Key Sentence:
- With the world-famous festival suspended for the second year in a row.
- The Ode to Notting Hill Carnival celebrates the history of London’s most famous street festival.
Since the mid-1960s, the August weekend in England has meant one thing: Notting Hill Carnival. Led by the West Indian community members. This legendary party has grown over the years to become one of the world’s largest street festivals and an important date in the city’s cultural life.
In response to the disappointment that Carnival was canceled for the second year due to Covid. Blake curated the Ode for the Notting Hill Carnival in the White City of West London. Celebrating decades of famed street festivals, this photography exhibition brings together festive scenes from past Carnivals.
It showcases the work of aspiring London photographers such as Isaac J. Cambridge, Holly-Marie Cato, and Steffi Pocket, as well as famous Britons. Streetlife, as well as chroniclers Martin Parr and Matt. Stewart.
“That exhibition was an idea I originally came up with last year; it started to ease the pain of canceling the first Carnival,” Blake told us.
“Carnival is important because it protects London for what it is – a center that celebrates diversity, inclusion, and community. However, this London quality is also needed to its full potential as everyone takes to the streets of West London and meets for the best of food, sound, and costumes.
“Even though the carnival is canceled, a lot of outdoor events like that get the green light. Which is pretty hard to swallow,” Blake said. And while nothing can relieve what he calls his so-called “collective sadness” sophomore without his favorite street party. The Ode to Notting Hill Carnival beautifully captures some of the special moments of the past arnivals.
Based on a street festival atmosphere, the exhibition starting on August 29 will feature carnival sounds in the form live DJ sets throughout the day. Entry is free, also all proceeds from the sale of prints collected from the exhibition will be donated to the Grenfell Foundation.
Check out the gallery above from a preview of some of the works on display.
The Ode to Notting Hill Carnival will take place from August 29 to September 1, 2021, from 1 pm on the ground floor of White Town Hall. Entries are free, but please reply to rioblake@hotmail.com to attend the opening event.