BU Research Blog

Dr Nigel Williams, Department of Leadership, Strategy & Organisation

Dr Nicole Ferdinand, Department of Events and Leisure and Dr Nigel Williams, Department of Leadership, Strategy and Oraganisation presented their research on the Notting Hill Carnival at the prestigious ACE sponsored 7th Biennial Steelpan Conference: Steelpan, Calypso and Mas. This year’s theme was Empowering the Youth to lead the UK transformation of Carnival Arts: Celebrating Windrush 70. Among the attendees were keynote presenter Dr John Cowley, one of the most well-known authorities on Caribbean Carnival traditions, Mr Matthew Phillip, Executive Director Notting Hill Carnival Ltd and His Excellency Orville London, High Commissioner for Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom.

Dr Nicole Ferdinand, Department of Events and Leisure, with fellow presenter Ray Mahabir, Director, Sunshine International Arts

Dr Ferdinand and Dr Williams presented a paper entitled Evolution of Notting Hill Carnival: from a Community Festival to a Global Phenomenon. It focused the role of politics and power in transforming the Notting Hill Carnival. Other papers presented in their session were:

• Insights into Artistic Design: Techniques for Street Carnivals – presented by Ray Mahabir
• Moko Jumbies: Dionysian Explosions as Tradition, Myth & Mayhem – presented by Ansel Wong
• Participation versus Performance: Who’s to Judge – presented by Katie Segal
• Talk and Drums: The Role of Orality in British Caribbean Carnival and Steelpan – presented by Tola Dabiri
• Know de Gayelle: Using the Art and Practice of Stick fighting to Realise Cultural Transformation in Youths – The Bois Academy – presented by Dr Susan Burke