The Child Within Remembers. Self-portrait by Tanesha Lewis as part of the Here and Now photography exhibition at the Brady Arts Centre.
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Your guide to Black History Month 2023 in Tower Hamlets

From dance and pottery workshops to talks, orchestras and short films, we bring you the best of Black History Month in Tower Hamlets.

Black History Month begins this October, meaning a month’s worth of diverse events celebrating Black culture is about to kick-start all across the UK. Black History Month originally originated in the United States in 1970 when it was proposed by Black educators and Black United Students at Kent State University. 

The first Black History Month celebration in the UK was held in London on October 1 1987, organised through the leadership of Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-Sebo. 1987 marked the year of the African Jubilee as well as the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation.

The theme for this year’s Black History Month is Saluting our Sisters, giving people the opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the extraordinary achievements of Black women throughout time, from politics and activism to literature and music.

The upcoming events in our Tower Hamlets pay homage to the rich histories of the Black British community in East London, with a particular focus on the artistic and political legacies of Black women. 

Read on for some of our top picks for this month’s diverse festival. 

Talks

Poster for the Wars within Wars lecture by Professor Vincent Brown at Queen Mary University of London.
Wars within Wars lecture by Professor Vincent Brown at Queen Mary University of London.

Wars Within Wars: Black History Month’s Warning to the World

TUESDAY 17 OCTOBER

Vincent Brown, Charles Warren Professor of American History and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University, is giving a public lecture at Queen Mary University of London. In his lecture, Professor Brown will argue for the importance of a Black, historical perspective. His lecture complicates conventional narratives about the Age of Revolution through a focus on enslavement, impoverishment and racial violence.

For more information visit our website.

Inspiring Stories of British-Somalis in Media

MONDAY 23 OCTOBER

The vast majority of Somalis in the UK are based in London, with our Tower Hamlets being home to a significant Somalian community. At Oxford House in Bethnal Green, a diverse panel of British-Somali creatives and journalists will assemble for a discussion in front of a live audience. Panellists include Channel 4 News journalist Zahra Warsame, BBC journalist Khadra Salaad, TRT World journalist and presenter Anisa Omar and BuzzFeed News online culture correspondent Ikran Dahir.

The women will discuss the vital role they play in British mainstream media and their significant contributions to balanced reporting on the Somali population in the UK. The conversation will conclude with live music and poetry.

For more information visit our website.

Films

Poster for Manhood through the Generations at Genesis, Mile End Cinema
Manhood through the Generations by Fragments Festival and Prism of Black at Genesis, Mile End Cinema.

Manhood through the Generations

SUNDAY 1 OCTOBER

Fragments Festival and Prism of Black will present a line-up of short films at Genesis Cinema, followed by an introspective panel discussion hosted by Tope ‘Icie’ Chiedozi, founder of The Sitdown UK. Delving into themes such as relationships, love and vulnerability, the directional works of Chimaobim Nathan, Shehroze Khan, and Timi Akindele-Ajani will all be showcased, promising an evening of diverse, contemporary filmmaking. Tower Hamlets residents may attend free of charge, but make sure to reserve a spot.

For more information visit our website.

Lost Soulz

SUNDAY 29 OCTOBER

Genesis is showing Katherine Propper’s directional debut, Lost Soulz. Nominated for the Discovery Award, the feature film stars Sauve Sidle as Sol, based on real aspects of the rapper’s life. The film follows Sol’s life-changing journey of self-discovery as he decides to embark on a road trip across Texas with a group of touring hip-hop musicians. 

Propper’s first feature blends filmic realism with neon-lit performances and miniature music videos, taking audiences on a musical journey across the American South. Tower Hamlets residents go for free, but make sure to reserve a spot. 

For more information visit our website.

Workshops & Masterclasses

Autumn Art Classes 2023

Photograph of arts and crafts for the Autumn Art Classes at the Brady Centre.
Arts and crafts at the Brady Centre.

FROM WEDNESDAY 4 OCTOBER

Throughout autumn, art classes will take place at the Brady Arts Centre every Wednesday where visitors will be given the opportunity to create portraits, explore pattern design and try mask making. This autumn, the theme for the classes is Black History Month. Inspirations for the classes include the British Museum, the work of Yinka Shonibare and the Afro-Caribbean celebration of carnival.

For more information visit our website.

Express Yourself: Workshop with Selina Brown

SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER

Selina Brown takes inspiration from childhood imagination, encouraging the Black community to approach Black history in an environment of creativity and play. Due to the prevalence of racist violence throughout time, Black history is often painful to confront. Brown’s workshops give participants the creative toolkits to deal with difficult aspects of history. Through collaborative storytelling and games, Express Yourself aims to provide a fun and safe environment to explore Black history as a community. In the Poplar Union, participants will be given the opportunity to forge intimate connections with each other and to redefine identities like ‘Black British’ on their own terms.

For more information visit our website.


Pottery Workshop with Mudbelly Teaches

SUNDAY 22 OCTOBER, SUNDAY 29 OCTOBER AND SUNDAY 5 NOVEMBER

Rehearsing Freedoms is a month-long festival of health, healing, movement-building, arts and culture. As part of the festival, Mudbelly Teaches will be offering a family-friendly pottery workshop at the Soanes Centre every Sunday. Mudbelly Teaches is an intersectional, Black, queer pottery space, that encourages visitors to explore Black identity and liberation through art.

For more information visit our website.

