EDITORIAL
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to your free Black & Asian Heritage Mix’ Newsletter.
Do people only care about refugees when it’s Refugee Week or artists as Banksy, Ai Weiwei or Cennetoğlu remind the world to care? According to the List (a tally of migrants and refugees known to have died trying to reach Europe), 34,361 people have already left our world – drowned, restrained or shot.
In the European museum world, complacency no longer seems to be possible. From the British Museum to the Louvre, many face increasing pressures to confront the colonial legacy and be active agents in the restitution of looted colonial treasures.
This July 2018 issue of the newsletter also includes a wider “Book section” with an emphasis on books written by African descent authors.
I have also tried to include, as usual, different types of events relating to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic issues needing wider engagement from the general public: talks, theatre, exhibitions, literature festivals…
Also, if you have friends or colleagues who you think may like this blog, why not let them know? Please find below the link:
https://blackeuroperesources.wordpress.com/
Thanks for your support,
Thushari Perera
Black Europe Resources
ART
“Banksy Takes Aim at France’s Callous Response to the Refugee Crisis With Poignant Murals in Paris”
(Artnet News, 25 June 2018)
Read the article here
Banu Cennetoğlu: ‘As Long As I Have Resources, I Will Make The List More Visible’
(The Guardian, 20 June 2018)
Read the article here
MUSEUMS
Hamburg Forces Germany To Confront Colonial Legacy With Forgotten Genocide Exhibition
(The Telegraph, 17 June 2018 )
Read the article here
British Museum Shares Image of Sandstone Sculpture of Harihara, Indians Demand It Is Returned Back
(Opindia, 18 June 2018)
Read the article here
Beyoncé and Jay-Z Return To The Louvre In New Music Video, Picking The Greatest Hits
(Hyperallergic, 18 June 2018)
Read the article here
ARCHIVES
Declassify Operation Blue Star Files, UK Court Orders British Cabinet
(News World India, 13 June 2018)
Read the article here
Or
British Government Ordered To Open Amritsar Massacre Files: Campaigners Say Papers Could Reveal Details of UK Role In 1984 Assault At Golden Temple
(The Guardian, 16 June 2018)
Read the article here
BOOKS
VICTORIAN JAMAICA
Editors: Tim Barringer, Wayne Modest
Publisher: Duke University Press (744 pages), June 2018
“Victorian Jamaica explores the extraordinary surviving archive of visual representation and material objects to provide a comprehensive account of Jamaican society during Queen Victoria’s reign over the British Empire, from 1837 to 1901. In their analyses of material ranging from photographs of plantation laborers and landscape paintings to cricket team photographs, furniture, and architecture, as well as a wide range of texts, the contributors trace the relationship between black Jamaicans and colonial institutions; contextualize race within ritual and performance; and outline how material and visual culture helped shape the complex politics of colonial society. By narrating Victorian history from a Caribbean perspective, this richly illustrated volume—featuring 270 full-color images—offers a complex and nuanced portrait of Jamaica that expands our understanding of the wider history of the British Empire and Atlantic world during this period.”
Find out more here
Read the introduction here
ELMINA, ‘THE LITTLE EUROPE’: EUROPEAN IMPACT
AND CULTURAL RESILIENCE
By Joseph K Adjaye
Publishers: Sub-Saharan Publishers Ghana (182 pages), 2018
“This is a brief introduction to the history of Elmina, its castle, the people, and their traditions. It outlines the town’s 500-year relations with Europeans, highlighting the transformations that have developed out of these interactions. Written by one of the top historians of Ghana and a leading scholar of the African diaspora, the book is based on original archival information and orally-derived sources. It is also richly informed by the writer’s own personal knowledge as a Nyampa Safohen and citizen of Elmina. Despite the tremendous changes engendered by the European contact, Elmina’s historical development demonstrates an amazing degree of cultural continuity and resilience in its political institutions, social organization, economic systems and worldview.”
Find out more here
Preview the book here
DON’T STOP THE CARNIVAL: BLACK MUSIC IN BRITAIN
By Kevin Le Gendre
Publishers: Peepal Tree Press (320 pages), May 2018
“The story of Black music in Britain and the people who made it, from Tudor times to the mid 1960s.”
“Kevin Le Gendre, long-time music journalist, jazz expert, radio broadcaster and deputy editor of Echoes, has produced a meticulously researched, compassionate and sweeping opus of the history of black British music. It is also an extensive political, sociological and philosophical study of the story of racism that is hugely pertinent to our time. This is the first in a two-volume work beginning with the Middle Ages, and taking us up to the 1960s. It comprises the emergence of jazz, calypso and ska and the genesis of soul and everything in between.” (The Financial Times, 25 May 2018)
Find out more here
FOOD
‘Our Island Is Like A Mosaic’: How Migrants Are Reshaping Sicily’s Food Culture
(The Guardian, 17 June 2018)
Read the article here
EVENTS
27 June 2018 – 28 July 2018
SPUN (ARCOLA THEATRE, LONDON)
“Yeah, but where are you really from?”
