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Dear Followers/Readers,
I thought I would just drop you a line to share with you my plans for Black Europe Resources.
As you probably know, from its beginning in 2017, Black Europe Resources’ aim was to diversify access to resources – especially open access resources relating to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups, and inform public discussion about BAME issues both in the UK and continental Europe through newsletters, commentary and the promotion of books, publications and events.
Black Europe Resources is a blog and is currently not funded and solely edited (including the website) by me, Thushari Perera. Its readership has increased little by little and currently includes a committed “niche community” of more than 100+ followers and around 700 followers on Twitter.
Black Europe Resources is already punching above its weight, but now, I am at a stage where I need your help to grow.
Please consider making a donation if you like Black Europe Resources’ content, and/or share it with family, friends, colleagues and other platforms.
I am aware that I may ‘aggravate’ you, dear followers and readers, by asking, like many others, for more support. The fundraising campaign is a necessary step to increase website content, capability, functionality and keep Black Europe Resources FREE and open for everyone.
I am currently working on the ‘actual logistics’ of this fundraising plan, but if you already wish to make a donation, please contact me by e-mail at blackeuroperesources@gmail.com if you are happy to post me a cheque in British sterling pounds (£).
If you wish to advertise your events or publications with Black Europe Resources, please e-mail me as early as possible, I may be able to promote them, but it is not guaranteed as I wish to keep editorial independence.
If you have any comments or questions on Black Europe Resources, please also e-mail me directly.
With thanks,
Thushari
Thushari Perera
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24 April 2019
FUNDAMENTALISM RISING: HUMANISM UNDER THREAT IN INDIA AND BANGLADESH (HUMANISTS INTERNATIONAL & CONWAY HALL ETHICAL SOCIETY, LONDON)
“There may be a long-term global trend toward humanism, but in some regions of the world we are witnessing a reverse trend, with an alarming rise of religious and nationalist fundamentalist groups. India and Bangladesh are one theatre of a backlash of violence and discrimination against the rationalist and atheist community. These are countries with long-term secularist and rationalist trends, and secular parties or constitutional secularism, making the backslide into oppression even more alarming and of global significance. Since 2014, humanist and secularist activists have been threatened, attacked or murdered by extremist religious groups in both countries. Radicals or nationalists and the state itself have tried to silence humanist voices, with some forced to live in hiding or to flee the country. Join us on 24 April at Conway Hall to discuss the rise of Islamist and Hindutva fundamentalism in Bangladesh and India respectively, with a panel of renowned humanist leaders.
Salil Tripathi was born in Bombay, India. He is a contributing editor at Mint and at Caravan in India. He is currently Chair, PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee, and author of books like “Offence: the Hindu case” and “The Colonel Who Would Not Repent”.
Bonya Ahmed, Bangladeshi-American author, humanist activist and blogger who in 2015 survived a machete-wielding attack by Islamic extremists in which his husband, Avijit Roy, lost his life. Currently she is visiting fellow at LSE human rights centre.
Andrew Copson, President of Humanists International, Chief Executive of Humanists Uk and author of Secularism: Politics, Religion, and Freedom, to chair the discussion.
Do you have questions about Fundamentalism Rising: Humanism Under Threat in India and Bangladesh? Contact Humanists International & Conway Hall Ethical Society”
Find out more here
25 April 2019
30 YEARS SINCE THE FATWA (FRONTLINE CLUB, LONDON)
“Thirty years on, ‘The Satanic Verses’ remains a novel that still provokes furious debate. To try and understand why, author, translator and journalist Maureen Freely will be joined by columnist and commentator Kenan Malik, presenters of recent radio 4 series ‘Fatwa’ Chloe Hadjimatheou and Mobeen Azhar, alongside Director of Southall Black Sisters Pragna Patel.