Arts & Culture

Photograph of a man facing the Hackney Peace Carnival memorial in Dalston, as part of Shilonite Simon-Mathurin's Living Legacies: 75 Years on exhibition.
Hackney Peace Carnival memorial in Dalston, as part of Shilonite Simon-Mathurin’s Living Legacies: 75 Years on exhibition.

Living Legacies: 75 Years On

TUESDAY 3 OCTOBER – SUNDAY 26 NOVEMBER

Shilonite Simon-Mathurin’s photographic project ‘Living Legacies: 75 Years On’ will be exhibited in the Poplar Union this autumn. The exhibition commemorates the 75th anniversary of Windrush and explores individual narratives from the first and second generations of Caribbean migration to the UK. The project encourages visitors to think about present-day migration in relation to the past and to consider the diverse cultural presence of the Caribbean community in the UK today.

For more information visit our website.

Indo + Caribbean: The Creation of a Culture

UNTIL SUNDAY 19 NOVEMBER

This free exhibition at the Museum of London, Docklands explores the underrepresented history of Indian indentureship in the British Caribbean. The Indian indentureship system transported more than 1.6 million Indian workers to European colonies. This practice was implemented as a substitute for slave labor after the British Empire abolished slavery in 1833. Not only does this exhibition examine the violent history of Indian indentureship, but it also shines a light on the cultural presence of the Indo-Caribbean community in the UK today.

For more information visit our website.

Here and Now: Black History Month Photography Exhibition

FRIDAY 6 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 28 OCTOBER 

Alternative Arts presents an exhibition of diverse images by Black British photographers at the Brady Arts Centre, exploring a wide variety of contemporary themes. The exhibition, curated by Sarah Ainslie & Maggie Pinhorn, features the work of 14 photographers. Rio Blake’s work captures intimate portraits at the Notting Hill Carnival in London, while Olufemi Olaiya’s art spotlights the involvement of African soldiers in the World Wars. Visit the exhibition to see photography inspired by unknown fishermen in Lagos, memories of a mixed-race childhood, Nigerian cuisine, and the rich tapestry of Somali experiences.

For more information visit our website.

Music & Theatre

Photograph of the Grand Union Orchestra in Tower Hamlets.
The Grand Union Orchestra performing in Tower Hamlets.

The Grand Union Orchestra: Pulse of Africa

SATURDAY 14 OCTOBER

The Grand Union Orchestra has pioneered pan-cultural music-making across the UK for nearly 40 years. The orchestra has experimented with a vast array of musical styles, from big bang Blues and reggae basslines to Bengali songs and Chinese melodies. On Saturday 14 October, St John Church will host a rhythmical celebration of the diverse musical traditions of the African diaspora. A wide range of instruments will feature in a Pan-African percussion ensemble, including the djembe, the Kpanlogo and the talking drum.

For more information visit our website.

Mama Sound and Movimientos present Bia Ferreira

SUNDAY 1 OCTOBER

Brazilian singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Bia Ferreira is making her London debut at Rich Mix this autumn. Ferreria is an activist, and defines her music as ‘MMP – Música de Mulher Preta’ (Black Woman Music). Her music draws upon Afrodiasporic rhythms like soul, R&B and rap, while also incorporating Brazilian musical styles such as samba and repente. In 2019, Ferreira released her first studio album, Igreja Lesbiteriana, Um Chamado. In 2022, she released the first part of her double album Faminta. The album, influenced by Afrobeat and Brazilian rhythms, explores Black LGBTQ+ experiences.

For more information visit our website.

Dance

Angela Andrew and Stephen Dieyepiri Atemie paying homage to the 1943 Life Magazine photo of Willa Mae Ricker and Leon James dancing the Lindy Hop.
Angela Andrew and Stephen Dieyepiri Atemie paying homage to the 1943 Life Magazine photo of Willa Mae Ricker and Leon James dancing the Lindy Hop.

LindyHopEastLdn

MONDAYS UNTIL 11 DECEMBER

Lindy Hop (or Swing Dance) is a partner dance which originated in the Jazz Era of the late 1920s and developed in the African-American communities of Harlem. This autumn, Hackney-born-and-raised Angela Andrew is running weekly Monday classes during term time at the Chisenhale Dance Space. Andrew is an international dance icon, with a keen passion for teaching Lindy Hop and Jazz dance to the Black community. No matter what your identity is, Andrew encourages all local residents of Tower Hamlets to come and join her accessible, beginner-friendly classes. Look out for Andrew’s upcoming performance with her dance crew at St Paul’s Church on Saturday 28 October for this year’s Black History Month.

For more information, visit our website.

Food

Poster for Afribeana Fest on the Roman Road Market.
Afribeana Fest on the Roman Road Market.

Afribeana Fest

SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER

Combining food, music, fashion and beauty, Afribeana Fest is a celebration of Black-owned businesses in Tower Hamlets. This Black History Month, the mini-food festival in Globe Town Market Square will showcase the diverse flavours from the African and Caribbean diaspora.

For more information visit our website.

Our local members

Heritage and Arts Centre (HAC)

Poplar Union

The Play Is Not The Thing

BLOC

Rich Mix

Hackney Empire


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One thought on “Your guide to Black History Month 2023 in Tower Hamlets

  • Excellent initiative. Keeping the stories local make them effective and relatable. This should work out as an exciting journey of discovery adding even more layers to our rich and complex (hisotrpy) history. Sorry the back key isnt working since I sprayed the keyboard with cleaning fluid.

    Reply

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