“Safa and Aisha have been best friends for years. They used to bunk off school, revise for exams together and even went to the same university. But now they’re forging different paths for the first time: Safa to work in the City, and Aisha to teach in Newham. When London is attacked one day in July, Safa and Aisha feel the whole world spinning. As extremes from all sides take hold of the city, can their friendship survive the upheaval? Spun is the exhilarating debut play from Rabiah Hussain. Seen through the eyes of two British Pakistani Muslim girls from East London, this funny and moving drama unravels the makings of a friendship, the identity of a city, and the challenge of keeping rooted through unstable times.
South Asian Creatives Q&A
Friday 29 June. after 8pm performance
Writer Rabiah Hussain, designer Khadija Raza and actors Aasiya Shah and Humaira Iqbal will take part in a discussion about representation in the arts, and opportunities in the industry for South Asian and Muslim female creatives.
Free for all ticket-holders on 29 June performance.
Find out more here
27 June 2018 – 22 August 2018
THE INFLUENCE PROJECT
(SOMERSET HOUSE, LONDON)
The Influence Project is an ongoing photography project celebrating the global impact of African American musicians, who pushed boundaries creatively, socially and politically, whilst simultaneously laying the foundations of contemporary music.
The exhibition seeks to make these pioneers visible, highlighting their impact on contemporary musicians, from direct forms of sampling, to the role of mentors and role models. Creative partners photographer Alexis Chabala and Curator Lorayne Crawford, have approached artists they have a relationship with or who had strong influences in their life to photograph. Together they are passionate about giving their heroes a platform, revealing the interdependent links between them and something of the spirit of their music or character. The exhibition captures the characters of both icons and contemporary artists including George Clinton, Shuggie Otis, Candi Staton, Sister Sledgeto Anderson. Paak and NAO. The exhibition also includes previous Somerset House Summer Series artists including Erykah Badu, Aloe Blacc, Laura Mvula, Robert Glasper, plus Jorja Smith and The Roots who will be playing this year. The show will also include a new film featuring artists talking candidly on camera about their inspirations and a unique soundtrack will fill the gallery floor.
Screening: Wed 25 Jul 2018 | From 18.30 | Screening Room | Free
The Influence Project Presents: Betty – They Say I’m Different Feature documentary reveals the extraordinary unknown story of the elusive funk-pioneer Betty Davis.
East Wing Live
The exhibition will host free, live music sets each Friday afternoon. Co-programmed by two Somerset House Residents, MOBO and Music For Youth, expect to see up-and-coming musical talent playing stripped back sets, surrounded by Alexis Chabala’s photographic portraits of key R&B, Soul and Hip Hop pioneers.
Find out more here
29 June 2018 – 1 July 2018
AFRICA WRITES 2018
(BRITISH LIBRARY & RICH MIX, LONDON)
“From Friday 29 June to Sunday 1 July 2018 we’ll be bringing together over 60 of the most influential voices in contemporary writing from Africa and its diaspora, for the seventh edition of Africa Writes! This exciting literary weekend features writers from Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Somaliland, Uganda, South Africa, UK, USA and Zimbabwe, highlights themes of history, memory and spirituality, and presents the writers who are changing the face of African literature.”
Find out more here
29 June 2018 – 8 July 2018
BRADFORD LITERATURE FESTIVAL
(VARIOUS VENUES BRADFORD)
“The diverse thematic sessions in this year’s programme range from scientific explorations of gene therapy in the context of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, to conversations between leading crime fiction writers. Major political anniversaries will be remembered as the festival marks the centenary of the start of women’s suffrage in Britain, and of the First World War’s Armistice; 50 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King; 20 years since the Stephen Lawrence enquiry; and Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday. Discussions about the state of Jerusalem today, sit alongside debates around the idea of ‘stateless’ nations such as Kashmir, Tibet, Kurdistan and Palestine. The festival partners with ‘Speaking Volumes’ to mark the anniversary, and explore the legacy, of Empire Windrush through discussion, music and performance rooted in Caribbean culture.” (University of Bradford, Union of Students)
Find out more here
Browse the programme here
29 June 2018 – 26 August 2018
BANU CENNETOĞLU
(CHISENHALE GALLERY, LONDON)
“Chisenhale Gallery presents the first solo exhibition in a UK institution and a major new commission by Istanbul-based artist Banu Cennetoğlu. Cennetoğlu’s work incorporates methods of mapping, collecting and archiving in order to question and challenge the politics of memory, as well as the distribution and consumption of information. For her commission at Chisenhale Gallery, Cennetoğlu has produced a new moving image installation presented in Chisenhale’s exhibition hall.”
