10 Questions: LaToyah McAllister-Jones – ‘Resistance, resilience and Black joy are central themes for me’

LaToyah McAllister-Jones is the executive director of St Paul’s Carnival, a role she has held since 2019.

From April, she will also be the deputy chair of the Bristol Old Vic.

LaToyah was previously head of operations at Ujima Radio and before that spent many years working in the homelessness sector.

Earlier this year, St Paul’s Carnival organisers announced the event will be ‘scaled-down’ this July. At full-scale, Carnival is estimated to generate £9.2m for Bristol’s economy.

2023 saw Carnival return to the streets of St Paul’s for the first time since the pandemic – photo: Bhagesh Sachania

LaToyah answered questions from Bristol24/7 readers in the latest edition of our bi-monthly magazine:

1. How would you describe St Paul’s Carnival to someone who has never been before? (question by Molly Smith)

“Great question! St Paul’s Carnival is the ultimate community event at scale. It celebrates the diversity of African Caribbean culture and heritage, with a Jamaican twist. The migration story in Bristol is a significantly Jamaican one and St Paul’s Carnival reflects that story.

“You will see sound system culture, have a wide choice of Caribbean food to sample and enjoy homegrown talent across three stages. It also finishes later than any carnival in the UK!”

2. What is the most challenging part of your job? (Martin Andrews)

“One of the most challenging parts of my job is balancing the passion out there for carnival with the reality of Carnival having to think of itself as a business. We are an arts and heritage organisation, not an events organisation. Yet, for a part of the year, we are focussed on putting on a huge event.

“We are funded to platform African Caribbean arts and culture, and we can do this in many ways. If the basic mathematics of Carnival doesn’t work, we have to think outside the box. As a recipient of public money, we have to think about how we best deliver what we are funded to do in a cost effective and responsible way. This is not always understood and is a challenge, as everyone wants to see Carnival on our streets in its full glory.”

3. There have been reports of violence around St Paul’s Carnival in the past. How do you ensure people’s safety at the event? (Richard Barton)

The safety of our audience and community is a top priority for us and we think about how we do this at every stage of planning, including programming, site design and staffing.

“We are really proud of our safety record at St Paul’s Carnival. 2023 was one of the safest events on record. There were no major incidents reported and only five arrests.

“For a ten-hour free event, with 120,000 people on the streets, this is phenomenal. Keeping people safe starts prior to the event with clear messages about safety in all our communications.

“We use local radio, local press and strategic messaging around the site to encourage people to show respect to the community and each other. We also engage the audience on the day, working with our artists and hosts to create fun but consistent messages on the stages and from the sound systems so that everyone plays a role in communicating those messages around safety.

“In addition, we work closely with the Bristol City Council and Avon & Somerset police to create a plan for safety that doesn’t feel heavy-handed or intrusive.”

LaToyah says Carnival is “not just a street party” – photo: Bhagesh Sachania

4. Will there be any surprises at St Paul’s Carnival this year? (Sam Sandwell)

“Most definitely! We are delivering a smaller scale event this year which will focus on community talent and activism in the city. We work closely with community artists and creatives to help shape the programme so the organisation has a few treats up its sleeve, but we’re still in the planning stages. Watch this space!”

5. How early do you start planning for Carnival each year? (Matt Burrows)

“When Carnival is over in July, the team have some well-deserved time off over the summer. We come back refreshed in September and start planning in October, developing budgets and framework plans. Those plans usually go to Bristol City Council in early January for sign-off and to start the formal process.

“From January onwards, the build-up to Carnival starts. This typically includes a call out for artists, traders and volunteers. Our school’s programme starts around March so the children are ready to share their costumes, dance and drumming on Carnival day in July. There are so many moving parts to producing an event like St Paul’s Carnival. Meticulous planning is critical.”

6. How important is Trinidadian Mas to Carnival? (Lisa Parker)

“This is an interesting one. I think for any Caribbean carnival, Trinidadian Mas is foundational. I am fascinated by the evolution of carnival in different places. We hosted a discussion on this in 2021 with representatives from St Lucia, Trinidad, London and Bristol. Each of these carnivals look and feel different but there is a golden thread that runs through them: reclaiming the streets, the parade and a sense of celebration.

