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An exhibition is celebrating 50 years of Preston Caribbean Carnival.
Sunshine, Soca and Spice is on at Lancashire Archives in Bow Lane in the city centre. The exhibition is free to attend and open weekdays from 9.30am to 5pm until 30 May 2025.
I was lucky enough to be given a guided tour by Black history expert and exhibition curator, Stephen Poleon – but I would recommend everyone visits, even without the VIP treatment!
Stephen is passionate about capturing and sharing the history of Preston’s Caribbean community, and the huge contribution it has made to the cultural landscape of the city.
On entering the exhibition space, my eye was immediately drawn to the central area, where several costumes are on display, loaned from Carnival. The array of vibrant colours, fabrics and embellishments is wonderful to see up close.
As we arrived at the first information board, Stephen explained how the journey around the exhibition reflects the Carnival procession.
Divided into four sections, the exhibition covers key moments since the mid 20th century, but the story begins long before then, in the islands of the Caribbean.
On emancipation from enslavement, people fused African heritage traditions with religious festivals brought by European settlers and the traditions of those native to the islands. This fusion is what gave Caribbean Carnival a unique identity.
Early arrivals in Preston from the Caribbean, know as West Indians, were ex-service people who aided the UK in World War II. One such person was RAF veteran, Charles Edward Knuckle, who arrived in Preston in 1947.
Other people featured in the exhibition include Woodley Wiltshire, who was the victim of a racist attack on his home, and Sonia Sampson, who founded the Jalgos troupe at Carnival.
There were limited places for West Indians like Charles, Woodley and Sonia to gather. Blues parties or cricket and football on Avenham Park were important places to socialise. The exhibition explains how these occasions became the birthplace for the Caribbean Carnival in Preston.
A deep dive into the evolution of Carnival costume making over the 50 years follows. The process is a family affair, and everyone has a role to play whether it’s cutting, sewing, ironing, gluing, designing, consulting, supervising or simply supporting.
Read more: Preston Caribbean Carnival artist talks costumes and community
On to Carnival day, which in the 2024 golden anniversary edition saw an estimated 25,000 people lining the streets to witness the parade of incredible costumes and headdresses.
The experience was somewhat different back in the early years, when the procession started with the rhythmic melody of pots and pans being banged by the ‘pick-up posse’, and some of the costumes constituted blankets wrapped around band members.
An exhibition on the Caribbean community wouldn’t be complete without sections on food and music, and there’s the chance to learn more about the culinary traditions and sounds that give so much cultural flavour.
The exhibition closes with a celebration of the legacy of the Windrush generation, and an acknowledgement that prejudice and discrimination have been central themes in their journey.
A poignant line towards the end of the exhibition states: “In bringing Carnival to the people of Preston, the founders of the celebration stood in defiance against the colour bar that infiltrated their community.”
Before leaving, visitors have the opportunity to share their own memories, to help preserve the history of the Carnival.
The exhibition runs until May 2025, and I would highly recommend visiting over the next few months. Lancashire Archives will continue to share stories from the Caribbean community, and an events programme will also run alongside the exhibition.
For more information, visit the Lancashire County Council website or follow Lancashire Archives on Facebook.
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This story was made possible by you, our readers, and a host of organisations in the city, through our Crowdfund Lancashire appeal, which unlocked support from the Lancashire Culture and Sport Fund provided by Lancashire County Council. You can see all our coverage and, if you know of an arts project or event in the city we should be covering, you can submit it for our event listings and/or send details to [email protected] for us to cover it as a story on the Blog.
