In honour of Black History Month, we spoke to members of our network, DK Voices of Colo(u)r, about what they'll be tuning into this October.
Small Island by Andrea Levy (book)
An absorbing story of post-war Caribbean migration. We loved that this story has four very different narrators – Hortense and Gilbert, a husband and wife who migrate from Jamaica to London in 1948, and an English couple, Queenie and Bernard, in whose house they find lodgings. We learnt so much about the realities that communities faced when they arrived in England following their participation in the War.
About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge (podcast)
A great podcast from the author behind the bestselling Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race. There are only nine episodes, and the series came to a halt in 2018, but we found her conversations around race and its history so incredibly interesting. She talks to quite a few key voices, like Akala and Diane Abbott, about everything from growing up and university experiences, to intersectional feminism and political blackness.
The Missing Thread (exhibition)
An exhibition charting the influence that Black creativity in music, photography, art, design has had on British culture. With a specific focus on fashion, we're looking forward to seeing the archive of the late Joe Casely-Hayford in exhibition format - a rare treat to see a body of work all in one place of a renowned but little celebrated Black British fashion designer.- Somerset House, from 12th October
Challenging the Narrative: Black Resistance to Scientific Bias (exhibition)
An iteration of the Wellcome Collection's Genetic Automata exhibition, Black Resistance to Scientific Bias has been specially curated by the Black Cultural Archives and it explores how science has impacted our understanding on beauty, intelligence, mental health and policing across historic and contemporary society. We're particularly keen on seeing this exhibition because of the recent creation of the groundbreaking handbook, Mind the Gap, co-authored by Malone Mukwende, which provides images and data on how certain skin disorders present themselves on darker skin tones. We look forward to an increased volume of medical and scientific research being carried out that specifically takes genetics into account - and us all having a broader understanding of the differences. Because it is critical for accurate diagnoses.- Black Cultural Archives, 5th October - 28th January 2024
Untold Stories: Hair on Set (documentary)
British actress and film maker Fola Evans-Akingbola fronts this documentary which highlights the hidden struggles of being the wearer of afro hair on film and TV sets, due to the lack of professional stylists that were experienced in afro hair texture. For those with afro hair, we've been in many a situation where we've been made to feel different because of something so superficial as our hair, and we're interested to learn how industry professionals have navigated the challenging experiences they may have had around that, too. Created by Evans-Akingbola's own production company, the documentary has just been acquired by Sky TV, and has also lead to industry change with Sky Original Programming committing to ensuring inclusivity on their sets, and providing stylists that are appropriately trained for all hair textures and skin tones for the talent they are hiring.- Available from 1st October on Sky TV On Demand and NOW.
Start From Scratch (activity)
A free workshop for aspiring DJs from under represented communities taking place at renowned London nightclub, Fabric. Delivered by Pioneer DJ and in partnership with Kiss FM DJ Esi, the workshop will provide attendees with training and hands on experience with the latest DJing technology while celebrating the contributions of DJs of colour world-wide. Aimed at both newcomers to DJing and those who want to polish their skills.- Fabric, 18th October
Message in the Music (radio broadcast)
Co-Founder of Black History Studies Mark Simpson takes to the airwaves with a two-hour set of Reggae music, exploring the themes and messages delivered through the rich history of this world famous musical genre. For those of us who grew up with reggae music being played we were always aware of the conscious-laden lyrics. It will be really interesting to hear some of the songs analysed and explored in this way this month.- Colourful Radio, every Monday 10pm - midnight
The Night Woman (theatre)
A new play about Black womanhood told through a fusion of dance, singing and live music. Julene Robinson is an award-winning theatre maker and performance artist. This new work of hers was developed through the Barbican Centre's Open Lab programme and is now a fully fledged production that brings together a myriad of performance disciplines portraying three different women across three generations up to the present day. - The Pit at The Barbican, 19th - 21st October