Find out more here
3 & 6 July 2018
Mountview presents
CATALYST FESTIVAL 2018: CARNIVAL QUEEN
(THEATRE 503, LONDON)
“Written by Tiannah Viechweg; Directed by Samara Gannon; Running Time: 50 mins
N.B. Recommended for 15yrs plus. Some strong language and racially sensitive content. “We must keep dancing/on every unwelcoming street/holding our space proudly/ to the sound of our own beat” Enter the world of carnival, where masked figures weave the extraordinary tale of Claudia Jones, the woman who brought the spirit of Caribbean carnival to the UK. Blurring the lines of time, politics and race, Carnival Queen celebrates the life of this extraordinary woman and the origins of carnival in the UK. Mountview is one of the UK’s leading drama schools. The annual Catalyst Festival is produced by the students from Mountview’s MA in Creative Producing. Tiannah Viechweg is a writer, actress and producer from London. She trained at The Poor School, Identity School of Acting and studied English at Oxford University. Carnival Queen is her writing debut.”
Find out more here
5 July 2018 – 29 July 2018
Modus Arts presents
TAPE LETTERS
(RICH MIX LONDON & VARIOUS OTHER VENUES)
“Tape Letters is an oral history project aiming to identify, collect and archive messages sent on audio cassette tape by families who migrated to the UK from Pakistan between 1960-1980. The project seeks to unearth, archive and re/present this unusual but practical method of communication carried out by first-wave Punjabi (specifically Pothwari dialect) speaking Pakistanis who settled in Britain, shining light on family life and their experience of migration via the informal and intimate conversations recorded on tape. What To Expect: A visual exhibition will include large scale photographs of cassettes, interviewees, and text taken directly from the tapes and from first-hand interviews. Also included will be a multi-speaker sound installation presented on the day of the private view and potentially on the last day of the installation.
Website:www.tapeletters.com
Find out more here
6 July 2018
RACE RELATIONS: AN ACT?
(BRITISH LIBRARY, LONDON)
“The impact of race relations legislation
“Join our panel as they discuss the four Race Relations Acts since 1965 alongside the impact of immigration legislation. What effect has the UK’s legislative and policy response had on Windrush and other migrants, and their descendants? In association with The Runnymede Trust, the UK’s leading independent race equality think tank. They generate intelligence for a multi-ethnic Britain through research, network building, leading debate, and policy engagement. Runnymede’s projects and publication help build up a body of evidence on a wide range of areas that address key race equality challenges for public policy and public debate.”
Find out more here
12 July 2018 – 23 September 2018
EMPIRE OF THE SIKHS (THE BRUNEI GALLERY, SOAS)
“A major exhibition presented by the UK Punjab Heritage Association (UKPHA) featuring a glittering collection of stunning objects and works of art that reveal the remarkable story of the Sikh Empire, and the European and American adventurers who served it. The story will be told through a glittering array of over a hundred works of art and objects from leading private collections and major institutions, including stunning jewellery and weaponry belonging to a number of historic figures such as Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Maharani Jind Kaur and General Hari Singh Nalwa.”
Find out more here
17 July 2018 – 19 August 2018
NELSON MANDELA: THE CENTENARY EXHIBITION 2018 (SOUTHBANK CENTRE, LONDON)
“Mark the 2018 centenary of iconic leader Nelson Mandela’s birth in this exhibition about his life, career, and commitment to equality and justice. This exhibition explores the life and times of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918 – 2013) and marks the centenary of his birth. It provides insight into Mandela’s journey from young freedom fighter to becoming the inspiration for an international movement against South Africa’s violent and oppressive apartheid system, and an emblem of an ongoing struggle to build a more just and equitable world. Born and raised in a rural village, Mandela joined the African National Congress where he became a leading figure in the fight against apartheid. Enduring life on the run, several long political trials, and ultimately 27 years in prison, Mandela developed a deep wisdom and a distinct ability to connect with others. As he famously said of his and others’ struggle against apartheid: ‘I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.’ It was not just his ideas, but also his magnanimous personality, resilience and charm that enabled Mandela to lead South Africa through a volatile transition. In 1994, he became the country’s first democratically elected president. He transformed the political landscape at home and around the world, becoming one of the most influential and iconic individuals of the 20th century. Mandela’s vision remains timeless and inspiring in today’s troubled world. Presented by Apartheid Museum, Anti-Apartheid Movement Archives and Southbank Centre.”
Find out more here
27 July 2018 – 29 July 2018
LIFE IS WONDERFUL – MANDELA’S UNSUNG HEROES (SOUTHBANK CENTRE, LONDON)
“Discover the story behind the infamous Rivonia Trial, where Mandela and his co-defendants fought for the freedom of South Africa, in this new film. Approximate run time: 90 mins. Directed by former high court judge Sir Nick Stadlen, the film follows the 10 leading opponents of apartheid and their lawyers and supporters through the trial. It is an inspiring story of immense courage and self-sacrifice on the part of a small group of multiracial idealists. Though the defendants were saved from the death penalty, eight of the ten were sentenced to life imprisonment, Mandela among them. When Mandela was released 27 years later, he had a vision of multiracial democracy for South Africa.”
Find out more here
* * *
BLACK EUROPE RESOURCES
Be the first to get new events and blogposts direct to your inbox by clicking Follow the Blog via Email
Follow Black Europe Resources on Twitter @Blackeresources
Visit the Website to read more: https://blackeuroperesources.wordpress.com/
* * *
Black Europe Resources 