Within months of publication, Salman Rushdie’s fourth novel fictionalising the life of the prophet Mohammed was caught up in a maelstrom of protests and political power plays that engaged Muslims across the globe. On 14 February 1989 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini rode a wave of anger and outrage to issue a Fatwa sentencing Rushdie to death, calling ‘all zealous Muslims’ to execute him – and everyone else involved in the books publication. In a manner unforeseen by the author, ‘The Satanic Verses’ created and exposed cleavages in society like few other books throughout history. What has happened since? In the intervening years, the arena for artistic, cultural and political expression has changed immeasurably. Many believe that, in the wake of the Fatwa, we live in a more censorious society, and the appetite for a diversity of voices – each with a label – has outgrown the need for genuinely diverse debate. For others, the offence caused to Muslims in an already hostile environment still outweighs any defence of free expression and cultural enquiry. What is beyond doubt is that the book, and the Fatwa, redrew fault lines through the very ideas of community, race and debate in society, and that we still feel the reverberations today.”
Find out more here
25 April 2019
HOW BIAS WORKS (RSA HOUSE, LONDON)
“How does racial prejudice affect what we see, think, and do? Unconscious bias operates in subtle ways, but its effects are profound. Behind the racial disparities evident everywhere from the classroom to the courtroom to the boardroom lie implicit assumptions of which we often aren’t even aware. Prejudice forms a distorting lens that is both a cause and an effect of our unequal world, and working to overcome it means confronting our own patterns of thinking – what sorts of stereotypes have we internalised, and what harms do they cause? Drawing on scientific studies, investigative insights and personal experience, renowned psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt explores the far-reaching and devastating consequences of racial bias. Such bias is not an innate and inevitable evil, she argues, but a universal human problem to be addressed. By acknowledging sometimes uncomfortable truths about how we perceive the world and each other, we can make real progress towards racial justice.”
Find out more here
Until September 2019
SLAVERY, CULTURE & COLLECTING (MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS)
A challenging display investigating the relationship between European culture and transatlantic slavery.
“The latest display in the London, Sugar and Slavery gallery at the Museum of London Docklands highlights the connection to slavery of some of Britain’s oldest cultural organisations. See a map of how London’s Docklands are connected to slavery. Slavery, culture and collecting follows slave owner and art collector George Hibbert, a prominent member of a large subsection of British society which derived its wealth directly from the slave economy. These figures were often active philanthropists, and are commemorated in memorials for their associations with charitable causes, while their connections to slavery are invisible even today. Hibbert was instrumental in building the West India Docks which now house the Museum of London Docklands. This connection positions the museum as an important place to think about the relationship between slavery and cultural heritage. The wealth generated by slavery was used to create cultural institutions such as museums, universities, art galleries and charities. Advocates of slavery would then use culture in their arguments for the continuing use of enslaved labour, on the grounds that Africans needed the “civilising influence” of Europe. The display contains a short film, as well as objects from the collection to encourage further debate around this challenging issue. Slavery, culture and collecting is delivered with the support of the Antislavery Usable Past project at the University of Nottingham.”
Find out more here
27 April 2019
VAISAKHI 2019 (TRAFALGAR SQUARE, LONDON)
“Head down to Trafalgar Square to enjoy our Vaisakhi festival, a celebration of Sikh and Punjabi tradition, heritage and culture, commemorating the birth of the Khalsa (the inner core of the Sikh faith) over 300 years ago. With our committed Sikh steering group creating the programme, you can expect authentic community appeal and something for everyone to enjoy, young and old alike. There’ll be fun activities for all, including the chance to wear a turban, do arts and crafts and experience bit of history and culture made theatrical! Learn more about Gatka – catch a demonstration of this unique martial art, developed in India and used to great effect by the Sikh warriors during their rise from a minority group to an empire, which at its height stretched from the borders of Afghanistan to New Delhi. As you enjoy the taste of traditional light bites and Indian tea (offered to visitors as per the tradition of Langar, a free community kitchen in Gurdwaras), learn more about food sustainability and the emergence of Langar at the cooking demo – and take home some easy recipes of commonly cooked dishes. Come Celebrate with us – Happy Vaisakhi!”
