RUTHVEN ROBERTS
1957 -
Ruthven Roberts owes his creative ability to his mum. Growing up in Vessigny, a small village in Southwest Trinidad, he was intrigued by her ability to create delicate motifs, intricate mouldings and a masterful use of combining pastel shades in the wedding dresses and cakes she designed and created.
Later he gained additional skills in drama, dance and singing performances during primary education and in community settings. This gave him a sound foundation and introduction into carnival. From the age of seven, watching the fantastic costume creations at Queen’s Park Savannah, the home of Trinidad’s carnival, and later ‘playing mas’, it gave him a crucial understanding of the arts behind masquerading.
His first costume creation was with St Clements community, West London in 1995. Following on from that he founded Lighthouse Players in 1997, a community arts group set up at London Lighthouse, a centre for the treatment of HIV and AIDS. He has produced a diverse range of designs between 1997 and 2021 for the Notting Hill- and other UK Carnivals. During 2008-2011 he was the Artistic Director for Notting Hill Mas Band Association, now Carnival Arts Masquerade Foundation,
producing Splash. This was a carnival costume showcase for youths and adults at Alexandra Palace, which took place the weekend before Notting Hill Carnival.
He has more recently collaborated with Flamboyan and Jamboulay Carnival Mas Bands.