What Will Be Next For The St Paul’s Carnival?
The Bristol City Council have withdrawn its funding for the St Paul’s Carnival, putting the community of St Paul’s in doubt as to whether the carnival will take place in 2016. This is not the first time in recent years that we have seen the infamous carnival not happen due to funding cuts and management issues. In spite of the BCC doubts in the board to deliver a safe carnival, This situation reinforces my belief that its time the St Paul’s community takes more control of their legacy.
When you rely on funding you give away your independence and power. I understand you may need it but it would have been a good idea to create a system where the carnival creates year round jobs and a way to sustain itself so if the council or any other official government body decides to cut its ties with the St Paul’s Carnival team it would not put the whole event in jeopardy as it would have been self sufficient enough to continue on successfully without their support.
The carnival representatives believe that the carnival will still go ahead next year and rightly so.
Cleo Lake said “Personally I feel really disrespected after all the effort I’ve put in to try to make it happen off the back of a previous crisis. I’m from the community, I’m of Afro-Caribbean descent and I’m passionate about Bristol.
I want people to know that St Paul’s African and Caribbean Carnival will continue.” ITV News