This October, New Art Exchange will present a diverse mix of events to mark Black History Month.
This October, New Art Exchange will present a diverse mix of events to mark Black History Month. We invite you to join us in remembering and readdressing the rich history, culture and heritage of Black communities, and celebrate the positive contributions made by Black citizens that have shaped British culture.
This year’s Black History Month marks the fiftieth anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, a perfect time, according to Glenis Williams, Community and Engagement Officer at New Art Exchange, to stop and reflect.
“Black History Month has become one of a few vehicles where we can stop, reflect and focus our cultural programming. A time where African and African Caribbean people can drive and continue to commemorate their presence and achievements in Britain and the rest of the world,” she said.
“New Art Exchange champions Black History Month because remembering this history is not only an important journey but remembering key milestones of the past can only strengthen and inform our future.”
On 10th October, NAE’s VOCAL event will explore issues that affect African/African Caribbean communities in Nottingham. All are encouraged to engage with this critical discussion by asking questions, responding to comments, and listening to the perspectives of academics, professionals and community members. The event will be opened by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Mertilla Byran.
On 11th October, New Art Exchange will screen Better Mus’ Come, an award-winning film from Storm Saulter. Better Mus’ Come is a tale of rebellion, revolution, struggle and redemption, set in Jamaica during the political turmoil of the late 1970’s in the climatic lead up to Green Bay Massacre. The films protagonist, Ricky, is caught in conflict between his dishonourable role as a brutal gang leader, and his ambition to protect his neighbourhood and loved ones from the surrounding strife. The story weaves between a dazzling love story, and the poverty, violence and tragedy scarring Jamaican history.
On 14th October, John Akomfrah’s highly- acclaimed documentary Stuart Hall Project, screens at Broadway cinema. In the film, Akomfrah recognises the accomplishments of Stuart Hall, a Jamaican-born academic based in England, who was influential in founding cultural theory as a discipline. Through Stuart Hall’s own words and archived historical footage, the film explores the very nature of memory, identity and culture. The Stuart Hall Project is a single screen re-working of The Unfinished Conversation previously exhibited at New Art Exchange. Roger Bromley, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Studies at the University of Nottingham, will introduce this screening.
24th October marks the launch of NAE’s exhibition of Caribbean photographs and memories, Caribbean Through a Lens. For this exhibition, NAE invited members of Nottingham’s Caribbean community, including young people and elders, to reimagine photographs from the National Archive through expressing personal memories, feelings, and stories. The project gives the community the opportunity to reclaim and retell history their own personal histories, capturing the things that truly deserve to be shared and remembered.
If you would like to attend any of New Art Exchange’s events, please book in advance by calling 01159248630, or by purchasing tickets through the website www.nae.org.uk. Tickets for the Stuart Hall Project can be purchased through Broadway by calling 0115 9526 611 or by visiting http://www.broadway.org.uk.
Summary of venues, dates and times of Black History Month Events
VOCAL: Black History Month Question Time
10th October 2013, 6.30pm- 8.30pm
New Art Exchange
Admission: Free
All are welcome
Better Mus’ Come
11th October, 7pm- 8.45pm
New Art Exchange
Admission: £4.50 (£3 concession)
Age range: 16+
Stuart Hall Project
14th October, 6pm
Broadway, 14- 18 Broad Street, Nottingham, NG1 3AL
Admission: £7 (£5 concessions, £4 under 16’s)
Age range: 12A
Caribbean Through a Lens
24th October- 4th January
Launch Event: Thursday 24th October, 5pm- 7pm
New Art Exchange
Admission: Free
All are welcome
