Films
Performing Black Bodies in White Spaces:Films and talk to explore how African Descendants across the Diaspora use dance to celebrate their African heritage
Saturday 13 October 6pm to 9pm
Peckham Plex Cinema, Rye Lane, SE15. British Rail Peckham Rye
Admission: Free but must book http://performingblackbodies.eventbrite.com/
or phone 020 7525 3415
A screening of films ‘Temporary Sanity: The Skerrit Boy Story’ that features Jamaican dance culture in New York. Followed by ‘Ebony Goddess: Queen of Ile Aiye’, about Brazilian women resisting European beauty standards with dance. The talk will be delivered by Dr Nathalie Montlouis and guests who will explore the perception of African/Caribbean traditional and modern dance and their portrayal in the mainstream media; followed by discussion and performances by Caribbean dance group Zil'Oka .
Delivered in association with Images of Black Women Film Festival and Black History Walks.Part of Southwark Council's Black History Month 2012 programme.
Skerrit Boy:
A documentary produced by Dan Bruun in 2006 as part of his Visual Anthropology Masters at, University of Manchester. The film explores the cultures, gendered performances and political expressions that form part of Jamaican Dance Hall in New York. By following 'Skerrit Bwoy' a Bronx based performer and promoter of Dance Hall music, the film gives an insider's view into the dancing, history and social roles of Dance Hall clubs in the lives of the Jamaican and Caribbean Diaspora in the United States
Ebony Goddess
This documentary follows three women competing to be the carnival queen of Ilê Aiyê, a prominent and controversial Afro-Brazilian group with an all-black membership. The selection is based on Afro-centric notions of beauty, in counterpoint to prevailing standards of beauty in Brazil, a country famous for slim supermodels and plastic surgery. Contestants for the title of Ebony Goddess dress in flowing African-style garments, gracefully performing traditional Afro-Brazilian dances to songs praising the beauty of black women
Q and A with
Dr. Lez Henry is a Social Anthropologist who lectured in the Department Of Sociology, Goldsmiths College. He is also is a writer, public speaker and community activist. The author of a number of books on race, culture, history, music and politics Shantelle George is a PhD Student in History of Africa and its Diaspora at SOAS.Her work is based on the. experiences and cultural legacies of the West and Central African immigrants forcibly sent to Grenada and St. Lucia in the mid-nineteenth century.
Nathalie Montlouis shares her doctoral research on African-Caribbean dances and their potential positive effects on the self esteem of people of African descent. She will demonstrate how mainstream medias are doing a symbolic violence to women and men of African decent and how this violence can be counteracted through dance and music. From short music videos, discussion on issues around “the Dancehall queen”, “the righteous woman”, what is “dirty dancing”; to live traditional Caribbean dance demonstration by Zil’Oka with an examination of similarities to African dances and culture by choreographer Madee Ngo, this event will aims to prove how important it is to create and celebrate one's own standards.
Madee Ngo performer, choreographer and teacher, based in London. A native Congolese who grew up in France and graduated with a degree in choreographic art and show critic expertise. Madee has a huge understanding of the dances from the African diaspora as well as the issues linked to practicing these dances, the representation and the cultural aspects into each style. Founder the African dance workout Active Afro Training.
Dr Lez Henry speaks on his new book CARRY-BEYOND REFLECTIONS
Thursday 27 September
Pimlico Academy
Lupus Street, SW1
Tube: Pimlico, Victoria line (5 mins walk)
Entry: £5.00 Pay on the door, first come first served
Dr Lez is one of the pioneers of 'edutainment' and has been a goal model for Black History Walks and many other history providers. He has delivered numerous sell out interactive presentations and on this day he will 'freestyle' and 'sample' from his his new book.
Dr. William 'Lez' Henry (Lezlee Lyrix) is one of the pioneer, British, Reggae-dancehall Deejays and a Social Anthropologist who lectured in the Department Of Sociology, Goldsmiths College . Dr. Henry is a researcher, consultant and staff trainer for Nu-Beyond Ltd: Learning By Choice!
His research direction seeks to use cultural history as an educational tool to assist our contemporary understanding of many of the problems that affect the various communities in Britain.
Dr. Henry is a founder member of the National Independent Education Coalition (NIEC) who held the 1st annual STOP BLAMING THE CHILDREN - Raising Achievement Through Partnership: Parent, Teacher and Child in 2006 . He is also a founder member of The Black Fathers' Support Group and meets weekly to discuss all aspects of parenting.
