High Esteem

eld such position in several manufacturing companies. In parallel with his full time job Hughbon designed and made carnival costumes as his hobby and gained a reputation for making costumes involving mechanical and engineering features to create movement and transformation. Hughbon Condor is an internationally respected carnival costume designer with over 40 years’ experience of designing and making Carnival costumes. He's been closely associated with Leeds West Indian Carnival for many years, making over half of all the winning queen costumes in Leeds in a 30 year period. His passion extends to sharing his skills and knowledge by running carnival workshops for groups and carnivals up and down the country. In 2005 he was one of three artists from the UK who gained an Arts Fellowship in Trinidad. He has visited and taken part in several Carnival events internationally, spanning the Caribbean, Asia and Africa. These include, Trinidad, St Thomas, Barbados, Singapore-Chingay Parade, Hong Kong- Chinese New Year Parade and Kalaba Carnival in Nigeria.
2011- He was the lead designer in the production of ‘Dancing in the Street’ cumulating in a 6 months display of his carnival costumes in the Leeds City Museum.
2011/2012- Worked as a Arts Council England Assessor, specialising in Carnival as Combined Arts, assessing carnival bands nationally.
2014- Hughbon designed and made the King and Queen Costumes for the Leeds ‘Pop Up Carnival’ Introducing carnival to a new audience. The Pop Up Carnival took part in ‘Le Grand Depart’ as part of Tour de France, one of the world’s biggest annual sporting events hosted in Leeds, in addition to making stops at Scarborough and various locations in Leeds City Centre.
2014-Hughbon started working in carnival arts part time after leaving full time employment.
2015- Lead designer for Elevate- part of Walk the Plank production for Manchester Day Parade. Artist in Residency and Carnival mentor at the UKCCA.
2016-Hughbon set up the High Esteem Carnival Design Company with his son Sephbon. Artist in Residency and Carnival mentor at the UKCCA. Carnival costume consultant for Leeds West Indian Carnival.