“St Paul’s Carnival has evolved with the story of the people who migrated here from the Caribbean: there is a huge Jamaican community here and Carnival reflects that story.

“Sound system culture plays a significant part of the St Paul’s Carnival, but so does the parade which is a central part of the traditional Caribbean carnival.

“For me, soca, calypso and J’ouvert are what Carnival is all about and it’s been fun to work with artists over the years to bring some of those elements into the event. Heritage events like Carnival will continue to reflect the perspectives of different generations but it is vital to hold on to that legacy of the original meaning of carnival.

It is not just a street party and I think sometimes people forget the deeper meaning of carnival. Those elements of resistance, resilience and Black joy can be seen in the traditional Mas and these things remain a central theme for me when thinking about what Carnival is.”

LaToyah says “resistance, resilience and Black joy remain central for me when thinking about what Carnival is” – photo: Vasantrai Photography

7. How will Paul Stephenson be remembered at Carnival this year? (Anna Brown)

“Our Elders and their legacy are a huge part of what Carnival is all about. In 2023, we remembered one of our founders, Mr Roy Hackett MBE – who passed in August 2022 – at our main stage area. We also paid respect to the activism of our Elders by launching the Radical Roots stage, where Paul’s work was one of the highlights of the day.

“We will consult with his family as well as community artists to ensure Paul’s legacy is part of our celebrations this year, honouring a life well-lived and his inspirational contributions to the city and UK.”

8. What is your favourite part of Carnival each year? (Hannah Evans)

“As a Carnival goer, it’s always about following the floats and liming!

“Too many to mention! But the two things that always stick out in my mind are coming on site at 8am when the traders are setting up; it’s Carnival Day and I can’t quite believe we’ve made it! The pressure in the run up to Carnival is immense and it is quite something to see all that planning start to come together on Carnival morning.

“My other favourite moment is probably between 6-7pm when the event starts to head into the evening. When you walk around, the streets are packed and everyone is well and truly into the carnival spirit. In 2023 the feeling on the streets was incredible, so many happy faces, such a vibe. It’s what makes Carnival incredibly special. Anyone can come and be a part of that. There’s nothing like it.”

9. How does the Black Caribbean community in Bristol, who experience high disadvantages, benefit from the £9.2m Carnival brings in each year? (Amanda Chappell)

“Firstly, I’d like to address the stereotype of the ‘Black disadvantaged community’ trope. While we have to acknowledge the systemic inequalities that exist, it is equally important to celebrate the talent, drive and success of African Caribbean people. That celebration of who we are is what Carnival is about.

“That being said, we know the social and economic impact of St Paul’s Carnival is a positive for the city and the wider region. Events like Carnival attract people to the city to make it their home. When Bristol is on a platform, Carnival and balloons are usually not far away!

“We worked with UWE Business School to refresh our economic impact report in 2023; this is how we know the event generates an average of £9.2m over Carnival weekend.

“Of that £9.2m, approximately half of that is spent in St Paul’s, in the local businesses, the gardens selling food and drinks and the traders. So, we know the local community benefits directly from Carnival happening on the streets of St Paul’s.

“The other half is spent in clubs, restaurants and hotels. Unfortunately, very little of that generated income comes back to Carnival. This is something we are working to address.”

10. Is this future of St Paul’s Carnival secure? (Karl Wright)

“I wish I could give you an unequivocal ‘yes’ to this question but unfortunately, I can’t. Post-Covid and the cost-of-living crisis has taken its toll on arts and cultural organisations. The Association of Independent Festivals published that in 2024, 72 festivals or events either cancelled, postponed or completely folded. This is double that of 2023.

“The economic landscape is hard and, as a large-scale free community event, we are exploring business models that allow us to thrive in an environment where everyone has less, but everything costs more.

“St Paul’s Carnival is an iconic event that in many ways defines Bristol and its history. We want everyone  citizens, communities, businesses and institutions – to play a role in securing the legacy of this event.

“Whether you volunteer, sponsor or donate, every little counts. If every one of the 120,000 people who came to our 2023 event had donated as little as £2 each, this would be a different conversation. The event benefits so many in the city, socially and economically. So we, as a city, need to work together to protect one of our most important cultural assets.”

This article is taken from the March/April 2025 Bristol24/7 magazine

Main photo: Jon Craig

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