Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has announced his support for Kulture2Coutre – a season of arts, culture and educational events in celebration of Black History in the capital from October to November.
The event aims to celebrate, acknowledges and promotes the creativity and talent of London’s Black jewellery and textile designers. Visitors will be treated to a free weekend of haute couture runway shows from talented black designers.
There will also be fashion seminars, make-up workshops and a fashion exhibition from 17th – 18th November.
The Black History Scholar competition encourages young people to take an interest in black history through fun quizzes, book reviews and essays. Top prizes include educational funds for further education, lap tops and book vouchers.
The popular heritage walking and river tours uncover the untold history of London’s Black revolutionaries. At City Hall there will be four themed exhibitions including ‘Black Icons’, which looks at a variety of positive inspirational black role models, the legacies of slavery are explored in ‘Carnival Midnight Robbers’ and ‘In Stitches’ whilst race and identity are the theme of ‘Other ..Please specify’.
Mayor Livingstone said: said he was “pleased that London’s Black history celebrations grow in strength every year. The events I am supporting are broad and varied in theme, so will both educate, inspire and entertain Londoners.”
“The modern legacies of one of the greatest crimes against humanity, the Transatlantic Slave Trade, will be explored during a series of lectures and contemporary City Hall art exhibitions. Further education is the focus of the Black History Scholar competition, where essays about iconic black role models could win college grants.”
“Kulture2Couture at the V&A highlights the work of talented Black fashion designers, whose creativity and contributions to London’s thriving fashion industry need to be acknowledged. The event also provides information and support for people wanting to enter the fashion industry.”
“All Londoners are welcome to attend the events on offer during this thought-provoking season.”
Black History Season programme (subject to change)
FASHION
17 & 18 November 2007 at the V&A
Kulture2Couture: By Design
Established by the Mayor in partnership with the British Fashion Council to celebrate, acknowledge and promote the creativity and talent of London’s African and Caribbean fashion, jewellery and textile designers, over 3,000 people attended K2C last year.
Now at the V&A Museum for a second year, Londoners can once again enjoy breathtaking fashion shows, workshops and seminars – all about fashion and all about style!
Admission: FREE (booking essential)
Bookings
Phone: 020 8539 7913, 9.00-17.00,
E-mail: fashion@london.gov.uk
EDUCATION
Black History Scholarship Programme
(September 2007 – March 2008)
Following last year’s success, the Black History Scholar programme returns for a second year with educational competitions aimed at young Londoners between the ages of 11 and 15. The programme provides an excellent opportunity to learn about African and Caribbean history through a series of essay, book review and quiz competitions.
The competition provides an opportunity to learn about African and Caribbean history through a rewarding range of activities for young people. The creation of the Black History Scholar programme builds on the Mayor’s commitment to promoting London’s diverse history and heritage, and addresses the need for more inclusive education in order to raise the academic attainments levels of African-Caribbean boys in London’s schools. Competition prizes include further education scholarships. For further information visit www.blackscholar.net
EXHIBITONS
1 – 31 October City Hall Exhibitions (Free – everyone welcome)
African Families Foundation In Stitches Quilt project
The ‘In Stitches’ project depicts historic figures, scenes and artefacts associated with the slave trade and its abolition in British ships two centuries ago. The project has been organised by The African Families Foundation (TAFF) based in Southwark with the help of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). A total of 60 squares containing symbols, women’s quilting groups meeting in London, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham have embroidered images and texts.
Midnight Robbers: The Artists of Notting Hill Carnival By Carnival Exhibition Group
Share the carnival experience and find out more about both the history and roots of carnival and the art form itself, including its remarkable development in the 21st century. Carnival is recognised a significant legacy of the abolition of the slave trade. Photographs, designs, a timeline tracking carnival history plus spectacular larger than life sized costumes. This exhibition adopts motif of the Midnight Robber title for its title, which, like the Robber himself, seeks to excite and engage the audience.
Black Icons (F2.8 at 15th )
This stunning photographic exhibition encapsulates achievements from Black figures in mainstream culture, political and social to artistic and entrepreneurial, including the Right Reverend Sentamu of York, Oscar nominated Sophie Okenado, Horace Ove, Ozwald Boatang, Dame Jocelyn Barrow and Victor Olufemi Adebowale and Baron Adebowale.
The photographs are now in the permanent collection at the National Portrait Gallery. Photographer Sal Idriss was born in Kumasi, Ghana and came to England in 1985 and has worked as a professional photographer London since 1995, he now works for the BBC.
Other…please specify: By Nathlyn Baptiste
This exhibition will address cultural diversity in relation to contemporary British Art.
Nathlyn Baptiste is a professional artist, based in East London producing work of an abstract nature, in limited edition, framed giclee prints. Nathlyn Baptiste is one of the artists who have been commissioned as apart of The Gibson Guitar Corporate Art Exhibition on exhibition on the Queens Walk. Nathlyn is a practising artist and curator.
LECTURES
NUJ Annual Claudia Jones Memorial Lecture on 10th October – City Hall
This is the annual Claudia Jones Memorial Lecture dedicated to the memory of Claudia Jones, the pioneer of Black journalism in Britain. Dr Robert Beckford, Reader in Black Theology and Popular Culture at Oxford Brookes University, will give this year’s lecture.
Dr Beckford is the author of several books in the field of religion and culture and is an active broadcaster with Channel 4. His latest offering “Undersize Me” will be broadcast on 23 September. In his presentation Dr Beckford will explore how understanding “whiteness” offers an important strategy for community cohesion and democratic inclusion
Transatlantic Enslavement: What really happened? Robin Walker Lectures Dates:
23 & 25 October. 8, 12 -13 November
This is a short course of 5 lectures exploring the transatlantic slave trade. We ask: What impact did this have on three continents? What was Black history during this Period? What was Africa like before and after this experience?
All of the classes are highly visual two-hour power-point presentations. It will run for five sessions, each lecture is held from 7.00 to
9.00pm in the evenings.
1. West Africa before the Slave Trade
2. The Slave Trade: Impact on Three Continents
3. Black History in the Atlantic Age: The Slave Rebellions and the Maroon Societies
4. Impact on the West African Coast
5. Africa after the Slave Trade: Towards the Modern Crises
The Course Text
Robin Walker, When We Ruled, UK, Every Generation Media, 2006. For further information visit www.london.gov.uk
DRAMA
‘Become A Man’ The Life of Frederick Douglass, by Rootball Productions (City Hall, SE1, Chamber) 17 October 2007
When abolitionist Frederick Douglass arrived in Britain in 1845, he was on the run from his owner. This play documents key events in the life of this renowned freedom fighter who for 2 years toured Britain and mobilised public opinion against the institution of slavery.
WALKING TOURS
Heritage Walking Tours In Their Footsteps: Heritage Walking Tours (5, 29 October) Heritage River Tour (31October)
Londoners will be able to learn about the capital’s hidden Black heritage with a series of informed walking tours and a river tour led by the eminent historian, S.I. Martin.
Covering the London boroughs of City of London, Westminster, Greenwich and Lambeth, these tours will trace the evidence and stories of the early Black presence in the capital. Topics covered by the tour guides will include black writers and revolutionaries from the 18th and 19th centuries, Mary Seacole, William Cuffay, the African Academy and Marcus Garvey.
BOOKING INFORMATION www.london.gov.uk/mayor/bhm
Except where indicated, all events are free, but registration is required.