Time to spice up Caribbean culture again says filmmaker

The 27-year-old filmmaker said, “I just remember how vibrant it was. It would attract people from all different walks of life; all these cultures would come together. There was one float in particular that seemed as big as an ocean liner. I’ll never forget it.”

Luton’s Carnival is a considerably smaller event nowadays, a shift discussed in Beyond the Rush, a documentary written and directed by Niyadre, which will screen at the opening night of the London Film Festival on 8th October 2025. To those who remember the Carnival’s glory days, its decline is emblematic of the diminished influence of the town’s Caribbean culture and community in general.

The documentary’s title is a reference to the Windrush generation, the influx of people, predominantly from the Caribbean, who migrated to the UK between 1948 and 1973 to help fill post-war labour shortages. Beyond the Rush notes that in the 1980s and 1990s Luton’s Caribbean community felt unified and highly visible. Its young people gathered in youth clubs and community centres and danced to high-profile sound systems at hotels, music venues and street parties.

The subsequent decline of the Carnival and the loss of many of the youth clubs, community centres and music venues that allowed the Caribbean community to congregate is not an issue that’s exclusive to Luton. The Bristol Carnival became a bi-annual event in 2023 due to issues with funding and Hackney announced it would not have a “full on-the-street carnival” this year.

A lack of funding and the closure of venues is only part of the problem. Niyadre said, “When you look at the whole of the UK it is very influenced by American culture. The sense of being Black and British has been obscured by that in a way.”

Beyond the Rush was made with backing from the BFI Doc Society, an organisation supported by funding made possible by National Lottery players. Niyadre said, “The BFI Doc Society funding was tremendously important – we couldn’t have made the film without them.”

The 16-minute film is Niyadre’s first documentary. He picked up a camera for the first time during the pandemic and cut his teeth making music videos for artists including Myles Smith, Rudimental and Jade Thirlwall. He decided to make a documentary because, “I think every filmmaker should give back to their community. I wanted to push the limit of what a documentary can be. I had to do it in my style.”

To capture the energy and vibrancy of Luton’s Carnival, sound systems and community centres, Niyadre decided to stage and film re-enactments using local people. Recalling the sound system shoot he said, “It was such fun. I had a megaphone and was doing everything I could to keep the energy up.”

What does he hope his film will achieve? He said, “All I can hope is that I’ll prick up a few ears.”

Ultimately, the film is also a reminder of the strength and resourcefulness of Luton’s Caribbean community. As one of the people interviewed in Beyond the Rush says, “We have got strength, we do unite. And when we come together we are strong.”

Another Luton resident puts it this way: “Backwards never, forwards forever”.

22nd September 2025