Find out more here
30 April – 24 May 2019
ILLEGALISED, BÉZNĂ THEATRE (VARIOUS VENUES & LOCATIONS)
British-Romanian activist intersectional theatre collective
“ILLEGALISED is an international, multi-lingual production exposing the dehumanising effects of the British State’s anti-immigration policies on migrants and those seeking asylum in the UK. Inspired and informed by interviews with migrants, refugees and those seeking asylum, British-Romanian political theatre collective BEZNA Theatre’s ILLEGALISED is protest-theatre that journeys through the Home Office’s human rights abuses against ‘the other’, exposing the immigration industrial complex and the profit made from the illegalisation of human beings, from colonial times to today. Produced by BÉZNĂ Theatre. Funded by Arts Council England, The Really Useful Group, Unity Theatre Trust, Camden People’s Theatre.”
Date & Venues:
19-20 April 2019, Theatre Deli, Sheffield
23-27 April 2019, Applecart Arts, London
30 April-2 May 2019, Camden People’s Theatre, London
5 May 2019, Slung Low, Leeds
9 – 11 May 2019, Royal Exchange, Manchester
23 – 24 May 2019, Northern Stage, Newcastle
Find out more here
28 April 2019
London Marathon
1 – 4 May 2019
CUSTODY (BELGRADE THEATRE, COVENTRY)
“A Play created by Urbain Wolf and written by Tom Wainwright
#WhoisBrian
Another young black man dies in police custody. Apparently no one is to blame. In 2017 how can this be so?
Custody, created by Urbain Wolf (Art Machine) and written by Tom Wainwright (Banksy: The Room in the Elephant) is a contemporary fictional narrative about the moment another young black man’s life is taken from him whilst in custody. The play follows Brian’s bereaved family’s struggle for justice and resolution and asks, who will protect us for the protectors of society?
Directed by Gbemi Ikumelo, Custody tackles a vital subject, in a vivid, timely and authentic way. Black deaths in police custody are often assumed to be an American issue. Custody reminds us that they are not.
Inspired by Migrant Media’s banned cult documentary films Injustice and Who Polices the Police?, Custody draws on the real life experiences of families who have suffered from police injustice and from police stop and searches experienced by creator Urbain Wolf himself. Running time approx 90 minutes no interval. Contains strong language and sexual references. Age recommendation: 14+ “
Find out more here
2 May 2019
BELONGING AND UN-BELONGING IN THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE (MK GALLERY, MILTON KEYNES)
“Curated by Paul Gilroy, Cora Gilroy Ware and Ingrid Pollard
Programmed to complement The Lie of the Land, this daylong symposium will use performance, intergenerational conversation and deep listening to explore exclusion and the English countryside. First exhibited in 1987, Ingrid Pollard’s series Pastoral Interlude ushered a wave of reflections on the exclusion of black people from the English countryside. Now, over thirty years later, what, if anything, has changed? Do the marginalised people who traverse footpaths and bridleways still grapple with the threat of violence? Are they still subject to the same degree of scrutiny by those they encounter? Have emergent patterns of immigration and the vitriolic debates they bring forth redistributed the experience of exclusion? Is it enough to be included? Should we strive for something else? Looking back in time reveals that black artists before Pollard, particularly the neglected archive of folk musicians from migrant backgrounds, found ways of transcending the dilemma of exclusion through their practices. As concepts like ‘tradition’, ‘identity’ and ‘way of life’ continue to be abused to further a mainstreamed far-right politics, their legacies provide a means of enriching our understanding of how the desire to belong and the blocking of that desire has figured and continues to figure in the enjoyment of the English countryside.”
Schedule
10:30 Performance and introduction by Cora Gilroy-Ware
Part I: Being in the English Countryside
11:00 Panel discussion chaired by Cora Gilroy-Ware featuring:
Beth Collier, Director, Wild in the City, an organisation that supports the wellbeing of urban residents through connections to nature.
