation of the stewarding operation was
carried out in 2001.
Recommendation
Understanding Carnival and Why It Exists
1. We believe that a greater awareness of the Notting Hill Carnival’s history and how it came into
being is critical to transforming the way in which the event is portrayed and ultimately perceived
by the public. As the principal custodians of the event, those responsible for organising and
delivering the Carnival must play a more proactive role in co-ordinating and initiating the
collection, preservation and dissemination of information about the Carnival’s history,
contemporary significance and meaning. We recommend the adoption of a more strategic
approach to the development of a Carnival Archives and Heritage Collections programme.
Possible programme partners could include organisations and institutions such as the Archives,
Libraries and Museums (ALM), Museum of London, Victoria & Albert Museum, Kensington &
Chelsea Community History Group and the Horniman Museum.
Origins
1.13 Nowhere has the relationship between black cultural expression, social, economic, political and
institutional policing been more definitively illustrated than through the evolution of the Notting
Hill Carnival. Whilst only a brief overview and analysis of the origins of Carnival can be provided
in this report, its inclusion is of paramount importance for the consideration of issues and
concerns facing the festival today. A true appreciation of the significance, meaning and
complexities of the Notting Hill Carnival can never be attained unless one first acknowledges the
multi-dimensional nature of an event that has been shaped by its historical, political, cultural and
community origins. Consideration of these overlapping and sometimes competing frameworks
are central to our appreciation of what the Carnival stands for, its appeal to diverse audiences, its
relationship to statutory agencies (and in particular the police and local authorities) and its
undeniable uniqueness.
“It is often forgotten that carnival at Notting Hill and those mirrored in other parts of Britain, is based
on a historically and culturally-specific model, borne out of an unfortunate, yet relevant historical
context: i.e. European expansion, colonization and slavery in the Caribbean islands, especially Trinidad
and Tobago.” 22
22
Patricia Alleyne-Dettmers, “Carnival: The Historical Legacy”, p1, 1996
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