Wandsworth celebrates Black History Month 2021
We’ve put together a round up of brilliant activities, events and content being produced in the borough to mark this year’s Black History Month. We will continue to add to this list as more events are announced. Please get in touch with us at [email protected] if you’re hosting your own arts and heritage event or programme, and we’ll make sure to promote it.
Black History Month Gala Luncheon for Wandsworth’s Windrush Elders
Black Heroes Foundation | Battersea Arts Centre | 1 October
Black Heroes Foundation is opening Black History Month with a Gala celebrating the life and achievements of John Archer at Battersea Arts Centre, in the former Battersea Town Hall building.
Wandsworth’s Windrush Elders from local community centres are invited to a free luncheon on Fri 1 Oct. The awesome Black Heroes Foundation Exhibition will be on display, together together with activities celebrating the contributions made by society by the Windrush Generation and African Diaspora, plus a performance of The Story of John Archer.
The Story of John Archer
Black Heroes Foundation | Battersea Arts Centre | 1 October | 7pm
The Story of John Archer is a short play written by Joyce Fraser and Jennifer Farmer. John Archer, born in Liverpool, became the Mayor of Battersea in 1913 and was the first Black Mayor in London.
Starring Patrick Mackenzie and Vivienne Rochester. Directed by Dr Anni Domingo, with sound design by Vamva Sound Design, this play was first performed on 2 Jul 2021 at Wandsworth Arts Fringe. For those who missed it, this is your chance to enjoy, learn and celebrate!
“It was a wonderful journey through the life of John Archer and what he did for the good people of Battersea in Wandsworth. It was a terrific piece of acting and I thoroughly enjoyed it….The cast and the organisation need to be congratulated on a wonderful production”
Mayor of Wandsworth
Tickets: £5 | Book tickets here
Virtual Locomotion
Join Black Heroes Foundation every Thursday to celebrate black heroes in song, music, dance and gentle exercise.
Who’s your local hero? Come and meet new people, share and celebrate with us during this weekly community event taking place in your living room!
A Black Heroes Foundation project, developing cultural awareness, promoting a world where Black Heroes are acknowledged, respected and celebrated.
A Black History Month event that runs throughout the year! Every month is a Black History Month.
12.30pm – 1.30pm | Online | Register here
Virtual Soul Food Cafe
Feed your Soul every Friday evening with a free online event that you, your friends and family can enjoy.
Singing, Dancing, Exercise, Old School Video, Black History, Books, Spoken Word, Open Mic, Guest Celebrity Artists and YOU.
7.30pm – 9pm | Online | Register here
Heather Ayepong’s The Body Remembers
Fuel presents…
The body is an archive. It remembers everything – even the things that the head forgets.
Heather Agyepong’s powerful new solo performance The Body Remembers explores how trauma lives in the body, particularly for Black British women across different generations. Through a unique and compelling relationship between the audience and artist, it creates a cathartic experience.
Created & performed by multidisciplinary artist & actor Heather Agyepong, The Body Remembers draws on interviews of Black British women in trauma recovery. The performance is inspired by the therapeutic practice of Authentic Movement with Agyepong as The Mover and the audience as The Witness. Featuring dynamic projections and an immersive soundscape which help the audience to re-discover the power of self-reflection as the start of recovery and healing. Co-created by Imogen Knight (movement) and Gail Babb (dramaturgy), The Body Remembers creates a space for audience and artist to attend to themselves and each other.
Part of BAC’s OverCome autumn season #OverCome2021
20 Oct – 4 Nov 2021 | Battersea Arts Centre | Pay What You Can | Tickets here
Ubuntu Museum: Recycled arts and crafts workshop
Join Ubuntu Museum for a recycled arts and craft workshop with a mini exhibition, for all ages.
With inspiration from the artwork of Yuroba artist Romuald Hazoumè who uses old jerry cans and other found objects to tell stories, you can tell your story using recycled materials too.
Hazoume’s masks do not carry the significance assigned to more sacred traditional ones, but he has his own point to make and it touches on social issues like the pervasive reach and impact of Western-generated consumer culture on African countries.
ROEHAMPTON LIBRARY
Date: Monday 25th October
Time: 14:30 – 16:00 hrs
Contact: Roehampton Library to book a space
Tel: 020 8246 6979
Email: [email protected]
Address: 2 Danebury Avenue, London SW15 4HD
BALHAM LIBRARY
Date: Friday 8th October
Time: 16:00 – 16:45 hrs
Contact: Balham Library to book a space
Tel: 020 8673 1129
Email: [email protected]
Address: 16 Ramsden Road, London SW12 8QY
Ballet Soul’s Othello21
Artistic Director Ben Love gives Shakespeare’s brutal and gripping tragedy the Ballet Soul treatment in this edgy and evocative reimagining, with a dazzling original score by British jazz legend Julian Joseph.
The film transports us to modern Britain, where high flying media man Othello is taking London by storm. He is a passionate and powerful African man, married to the love of his life – Desdemona.
In a dream he is left a blood red scarf by the spirit of his mother. A token of his past and a symbol of his love, their present and future, Othello gives the scarf to Desdemona. A decision that may come back to haunt him.
Making Othello21 (2020)
Follow the Ballet Soul dancers as they emerge out of lockdown and back into rehearsal to prepare for Othello21.
Composer James Joseph and Ben Love: In Conversation
Black History Month at Royal Academy of Dance
RAD are marking Black History Month by looking at Black and Brown dancers who have made history and those who are still making it. Over the course of October (and beyond), they’ll be sharing their stories here and on social media to celebrate their contribution to the art of dance.
Features
7 Iconic Black Women Who Changed The Course Of Ballet History
Refinery29 celebrate Misty Copeland and the black ballet dancers who paved the way for her success.
Read more…
RAD podcast: Céline Gittens
Born in Trinidad and later moving to Canada, Céline is now a Principal at Birmingham Royal Ballet, where in 2012 she became the first woman of colour in the UK to dance the leading role in Swan Lake.
Read more…
15 Black Dancers who Changed American Dance
Dance Informa magazine celebrates some famous (and some not so famous) names from US dance history.
Read more…
Black Dance Stories
Meet Black dancers LauREN Beharie, Namron, and Akua Acheampong.
Events
African Movement and Technique with Tavaziva (for age 13-16)
The RAD are delighted to be collaborating with Tavaziva to deliver an African Movement and Technique workshop to dance students, as they tour their latest work, BOY’S KHAYA.
17 October 2021 | 10.00 – 13.00 | Book here | £16+ booking fee
Guest Lecture Series Event: In Conversation with Gerard Samuel
Professor Gerard Samuel (University of Cape Town, RSA). will be in conversation with Dr Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel. Samuel will speak about ballet in South Africa and the rise of black artists in post-apartheid South Africa and in contemporary times. This event will be of interest to those invested in the black ballet histories and South African contemporary ballet.
20 October 2021 | 18:00 | Book here