Produced by Huw Alden Davies; designed by award winning artist/curator Abby Poulson, Carnifal begins through the words of Dr. Paul Cabuts, renowned for his contribution to the Valleys Project, who sets the tone as we embark on a journey through a visual history of the Tumble carnival. Featuring the work of ten photographers, including Huw Alden Davies, Peter Finnemore, Mohamed Hassan, Dan Staveley, Abby Poulson, Jason Thomas, Jaz Guise, Sal Nordan, Dorian Caba and Gwyn Edwards; containing images from a number of personal archives, Carnifal is a document which celebrates community and collaboration in a time of division and political polarisation. Challenging our notions of identity, culture, and social condition, this is a reminder of what we can achieve together. It is also a reminder of what photography can be, and how it can be used as a creative medium, and more importantly, a voice.
 
The carnival, a social celebration that had been part of our culture for over sixty years in the Gwendraeth Valley, was once the highlight of the summer, bringing together every corner of every community, year after year. However, by the 1990s, interest had started to dwindle, and in the summer of 1998, Tumble – a village at the heart of the Valley – saw its last parade. That is until 2017, when after a hiatus of almost twenty years, the carnival was once again welcomed back onto our streets.  
 
Having documented life in Tumble for over a decade, it had been my intention for a number of years to collect an archive of images documenting its festivals, fairs and jamborees. When I heard there was going to be another carnival however, I recognised an opportunity to celebrate our community in a way it had never before been seen. 
 
On the verge of Britain’s exit from the European Union, in a time where neoliberalism pervades our lives and our communities, I invited some of the Valley’s most recognised photographers to join me in creating something that captured our community's character, and its solidarity. Carnifal is the result: a record which truly speaks of a small Welsh community spirit, and what can be achieved when people come together. 
 
Huw Alden Davies