This is one of many films made by amateur filmmaker Ken Leckenby. Ken was a member of the Mercury Movie Makers Cine Club of Leeds. MMM made films as a collective, but Ken also made many films of his own, including a series of films he titled ‘Out and About’, which all had the form of bringing together film and information of local places and events. Each event would have a subtitle and Ken would often supply an informative commentary to go with the film. Ken would go out most weekends filming for these, and this continued from the 1960s almost up to Ken’s passing in 1999. 

This kind of documentary filmmaking was not uncommon at the time. Another example are the films of another ‘Ken’, Ken Snowden, who made similar short newsreel type features on local events in the Pickering area over roughly the same period. These documentary type films provide a fascinating and important record of local subjects and events. 

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this film is the Caribbean Carnival. Although many filmmakers filmed local Lord Mayor's Parades and other carnivals, the YFA has a great number of them, there are precious few focusing on Afro-Caribbean or Asian celebrations. The colourful nature of the Caribbean Carnival, and the joyful music of the steel band, must have made a refreshing change to the usual fare; as can be seen from the expressions of some of those present. 

The Leeds West Indian Carnival was the first one of its kind – organised by a black British committee – to be held in Britain, in 1967, even before London's Notting Hill Carnival. It owes its origins to Arthur France who arrived in Leeds from the Caribbean island of Nevis in 1957.   In the face of the prejudice that was common against people arriving in Britain from the West Indies, Arthur helped to set up the United Caribbean Association in 1964, along with Cedric Clarke, the first black Labour Councillor in Leeds, and George Archibald – 27 people crowding into his bedsit! This campaigned for equal rights and an end to discrimination.  

Looking beyond this, for “ . . something to bind us together as people of the Caribbean”, Arthur was instrumental, with others such as Ian Charles, Calvin Beech and Gertrude Paul, in founding the Leeds Carnival, based on his recollections of carnivals back home in Trinidad and St Kitts-Nevis. Geraldine Connor and Max Farrar in their paper provide a fuller background to the carnival, and a comprehensive bibliography. They state that: ‘The origin of the Leeds Carnival lies in a fête organised in 1966 at Kitson College (now Leeds College of Technology) by two students, Frankie Davis (from Trinidad) and Tony Lewis (from Jamaica)’, at which Jimmy James and the Vagabonds played (see References). 

The Leeds Carnival featured the Gay Carnival Steel Band, which Arthur France also founded, as well as the traditional Snow, or Carnival, Queen.  Other bands may also be present (again see Connor and Farrar). Arthur France himself can be seen near the beginning with a red headband and white top. It ought to be remembered that racism was common in Leeds at the time among some sections of the population and that the National Front was highly active (they marched in Leeds a few years later). Yet there is little sign of this in the film, and Ken Leckenby deserves commendation for promoting this event.

Carnivals have a fascinating history, with roots probably in early pagan festivals. The earliest recorded carnival is from 15th Century Italy, to celebrate the last day before Lent (Shrove Tuesday or Mardis Gras). The word Carnival derives from 'carne' (meaning meat) and 'vale' (meaning farewell).

When French settlers introduced carnivals to Trinidad they were taken up by the colonial rulers.  But after emancipation in 1830 they were adopted by the newly freed slaves to celebrate their liberation. The distinctive sound and rhythm of samba, calypso and steel pan, that define Caribbean carnival, originate from Africa (perhaps given its definitive sound by the great Sonny Rollins’ ‘Don’t stop the carnival’).  However, the flamboyant mas parades with their extravagant costumes were adapted from the European tradition of carnival.

From these beginnings Arthur France continued to be highly involved in Afro-Caribbean affairs. In support of the Black Power movement, Arthur was involved in much campaigning and in 1982 was a founder member of the steering committee which set up the West Indian Centre. In 1985 he received the Hansib Award for his work within the black communities in Leeds; in 1995 he received the Voice Newspaper Community Honour and the CRE Race in the Media Award; and in 1997 he was awarded the MBE.

The Carnival itself has gone from strength to strength, retaining a strong West Indian flavour. The mas bands (the masquerade bands that make up the colourful procession), the West Indian costumes, the Soca Sounds and the steel pan musicians, are all very prominent. The Carnival did experience a bad year in 1990 when three people were killed, but in the main there has been little trouble. After 1983 the procession avoided the city centre, travelling around the Harehills and Chapeltown areas, but returned to the city centre after 2002, when the Leeds West Indian Carnival Committee was given the Civic Trust 'Ambassador for the Community Award'. It now gets covered by BBC 1xtra, and the BBC also has a short video clip on the carnival, featuring an interview with Arthur France, some early black and white footage of the Carnival and showing some recent spectacular costumes.

References