He also has an impressive international profile as a public speaker and has delivered talks at various institutions, including: The African American Studies Department, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA: Department of Humanities, Washington DC, USA: African And African American Studies Program, University Of Oklahoma: Tulsa, USA. University Of The West Indies, Department of Literature-Reggae Studies Unit, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica, WI: University of Gothenburg: Centre for Cultural Studies, Gothenburg, Sweden.Queens University Belfast: Department of Ethnomusicology, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Howard University
The Michael Jackson Story: Video History breakdown with Andrew Muhammad The Investigator
Friday 21 and 28 September 7pm to 9pm
Pimlico Academy
Lupus Street, SW1
Tube: Pimlico Victoria line (5 mins walk)
Entry: £7.00 Pay on the door, first come first served.
The Hidden Truth on Michael Jackson..... Who was Michael, was he a ... threat to the so-called'Illuminati', was he murdered and was his doctor just a pawn in a bigger darker plot, was Michael a 'sell out'? What did he do for the Civil Rights and Black Power movement, did he really honour the ancestors ? How important was he to world history? Did he see himself as black?
All of these questions will be answered and much more. For those who know the Investigator's approach hold on to your seats its going to be a rocky ride !
Since 1994 Andrew has been conducting Hidden Truth Tours nationwide and internationally to Kemet (Egypt), Tunisia, Ireland and Spain. Andrew Muhammad has also designed what is widely known as the ‘Hidden Truth Movie Breakdown’. This delivery is based on the Chinese proverb that a picture paints a thousand words.. More info on Andrew Muhammad here
http://www.theinvestigator.org.uk/about.html
A portrait of the legendary Nigerian black consciousness superstar Fela Kuti in his spectacular prime in the mid-80s. Filled with rare and performance footage, it offers insight into his philosophy and religion and his battles against political corruption. Shortly after his release from prison Fela participated in a huge festivity organized by Amnesty alongside Bono and Carlos Santana. For the first time in 17 years he was back in New York, but this time everything was put down on tape. Director and producer Jaheed Ashley synthesized the 10 hours of film reels that were stored in a vault and meant to be destroyed into this movie. From the press conference where he expounded his political idea's to the reception in Harlem, just about every Afro-American luminary in the New York area, from Don Cherry (Neneh Cherry's father) to jazz giant Roy Ayers, came and paid respect to the one and only Fela. Keep in mind this was before the Internet or Broadway, in a time that the charts were dominated by artists like Cindy Lauper and Phil Collins.
PLUS : Ancestral Voices
An educational documentary spanning two continents, opening up a much-needed debate about traditional African spiritual systems; their cosmologies, ideologies and underlying ethical principles.Modern science no longer refutes the origins of mankind being in Africa and similarities in the cosmological ideologies of African esoteric systems with those found many established world religions today, suggest that it was not only people that migrated, but also concepts and themes that then provided bedrock for the formation of other systems of belief. A range of individuals of different faiths in the United Kingdom share their knowledge of these esoteric systems and their perceptions of them in light of other established religions and mainstream media coverage.Traditional shamans from the Greater Accra, Eastern and Ashanti regions in Ghana also provide religous insight. After the films we join Virgo Foundation in the Blue Room for Q and A with special guests including Rikki Stein (Fela's ex-manager) with actor Wale Ojo (Meet the Adebanjos)
African Animations Forum
Sunday 5th August 3.30-5.30pm
Pimlico Academy
Lupus Street, SW1
Tube: Pimlico, Victoria line (5 mins walk)
Entry: £7.00 adults £5 kids Pay on the door, first come first served.
Two hours of non stop cartoons combined with a black history quiz . Educational fun for adults and kids alike. Cartoons include:
Kwame lives in New York but has been given superpowers by the ancient Egyptian Auset. He has to recharge his superpowers by studying history and must use them to fight the Media Monster
Bel an African village woman has her children kidnapped by Aliens, she becomes a super-soldier and with her secret weapon goes off to outer space to rescue them.
Bino and Fino: produced in Nigeria this brother and sister live in the city and find out about colonialism, african food and culture in their adventures.
Anansi the spider gets into trouble over a pot of beans
Plus 6 other cartoons from all over the world with positive images of black people
Plus Captain America's Black History !