Islington Black History Month 2013

Black History Month is about celebrating and raising awareness of black cultural heritage and experiences. This October, Islington will play host to a variety of free and low-cost events across Islington community venues, based on this year’s theme: Leadership. Don’t miss out on our selection of independent films, and youth and community workshops aimed at exploring Black experience and heritage. There will also be an intergenerational oral history exhibition of primary school childrens creative written and art pieces in response to African and Caribbean oral histories. The month of films, workshops and extravaganza will come to a close with a conference on the future of diversity in the teaching and celebration of history.


Events:


Film Festival

A chance to view thought-provoking cinema on past and contemporary black experience, in Britain and around the world. From memories of African American communities in the segregated South (Once Upon a Time When We Were Coloured, to hard-hitting dramas on race relations and institutionalised racism in 1970s Britain (Sus, Pressure) to contemporary black British culture and enterprise (Fade – It is more than just a haircut). Guerilla Grannies celebrates the revolutionary spirit of woman freedom fighters of Mozambique and their campaign against Portuguese colonialism with a film screening accompanied by an extravaganza of African food and musical performances. Finally, we take a look at the life and struggles of inspirational black figures like Audre Lourde and, of course, Nelson Mandela (Audre Lourde: The Berlin Years 1984-1992, The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela.)


Youth and Community Workshops

15 – 21 years of age? Lift Islington, Islington’s state-of-the-art youth venue, will be hosting a number of exciting free workshops, looking at contemporary culture - popular music, computer games, music videos and movies - from a black history perspective; offering young people the chance to work with an experienced rapper to compose their own lyrics about what Black history means to them; as well as an inspirational workshop connecting young black men with successful black role models.


Intergenerational Oral History Exhibition

This exhibition is the result of an intergenerational oral history creative writing project bringing together primary school pupils and older people. In a series of workshops, local elders from Black African and Caribbean backgrounds shared their memories and stories with the children, who have interpreted these histories in fantastic pieces of art work and creative writing. The Mayor of Islington will open the exhibition, and present awards to the pupils for their work.


Closing Event - Conference on Black History’s Future

Our closing event reflects on the need for a Black History Month, and the possibility of a future where Black History Month is no longer necessary – when all people’s histories are remembered and celebrated. The conference brings together experts, educators, statutory representative and the broader community, with the aim of ensuring that mainstream education and celebrations are representative of the diverse communities that contribute to our history and society.

Further information

For full event descriptions and information on bookings, visit the EveryVoice website at the address provided.

For further queries email: [email protected]