Notting Hill Carnival, why do Black events get less support than Asian festivals?

Notting Hill Carnival, why do Black events get less support than Asian festivals?

Why Is the UK Still Undervaluing Black Culture?”

Asks Leading UK Marketing Agency Founder!

Javed Hussain, founder of Media Reach—the UK’s longest-standing multicultural media and marketing agency—has publicly questioned the systemic inequalities in cultural funding in Britain, particularly highlighting the continued underfunding of Black-led events such as the Notting Hill Carnival.

The Carnival, one of the largest street festivals in the world and a cornerstone of British-Caribbean identity, will go ahead this year thanks to an emergency £1 million funding package announced last month. The rescue funding came not from central government or Arts Council England, but from City Hall, Kensington & Chelsea Council, and Westminster Council, who stepped in to save the event after the Government declined to offer any financial support.

“Let’s be honest: if Notting Hill Carnival were led by any other community, would it still be scraping for survival every year?” asks Hussain. “There’s a troubling trend where Black-led cultural institutions are consistently given less support—if any—while other cultural festivals receive long-term, strategic investment.”

Hussain compares this to the support received by non-Black events:

In 2017, Croydon Mela, a British-Asian cultural event, was awarded £240,000 by Arts Council England.

Between 2012 and 2020, The London Mela received just under £500,000 in public funding.

Worcester Mela was part of a consortium that secured £800,000 from the Arts Council.

Meanwhile, Notting Hill Carnival, which attracts nearly 2 million visitors annually, brings in tens of millions of pounds to London’s economy, and is globally recognised as a symbol of British diversity, continues to receive no consistent or long-term government or arts funding.

“Why is the bar so much higher for funding when it comes to Black cultural events?” Hussain asks. “We celebrate diversity in speeches, but when it comes to equity in arts funding, the numbers don’t lie. Is Black culture seen as less valuable—or less deserving—by the very institutions meant to support it?”

He added that relying on emergency lifelines each year is unsustainable and insulting, especially for an event as iconic and culturally vital as Notting Hill Carnival.

“This isn’t just about money. It’s about respect. It's about visibility. And it's about whether Black British communities are seen as equal participants in shaping the cultural story of this country.”

As the founder of Media Reach — a pioneering agency that has served Black, Asian, and East European audiences for over 30 years—Hussain is now calling for a transparent review into how public cultural funding is awarded. He believes urgent answers are needed to a pressing question:

“Do Black organisations and events systematically receive less funding from government, regional bodies, and the arts establishment? And if so, why?”

About Media Reach

Established over 30 years ago, Media Reach is the UK’s leading multicultural media and marketing agency. It has delivered successful campaigns for both public and private sector clients, engaging authentically with diverse communities across the UK. Under the leadership of Javed Hussain, the agency has championed representation, equity, and meaningful investment in Britain’s multicultural landscape.