Gabriel Jamie, birdwatcher and ornithologist.
Vanessa Kisuule, Bristol City Poet, writer and performer.
13:00 Lunch
Part II: Claiming Belonging through Looking and Listening
14:00 Visual presentation by Ingrid Pollard
15:00 Listening session with Paul Gilroy
16:30 Break
17:00 Collaborative performance by the organisers
17:30 End
Find out more here
EVENTS ALREADY FEATURED ON BLACK EUROPE RESOURCES
Please see previous Events lists here or the Black & Asian Heritage Mix Newsletters here.
18 April – 6 May 2019 (Reminder)
2019 SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS EXHIBITION (SOMERSET HOUSE, LONDON)
“What You’ll See: The world’s best imagery from 2018 will be on show at Somerset House for the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition. With more than 800 images on display, this global photography exhibition presents all winning and shortlisted entries, including the Photographer of the Year, from this year’s Awards across its four competitions: Professional, Open, Youth and Student. From portraiture to landscape, architecture to wildlife and fine art to street photography, the selection is truly international in its scope. The exhibition opens to the public on Thursday 18 April and closes Monday 6 May. The display will then embark on a worldwide tour.
Alongside the main display will be an exclusive exhibition of work by recipients of the 2018 Professional and Student Grants, as well as the shortlist and winning imagery of the ZEISS Photography Award 2019. Another highlight not to miss is the carefully curated set of images from The Swap Project, an initiative between the World Photography Organisation and the Creativehub where the global photography community swapped their best prints with one another.
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY
A special curation of images and film by the Awards’ 2019 Outstanding Contribution to Photography recipient Nadav Kander will exhibited in the East Wing. Celebrated for his intriguing photographic practice, British artist Kander has released seven books, been included in almost 30 international exhibitions and in 2015 was awarded an Honorary Fellowship Award from the Royal Photographic Society. A unique selection of acclaimed and lesser-known series – including his varied portraiture, figure studies, landscape and moving image works – creates a substantial survey of Kander’s career. This is a rare opportunity to witness the artist’s varied imagery all in one space.”
Find out more here
Until 30 April 2019 (Reminder)
CONWAY HALL ETHICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS: WINDRUSH – BRENT’S PIONEERING GENERATION (CONWAY HALL, LONDON)
Photographic portraits by Nadia Nervo.
“ ‘Windrush – Brent’s Pioneering Windrush Generation’ traces the arrival of Empire Windrush and explores Brent’s Carribean Heritage through the eyes of its residents. Using photographic portraits and unique stories collected from residents, it celebrates 70 years of the United Kingdom’s Carribean diaspora. The ‘Windrush’ generation , named after the ship, Empire Windrush, which arrived at Tilbury docks, Essex on 22 June 1948 from the Caribbean. The passengers were invited to come to Britain to help with Britain’s post-war reconstruction. This event is seen as the beginning of immigration from the Caribbean that would go onto have such a profound and lasting effect on the culture, fashion and music of Britain. The people interviewed for the Windrush project came here to work in a wide variety of fields. Areas of work included: medicine, transport, industry, music, construction, entertainment, sport, politics and fashion. The intimate portraits of Brent’s Caribbean community by artist and photographer, Nadia Nervo offer an insight into their daily lives. Since receiving a master’s degree in Art Communication and Design from the Royal College of Art in 2003, Nervo has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions. Investigating the relationship between photographer and subject, Nervo often works with strangers to explore the nature of how connections are formed.”
Find out more here
2 May 2019 (Reminder)
EDWARD W. SAID LONDON LECTURE 2019: IS JUSTICE STILL POSSIBLE? PALESTINE, INTERNATIONAL LAW, AND PUBLIC DISCOURSE (THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, LONDON)
“The rights of Palestinians are enshrined in international laws and resolutions. Yet Israel and its supporters continually act against them. What can international law offer to change this reality? In the spirit of Edward Said whose demand for justice for the Palestinian people was unremitting, and to celebrate its tenth year, the Edward W Said Annual London Lecture brings together four world-renowned scholars; Wadie Said will chair a discussion with Susan M. Akram, Hassan Jabareen and Philippe Sands. They will examine the question of Palestine from an international legal perspective, and address the role of political discourse in the struggle for justice in Israel-Palestine.”
