Culture And Memory

The Mahogany Collection: A Carnival Legacy

Mahogany Community Ventures, based in Harlesden, Brent, is a leading exponent of carnival costume designs and their performances in the UK, based on the tradition of Trinidad carnival dating back to the 18th century. It has featured in major events such as the London 2012 Opening Ceremony, 2022 Queen’s Jubilee Parade, and the annual Notting Hill Carnival, which will be celebrating its 60th year in 2026. In partnership with Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage, based in Leicester, Mahogany will preserve and share the heritage of its large collection of carnival costumes and their performances, created over the last four decades. It will create a comprehensive record of the collection in digital form and showcase a selection in a physical gallery exhibition, an online digital exhibition, a publication, and through delivering a series of engagement workshops. The digitised works will be deposited within the Serendipity Living Archive for posterity.