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BLACK HISTORY Month Celebrate & Discover 1 - 31 October 2013 • Across Reading
Guide to what’s on in reading this october
www.reading.gov.uk/whatson 0118 937 2771
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#bhmrdg
The history... Black History Month was established in the USA by Dr. Carter G Woodson, a black American historian who created a month (February) for African American people to have the opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge themselves and their achievements. In England, Black History Month was first celebrated in October 1987, African Jubilee year, as part of a drive to improve racial harmony in London. It has since grown to encompass the whole country and to recognise and embrace the contributions and traditions of other black communities.
02
Looking After Your Mental Health & oct Wellbeing 7pm - 9pm
R.I.S.C, 35-39 London Street, Reading, RG1 4PS Shirley Anstis (counsellor and author) in collaboration with Devana will share research and stories on looking after your mental health. Come and hear the best advice on how you can live with more joy and less stress.
05
Saturday
2
3pm - 5pm
Zerodegrees, 9 Bridge Street, Reading RG1 2LR Come and learn to dance the basics of modern Caribbean and African styles, hosted by a local professional dancer and choreographer. We will be playing a great selection of Afrobeats and Soca as a dance setlist. N.B Participants are advised to wear comfortable sportswear and footwear for the dance session.
For further information contact
Suitable for ages: 16-25 years old £6 Adults and £4 Students and Concessions
www.livingbeingdoing.com
oct
Saturday 5 October 2013
Suitable for ages 18-65 Entry: Free
07809829914
05
Celebrate & Discover
Caribbean Fusion & Afrobeats Dance oct Workshop
Saturday
Wednesday
WEDNESDAY 2 october 2013
BLACK HISTORY Month
For further information contact 0753 564 8879 reggaedavia@hotmail.com
Caribbean & African Entertainment Night Saturday 5 October 2013 8pm to 12 Midnight
Zerodegrees (Upper Floor), 9 Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LR An evening of entertainment of the Caribbean and African Diaspora. Live Soca and Reggae performances. DJ Real and other top local DJ’s will host the evening with classic tracks. Suitable for ages 16 - 75 £8 Adults and £6 Students and Concessions For further information or to book your place contact 07540 594984
05 oct
08 oct
Jerk Chicken Comedy Night
Saturday 5 October 2013 Rising Sun Arts Centre, 30 Silver Street, Reading, RG1 2ST Spicy, full of flavour: stand-up comedy night hosted by Joel Israel, featuring known and notso-known comedians. Plus BBQ’d Jerk Chicken on sale before the show – food served from 6.30pm, show at 8pm.
Tuesday
Saturday
Doors 6:30pm, 8pm
Readipop present Afro Drum 101
Tuesday 8 October 2013 Doors 8pm
South Street Arts Centre, 21 South Street, Reading, RG1 4QU Participants of Afro Drum 101 spend an evening exploring hand drumming inspired by African and Afro-Latin rhythms and get to experiment with a range of drums including djembes, dun dun, bells and shakers. All drums and instruments are provided. Tickets: £7 in advance, £8 on the door
Entry: £3 (food not included). For further information contact 0118 986 6788 or info@risingsun-artscentre.co.uk
Reading Arts Box Office 0118 960 6060
www.readingarts.com
Facebook: TheRisingSunArtsCentre Twitter: @RisingSunArts
www.risingsun-artscentre.co.uk
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09 oct Wednesday
11 oct
Politics & the Hard to Reach Wednesday 9 October 2013 6pm - 9pm
Kennet Room, Civic Centre, Reading, RG1 7AE Panel discussion with Politicians and members of the public. Whether you’re interested in politics or not, it impacts on all of our lives. This event provides an opportunity to discuss politics and the impact on marginalised groups. Rather than just discussing political issues amongst your friends and family, come and join a lively debate and put your questions to a panel following a “Question-Time” format. Discuss what leading local politicians can do for you and what you can do for them. Entry: Free For further information contact 0118 953 3713
www.urbanuk.net
Doc Brown: Of Mic & Men
Friday 11 October 2013 Concert Hall, Reading Town Hall, Blagrave Street Rapper turned comedian Doc Brown, is back with his tongue in cheek take on hip hop culture. A regular on the London comedy circuit and appearances on ‘Russell Howard’s Good News’, ‘The Inbetweeners’, ‘Rev’, ‘Derek’, ‘Miranda’ and ‘The Office Revisited’, Doc is a must see act. ‘If Brown keeps mining this rich seam of hiphop comedy, his fame should look after itself’ Guardian ‘Sharp punch lines, imaginative devices and knows more than a thing or two about timing’ The Metro ‘A seamless mix of truly inspired hip-hop and stand-up. He’s a total star... an utter joy’ Time Out
Tuesday
Friday
8pm
15 oct
Film showing: Wadjda (PG)
Tuesday 15 October 2013 7.30pm seminar, 8.00pm film
Palmer Building, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6UR The University of Reading and Reading Film Theatre are delighted to present this special film screening, with a pre-film seminar to be given by Reading academic Professor Lúcia Nagib (Department of Film, Theatre & Television). Suitable for ages: 12 + Tickets: £7.50 / £5.50 (members and concessions) For further information contact
0118 378 7151
www.readingfilmtheatre.co.uk
Tickets: £14 Reading Arts Box Office 0118 960 6060
www.readingarts.com
16
oct
Wednesday
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Employability & Race
Wednesday 16 October 2013 6pm 9pm
Kennet Room, Civic Centre, Reading, RG1 7AE Urban UK Networks’ event is to explore the reasons behind the sharp rise in unemployment figures nationally for young black men and to see if there is something we can do locally to improve the situation. ‘More than one in four of black 16 to 24-year-olds are currently out of work. Young black men are more likely to be unemployed than any other ethnic group’. Trade Union Congress report Suitable for employers and perspective employees. Entry: Free For further information contact 0118 953 3713
16 oct
Public Lecture: What is wrong with slavery?