Find out more here
4-5 May 2019 (Reminder)
BARE LIT FESTIVAL 2019 (THE ALBANY, LONDON)
Bare Lit is a festival of stories, bringing together poets, journalists, playwrights and novelists. Join us for a weekend of readings and discussions, performances and debates, industry insights, networking and workshops. The festival is an initiative responding to the lack of inclusion of people of colour in the literature industries. Our research has shown that BAME audiences often feel excluded by the expense of these events. In 2015, the UK’s three largest literary festivals featured over 2000 authors. Of those 2000+ authors, only 4% were from Black Caribbean, Black African, South Asian or East Asian backgrounds, based on a report published by Spread The Word.
Find out more here
Until 5 May 2019 (Reminder)
DAVID ADJAYE: MAKING MEMORY (DESIGN MUSEUM, LONDON)
“How can a building shape our perception of events – and how can architecture, rather than words, be used to tell stories? Discover new monuments and memorials by celebrated British-Ghanaian architect, Sir David Adjaye OBE. Get a first peek at ongoing work and explore the influences behind the highly acclaimed Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. and more. Find out more about all seven projects here ‘The seven projects range from the grand and timeless to the tiny and temporary, the poetic to the bombastic’ The Times“
Find out more here
Until 6 May 2019 (Reminder)
KADER ATTIA: THE MUSEUM OF EMOTION (HAYWARD GALLERY, LONDON)
“Kader Attia’s first UK survey exhibition traces several strands of the artist’s work from the past two decades. Defining himself as an activist as well as an artist, Attia has over the past twenty years set out to create artworks that engage our capacity for thinking as well as feeling, and provoke what he calls a ‘real, fundamental dialogue’ about the world in which we live. In sculptures, installations, collages, videos and photographs that move ‘back and forth between politics and poetry’, Attia inventively explores the ways in which colonialism continues to shape how Western societies represent and engage with non-Western cultures, and offers a passionate critique of modern Western systems of control that define everything from traditional museology to the design of modernist social housing. A key group of works in The Museum of Emotion engage with the idea of repair as both a physical and symbolic act. These include objects ‘repaired’ by the artist using techniques and materials employed in certain non-Western cultures, as well as videos and large-scale installations that explore the way in which repair relates to psychological as well as physical injury, and to collective as well as individual trauma. In The Museum of Emotion, Attia transforms detailed research into compelling works of art, and at the same time probes the ways in which the museum itself might be transformed into a forum for emotional response, capable of eliciting, exploring and even harnessing strongly held feelings of anger, sorrow, joy and grief. This exhibition is supported by Qatar Museums Doha, Outset Contemporary Art Fund, The London Community Foundation and Cockayne – Grants for the Arts, Institut Français du Royaume-Uni and the Yanghyun Foundation.”
Find out more here
Read about this exhibition in the New York Times here
10 May – 15 June 2019 (Reminder)
WHITE PEARL By Anchuli Felicia King (THE ROYAL COURT THEATRE, LONDON)
“It’s just a fun ad. Now the whole world is going crazy.”
“In Singapore, Clearday™ has developed from a small start-up company to a leading international cosmetic brand in less than a year. But when a draft of the company’s latest skin cream advert is leaked, the video goes viral globally for all the wrong reasons. YouTube views are in the thousands and keep climbing; anger is building on social media; and journalists are starting to cover the story. This is an international PR nightmare; the company cannot be seen to be racist, they’ve got to get it taken down before America wakes up. “It’s on Buzzfeed. It’s on Buzzfeed. We’re not defending it.”
