Hackney Black History Season sees bumper programme of events honouring Black history and culture
Hackney is inviting residents to join together in celebration of Black history for the borough’s annual Black History Season from October to November 2024.
The season will feature a programme of nine community-run grant scheme funded events, many of which will honour this year’s national Black History Month theme ‘reclaiming narratives’. Community activities, including exhibitions, workshops, talks, music, comedy, poetry, film screenings and club nights, will be held alongside events curated by Hackney’s Library, Museum and Archive teams.
Hackney’s annual Black History Season will form part of Hackney's newly launched Black History Season 365, a year-round platform to provide resources, activities and acknowledgment of Black history and culture. Hackney Black History Season 365 will allow more opportunities for contribution from the Black community, and create better exposure of Council events and resources, recognising the significant legacy of Black and Global Majority communities in Hackney.
The 2024 Black History Season programme includes:
Onyeka Igwe Exhibition and Public Programme by PEER
28 Sept-14 Dec at Peer Gallery, 97-99 Hoxton Street, N1 6QL
A film and installation imagining a conversation between Black artists and activists including Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, CLR James, Sylvia Wynter, and George Padmore. The centrepiece of the exhibition is a 30-minute two-channel film, accompanied by a sculptural installation in Peer’s two galleries. Activities include workshops with Hackney Circle members.
A Series of Black-Led Events at Grow (working title) by GROW
1-20 Oct at Grow Hackney, Main Yard, 98C Wallis Road, Hackney Wick, E9 5LN
Cultural performances and talks by established artists such as Marcia Carr, Ovyuki, Rio Kai and Williams Cumberbache underpinned by the theme ‘Reclaiming the Narrative’. Including live jazz, Afro-Caribbean folklore with a focus on Rumba, panel discussions, poetry and spoken word. Free/ £5 with 20 free spaces at each event.
Bush Tea and Cake: Reclaiming the Narratives by St Michael and All Angels Church
4-25 Oct, every Friday, 6pm-7.30pm at St Michael and All Angels Church, Stoke Newington Common, N16 7ED
Music, comedy, poetry and a panel discussion. The shows will explore narratives about being Black British, Black Women, Black Men, and Black Youth.
54:60 Africa Weekender by Arcola Theatre
8 & 9 or 22 & 23 Nov at Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, London, E8 3DL
A series of free workshops and performances exploring and celebrating the 54 countries of Africa. The weekender features storytelling and food sessions to celebrate the African and Black communities of Hackney's. It includes music and dance to learn more about the experience of Black individuals in London, locally, nationally and internationally.
Reclaiming Black History - Poetry Coffee Mornings by The Amity Project London
9, 10, 16, 17, 23 & 24 Oct, 11.30am-12.30pm and 2pm-4pm at various venues
Poetry performances on the theme ‘Reclaiming Black History’ with sing-a-long and light refreshments to celebrate Black History Season. Specifically for older people 55+ marginalised, due to their physical and mental health, hard to reach members of the black community. Free. Ages 55+ (closed events within care homes)
Jungle Kitty: Queer Carnival by The Yard Theatre
12 Oct, 9pm-4am at The Yard Theatre, Unit 2A Queen's Yard, Hackney Wick, E9 5EN
A nightlife event celebrating Black Queer communities in Hackney Wick. The party will create a safe space for Hackney’s queer Caribbean community, which is home to the 4th largest Caribbean population and 5th largest LGBTQ+ population in London. Featuring DJs and musicians playing Caribbean music, dance performances, and voguing competitions.
If Mi Nuh Laugh Mi Cry: Comedy Roots by Reel Rebels Radio
15 Oct & 7 November Rio Cinema, 107 Kingsland High Street, Dalston, E8 2PB
Reel Rebels Radio explores African and Caribbean humour and satire as forms of community resilience, in Hackney and the wider UK across three events. Includes a Comedy Roots Exhibition; a panel discussion hosted by Comic-Laureate, Bobby Joseph; and a comedy night hosted by comedian and cultural producer, Selam Amare.
The Strip - A Visual Love Letter To Our Neighbourhood by Future Hackney
19-29 Oct at BSMT Inside Gallery, 529 Kingsland Road, Dalston, E8 4AR / 29 Oct-Aug 2025 at Dalston Lane, E8 3DF
A street and indoor photography gallery about Dalston and its radical past and present. The Strip is a visual love letter to the Hackney community who put the borough on the map. Future Hackney presents a range of images and stories from the Caribbean and Queer communities who have rich histories in the area. Photos, stories and sculptures. Free.
Steel Rhythms: Celebrating Black Hackney Heritage Through Pan Music by Pantonic Steel Orchestra
16 Nov at The Common Rooms, Clapton Commons, 1 Clapton Terrace, E5 9BW
An exhibition celebrating the cultural and historical legacy and contribution of the Pantonic Steel Orchestra in Hackney over the past 36 years. The event is built around a series of short stories of intergenerational participation and family experience within the orchestra, how this links directly with the origins of the Pantonic’s founders’ vision.
The new Hackney Black History 365 events page will be on the Love Hackney website . Residents can submit events to the page by filling out the Google form.
Hackney Council recognises that Black History is an integral part of our collective heritage and cannot be confined to a single month or season. The Mayor’s commitment to mark Black history all year-round fits with this year’s theme ‘Reclaiming Narratives’. Kicking off Hackney’s first Black History 365 programme lays the foundations to correct historical inaccuracies, tell untold stories, and celebrate excellence. By celebrating Black History all year round we hope to provide an even bigger platform for educators and community leaders to make meaningful and empowering contributions about the Black achievement in the borough and beyond.
Cllr Carole Williams, Cabinet Member for Equalities
While a 365 approach to acknowledging our Black History has long been in practice across the Council, Hackney Black History 365 will help pull this activity together for greater awareness of the historical and contemporary contributions made by the Black community to life in Hackney. Our new extended programme of events and activities will help highlight Hackney’s Black past, present and future all year, every year and amplify Black voices in the borough.
Cllr Chris Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Culture