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Young participants taking part in this year’s Leeds West Indian Carnival have collaborated with law enforcement to conceive costumes inspired by the police.
The annual event, which has been a fixture in Chapeltown and Harehills since 1967 originated as a means of alleviating homesickness experienced by Caribbean migrants.
This year, members of the Bridge Project have embarked on the creation of costumes for the forthcoming parade scheduled on August 28th. Their innovative approach involves reimagining police uniforms.
Comprising individuals aged between 12 and 18 hailing from East Leeds, this group has taken on the task of designing distinctive outfits influenced by West Yorkshire Police. Their intention is to delve into the multifaceted role that the police play within the community.
Chijioke Ojukwu, representing the Bridge Project based in Leeds, explained, “We have young people who in many ways are imagining what it means to be a police officer by designing a costume.
“Part of that has meant them thinking carefully about police powers what the police do on the streets and what the police should do by law,” Ojukwu elaborated.
Amelia, a 13-year-old member of the group, revealed her involvement in designing a new police hat. She expressed her goal of enhancing the existing design while seeking input on its aesthetics. “We took a current police hat and put a siren on top and also changed the colours,” Amelia detailed.
Echoing these sentiments, Kelly, an 18-year-old participant, voiced her dual passion for both the police force and the community. She shared her vision of the project, stating, “I really care about the police and the community and I’m really interested in costumes as well.
“I was thinking of sticking with black [for the uniform], but to also add some red, because the normal uniform has a bit of yellow and green as well.”
Police Constable Tim Rawson, who oversees Gipton and Harehills, expressed the significance of the costume project in terms of fostering understanding between the youth and law enforcement. He underscored that the initiative was geared toward “breaking down barriers” in order to attain a better grasp of the challenges faced by young individuals.
Rawson elaborated on his interactions with the group, discussing various facets of his uniform, including patterns, colours, and materials: “We’ve gone into the designs as well as some of the colours from police uniform blues and greens and blended that with some of the more traditional patterns,” he said, adding: “I’m looking forward to the outcome.”
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