People across Leicester are being invited to share their memories of the city’s Caribbean Carnival for a new pop-up exhibition at Highcross this July.
The exhibition will open on 14 July and will celebrate more than four decades of Leicester Caribbean Carnival through archive photography, costumes, memorabilia and personal stories from the community.
Highcross is working with the organisers of Leicester’s official Caribbean Carnival on the display, which will be based outdoors in East Square. Members of the public are being encouraged to contribute photographs, videos or written memories from past carnivals, with selected submissions forming part of a special community section of the exhibition.
The display will run from 14 to 31 July during normal centre opening hours.
The exhibition forms part of a wider programme of Carnival-themed events taking place in Leicester city centre ahead of the main Caribbean Carnival celebrations on 1 August.
Activities include Soca Fit Sessions from 8 to 15 July, costume workshops on 18 and 25 July, and Sound System Nights on 18 and 25 July, featuring Passion and Viking Sound at Grammar School Court.
Michelle Menezes, Centre Director at Highcross Leicester, said Leicester Caribbean Carnival is “an iconic part of our city’s identity” and said the programme was designed to help people engage with the event’s history, creativity and cultural importance.
She said: “This Carnival Summer line-up brings together a fantastic mix of activities that will give people the chance to learn about the history of Carnival, create a costume, enjoy the music and celebrate the atmosphere ahead of the main event.”
Tara Munroe, Creative Director of Opal22 Arts & Edutainment, said the exhibition would help bring the story of Carnival to new audiences.
She said: “Leicester Carnival has been at the heart of our city’s cultural life for decades, bringing people together through music, creativity, colour and community spirit.
“For us, Carnival is about more than a single day of celebration. It is about heritage, identity, creativity and the generations of people who have helped shape Leicester into the diverse city it is today.”
She added that bringing Carnival into the city centre would help celebrate the people, talent and traditions behind one of Leicester’s most important cultural events.
