A month of activities celebrating the lives and achievements of both local communities and international heroes is planned at Central Library for this year’s Black History Month.
Plays, performances, poetry workshops, exhibitions and film screenings are all included in the programme, which takes full advantage of the library’s new Performance Space.
Two poetry workshops led by Commonword and Young Identity (Monday 13 October, 1 -2:30pm & 3 – 4:30pm) will use the work of Maya Angelou as inspiration to help attendees as they create their own poetry. Workshop participants will be encouraged to share their work at an open mic session (5:30 – 7:45pm), which is also open to others on a first-come, first-served basis. Seasoned poets and beginners are welcome to perform, or just to listen.
‘Call Mr Robeson’, performed by actor and singer Tayo Aluko, is a roller-coaster journey through Paul Robeson’s remarkable life as an actor, singer and civil rights campaigner. The play features much fiery oratory and some of Robeson’s famous songs, including a dramatic rendition of Ol’ Man River (Tuesday 14 October, 6 – 8pm).
The film ‘Moving Memories: Tales From Moss Side And Hulme’ (Monday 20 October, 6 – 7pm) focuses on people of Caribbean, Sikh and Irish heritage, covering the period from the 1950s to the 1980s. It mixes historic BBC footage held at the North West Film Archive with contemporary interviews, allowing local people to tell the story in their own words. The screening will also include a Q&A with producer and director Karen Gabay.
Kumbu Kumbu (Monday 27 October, 1 – 3pm), a live performance from Tameside African Refugee Association, takes you on a show-stopping journey through African dance, culture and history. This event, which begins with poetry and storytelling, includes 20 dancers, a traditional costume fashion show and live music and drumming. Bring the whole family along to see the Traditional African Masquerade Ball, take part on the African drumming workshops, or watch the culture clash of African and Western tapdancing.
Black History Month events in Central Library throughout October are all free.
Pre-booking is recommended to avoid disappointment. For more information or to book your free place at an event, visit www.archivesplus.org/events.