White Pearl marks writer Anchuli Felicia King’s international playwriting debut. She is a New York-based, multidisciplinary artist of Thai-Australian descent. Director Nana Dakin has previously assisted on Mary Jane (New York Theater Workshop, where she is a Directing Fellow) and Wild Goose Dreams (Public, NYC).
Theatre Dialogue Club: White Pearl Wed 12 Jun 7.45pm (free but ticketed)
Dialogue Theatre Club is open to anyone who likes watching theatre and chatting about it too. It’s a bit like a book group, but for plays: you buy your own ticket to see the show when suits you, then return to the theatre on the day of the club to discuss it with other audience-members. Co-hosted by Maddy Costa and Rhiannon Armstrong.
White Pearl by Anchuli Felicia King was developed with the assistance of Roundabout Theatre, Yellow Earth Theatre and Playwriting Australia’s National Play Festival 2018.
Find out more here
Until 19 June 2019 (Reminder)
ABOVE THE NOISE (THE NATIONAL SCIENCE AND MEDIA MUSEUM, BRADFORD)
“What happens when the mainstream media doesn’t speak for a community? How do people react when they feel their home town is misrepresented? For years, people in Bradford have been recording their own histories, forming cultural networks, and creating social change. Their stories show how established media can be bypassed or adapted. Above the Noise is an exhibition bringing together 15 stories from Bradford in a variety of forms—from words and photographs to sound installations and new artworks. We’ve collaborated with people who live and work in the district to explore how communities can shape their experience of the place in which they live.”
Find out more here
Read about the exhibition in the Guardian here
Until 17 November 2019 (Reminder)
YINKA SHONIBARE CBE (TATE MODERN, LONDON)
“The British Library [installation] highlights the impact of immigration on British culture and invites visitors to join in the discussion. Yinka Shonibare CBE was born, studied and lives in London, but grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 2019 and has added the title to his professional name. His dual identity as British-Nigerian has been the starting point for much of his work. This is particularly true for The British Library, which contains more than 6,000 books. Printed in gold on the spines of 2,700 of the books are the names of first or second-generation immigrants to Britain. Whether celebrated or lesser known, they have all made significant contributions to British culture and history. There are also books with the names of those who have opposed immigration. Other books are unmarked, suggesting that the story of immigration in Britain is still being written. The books are bound in African wax print fabric, the artist’s signature material. The history of this fabric reveals a complex relationship between colonialism, cultural appropriation and national identity. It was developed in the nineteenth century in the Netherlands as a mass-produced imitation of the batik dyeing process used in Indonesia, a Dutch colony at the time. The cheaper, machine-made textiles were poorly received in Indonesia. In West and Central Africa, however, they were quickly adopted and absorbed into local traditions. An important part of the installation is a website, which can be accessed from the tablets. It contains recent materials selected by the artist to present different viewpoints relating to immigration. You are invited to submit your own story, and a selection of visitors’ responses will be available to view on the website.”
Find out more here
Read about the installation on Artforum here
Until 30 November 2019 (Reminder)
SOUTHALL BLACK SISTERS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF STRUGGLE NOT SUBMISSION (VARIOUS VENUES)
“40 years ago, Southall Black Sisters (SBS) arose out of the anti-racist defence of Southall in 1979. We mapped out our political journey towards a secular, anti-racist feminism that both drew on and challenged the orthodoxies of the movements into which we were born. The challenge we set ourselves was two-pronged: we sought to address the failure of the anti-racist movement to deal with the gender question and the failure of the feminist movement to deal with the race question. In so doing, SBS emerged as one of the first black feminist campaigning groups in the UK to challenge both racism and sexism at the same time. 40 years on, and the challenges have grown. It is becoming increasingly difficult to hang on to the gains we have made in the face of inequality, austerity, racism and religious fundamentalism. We did not think that SBS would survive this long. It has been a long and arduous journey that has brought us from the margins to the centre of cutting edge activism, debates, laws and policies on race, religion and gender.”
Find out more here
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