Featuring everything from side-splitting comedy nights and creative workshops to stirring theatre and captivating lectures on race and the climate crisis, Manchester’s Black History Month calendar is packed with celebration, reflection and recognition of the black community in the city and beyond.
This year’s Black History Month theme, ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, aims to to shift focus from one-sided renderings of Black identity – often reduced to stories of slavery and the civil rights struggle – instead retelling the unique histories and enriched cultures of people from African and Caribbean backgrounds, while recognising and correcting the untold stories of Black Mancunian history and culture.
Throughout the month, Ducie Street Warehouse’s Reel Talk screens a series of inspiring, uplifting and profoundly insightful films created by or featuring black and POC actors and directors, curated to ignite meaningful conversations around identity and representation in cinema.
Staged in partnership with Mindseta, a Manchester-based organisation dedicated to cultural transformation, the Reel Talk film schedule includes vibrant London rom-com Rye Lane (Mon 7 Oct), the haunting yet triumphant The Colour Purple (Mon 14 Oct), Rapman’s affecting gangland drama Blue Story (Wed 23 Oct) and the iconic British dancehall musical, Babymother (Mon 28 Oct).
From poetry and talks to painting sessions and curator socials, Aviva Studios’ October programme offers a uniquely diverse celebration of Black history with a sprawling selection of events running until the 31st.
Guests are invited to honour the formative figures of Black history through spoken word, poetry and music at free Poetry Place events, explore Black Joy at Sip and Paint, celebrate the sounds of Manchester’s Black music scene with Sounds of the Diaspora and much more.
Check out the full programme below.
Ideal for families looking to connect with local neighbourhood history while exploring the meaning of Black History Month in an accessible way, Sale Library’s creative writing and family crafts day invites guests for an engaging, insightful workshop which honours the legacies of Trafford’s influential Black figures through storytelling and hands-on activities.
This event is free to attend – simply book your slot below.
Promising a night of ‘rip-roaring, back-slapping belly laughs’ featuring sets from decorated comedians including Prince Abdi (Comedy Central, ITV), Limahl Germain (Comedy Central Live), Kat B (BBC, MTV) and Kyrah Gray (Netflix, Comedy Central Live), COBO’s Comedy Shutdown takes over the legendary Frog & Bucket with a one-off Black History Month Special on Sun 20 Oct.
Book tickets below.
On Wed 23 Oct, Manchester Museum hosts a screening of Fehinti Balogun’s timely, innovative recontextualisation of the emergent climate catastrophe, Can I Live?
Devised as a personal journey infused with spoken word, rap, theatre, animation and science, Balogun’s revelatory film unpicks the complex foundations of the global environmental crisis, illuminating the inextricable relationship between oppression, social justice and ecological collapse, while sharing how he as a young Black British man has discovered his place in the climate movement.
After the screening, two facilitated community discussion spaces will examine the true meaning of Climate Justice and how we can begin to establish greater understanding and solidarity across environmental movements.
The screening is free with tickets. Book yours below.
On Thu 24 Oct, inclusive non-profit organisation Sharing and Caring Rochdale hosts an evening of culture, celebration and community spirit with its 7th Black History Month Special, this time developed around the global theme of ‘Reclaiming Narratives’.
Free to attend and perfect for all ages, the uplifting local event features an array of activities and performances including cultural displays, games, music, dance, drama, poetry, food, face-painting and more.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Mon 7 Oct 2024
Hailed as ‘thoughtful, thought-provoking and ultimately inspiring’ by WhatsOnStage, Feelgood Theatre’s award-winning production Slave: A Question of Freedom celebrates the indomitable human spirit with a tale of oppression, liberation and storied Nuba culture while asking urgent, necessary questions about how we can help enslaved people today.
Set between the mountains of Sudan and the streets of London, Slave follows the life of a young girl, Mende Nazer, from her innocent childhood to enslavement and ultimate escape to freedom through a mesmerising blend of storytelling, music and dance.