St Pauls Carnival

Paul's Festival') was indulging in an extravagant multiculturalism that celebrated in the juxtaposition of Latvian singers and Scottish dancers, steel bands and weightlifting competitions.

[6] Salandy shifted the festival from multi-cultural celebrations of the various communities living in the St. Paul's neighbourhood to providing a platform for African and Caribbean artists.

[5] Salandy brought Trinidadian-style mas camp and procession to St. Paul's Festival but insisted on keeping up the tradition of booking steel bands.

[7] Under Salandy's leadership, St. Paul's Festival remained a community event while becoming a consciousness-raising platform, reflecting messages of social justice, Black identity and liberation.

Amirah Cole of the organising committee said: "We've worked hard to get funding for carnival projects and events, but it has been much more difficult to get support for training and extra staff.

"[9] In 2006 the carnival was not held as the organising committee took a year out to re-structure and develop plans for a festival in 2007 that would be part of the commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807.