Bex Shorunke

The costume makers: United Colours of Mas It’s hard to imagine that many of the spectacular costumes of Carnival start life on a light industrial estate in Leyton, but that’s where you’ll find the workshop of the United Colours of Mas. An Aladdin’s cave of colour and feathers and sparkle, since 2007 Ucom has created amazing outfits not only for Notting Hill Carnival but for many other parades around the world: it’s year-round mas production. ‘This year we’re incorporating Cirque du Soleil costumes and combining them with a Carnival style,’ says founder Paul O’Donoghue. ‘Expect big headpieces, lots of drama and lots of bling.’ He’s not exaggerating. As you walk through the doors of Ucom’s work unit, you feel like you’ve been transported to the frontline of Carnival. It shimmers with colour. Headpieces, leg- and armbands sparkle. There are feathers everywhere – dyed in myriad colourful hues, decorating the elaborate bodysuits and leg-pieces which line the walls. Others are being carefully secured to the framework of headpieces. Ucom produces 700 handcrafted costumes a year, and it has held the Notting Hill Carnival crown for best national costume band for the past decade. Pretty impressive, given that it’s very much a family operation run by around ten employees and volunteers. ‘Expect big headpieces, lots of drama and lots of bling’ ‘I’m currently working on a headpiece for a frontline costume,’ says production manager Tylon McKenzie-Cooper. ‘Each section has a frontline, wit

London’s last women’s prison, HMP Holloway, closed in 2016. Families must now travel much further to visit female prisoners, a very high proportion of whom are from underprivileged backgrounds.  Enter Clean Break, a theatre company giving a much-needed voice to women with experience of criminal justice and the prison system. From its Kentish Town studios, artistic professionals and members engage in performance and writing projects to boost confidence. Clean Break’s supportive community tackles the isolation the justice system can cause, with 70 percent of its members going on to further education, volunteering or employment. This spring, the organisation marks its fortieth anniversary with a special season of performances and collaborations. The main event is ‘Inside Bitch’, a Royal Court co-production playfully subverting TV portrayals of women in prison, performed by members. Go and see it – or donate or volunteer at Clean Break’s studios in Kentish Town. You’re sure to leave with a more rounded view of the city we live in. Now here are 28 more simple ways you can make London better.