Wednesday 16 October 2013 Palmer Building, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6UR Part of the University of Reading’s Public Lecture Series. Reading academic Professor David Owens (Department of Philosophy) will explore the social and philosophical questions of slavery. Suitable for ages: 17+ Entry: free For further information contact
Thursday
Wednesday
8pm
17 oct
0118 378 4313
www.reading.ac.uk/publiclectureseries
Eric Bibb
Thursday 17 October 8pm The Hexagon, Queens Walk, Reading An Eric Bibb performance is an enriching experience, both musically and spiritually. Giving his audiences songs from a beautifully realized repertoire of soulful, gospel-infused folk blues, he has no problem melding a traditional rootsy American style with a subtle contemporary sensibility. As one critic wrote: ‘Eric’s singing and versatile guitar playing fuses a variety of genres to become a New World Blues’ Tickets: £24 Reading Arts Box Office 0118 960 6060
www.readingarts.com
17 oct
Catfish Keith
Thursday 17 October 2013 Doors 8pm
A new face to Blues Club but a long term favourite on the Blues circuit, Catfish Keith has a wide, rangy style of bottleneck guitar that takes you directly to the backwoods of America. The regular and much loved Blues night at South Street continues on the third Thursday of the month with the very best national and local Blues artists.
Friday
Thursday
South Street Arts Centre, 21 South Street, Reading, RG1 4QU
18 oct
An Evening of Poetry & Spoken Word Friday 18 October 2013 7.30pm to 9.30pm
Dickens Bar, The George Hotel, Broad Street, Reading, RG1 2HE Local poets will perform their own work and recognise famous African and Caribbean poets. There will also be an opportunity to write and present your own poetry. African and Caribbean music will accompany the poetry and instruments will be on display.
Dave Raphael Band Thursday 21 November, doors 8pm
Suitable for ages: 16+ £3.00 entry, booking advised
Sam Kelly Blues Band Thursday 19 December, doors 8pm
For further information or to book your place contact 07540594984
Tickets for each show £10, £7.50 members Reading Arts Box Office 0118 960 6060
www.readingarts.com
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18 oct
Stand-Up Cinema presents: Benda Bilili!
(2010, Renaud Barret, Florent de la Tullaye)
7.30pm
Rising Sun Arts Centre, 30 Silver Street, Reading, RG1 2ST Benda Bilili (‘Benda Bilili’ means ‘look beyond appearances’ in Lingala) is a Kinshasa street band, four of whose members are disabled. During the shooting of this documentary, which took five years, Staff Benda Bilili went from impoverished street musicians to a band of worldwide acclaim. It’s about talent triumphing over adversity. Barret and de La Tullaye’s eye for detail keep the film witty and surprising and the camera captures the social cut-and-thrust of urban Kinshasa, before reflecting the group’s wonder at a wider world they had previously only imagined. Benda Bilili! received standing ovations when it opened at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, with the group in attendance. £4 (includes free popcorn). Bar open. For further information contact 0118 986 6788 or info@risingsun-artscentre.co.uk
Saturday
Friday
Friday 18th October 2013
19 oct
The Reading Dushera Festival Saturday 19 October 2013 2.30pm - 9.30pm Thameside Promenade, Richfield Avenue, Reading Reading Hindu Centre celebrates the worldwide festival of Dushera one of the highlights of the Hindu calendar. The event marks the end of the tenth day of the battle between Lord Rama and rebel king Ravana, in which Lord Rama secured a victory and rescued his wife Sita. The festival of Dushera is often known as Vijaya Dashmi (Vijay means victory and Dashmi is the tenth day). The victory signifies the victory of good over evil. On the day of Dushera an effigy of King Ravana is burned ceremoniously. This year’s celebration in Reading will include cultural entertainment, fun fair rides, fireworks, food stalls, and will culminate in a bonfire around the effigy of the demon king Ravana. Entry: Free
www.readinghindutemple.com
Facebook: TheRisingSunArtsCentre Twitter: @RisingSunArts
www.risingsun-artscentre.co.uk
22 oct
Kathy Chater - Untold histories: black people in England & Wales 1660-1800 Tuesday 22 October 2013
Tuesday
7.30pm
Battle Library, 420 Oxford Road, Reading, RG30 1EE There have been black people in Britain since Roman times. A few are famous, but most just lived ordinary lives. So who were they, what kind of lives did they live and how did they fit into society? And however do we track them down after 300 years? Dr Kathleen Chater tells some of their stories. Suitable for adults only £4 (£3 to library members) For further information contact 0118 901 5950 or libraryevents@reading.gov.uk
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24 oct
Diversity Day 2013: Launch event for Alliance for Cohesion & Racial Equality (ACRE) Thursday 24 October 2013
Thursday
6pm- 9.30pm
Great Hall, University of Reading, London Road, Reading RG6 6UR (parking available at rear of the building) This will be a participatory style event including a conference, concert and exhibition where key stakeholders that would make up the EA will be invited to ‘display’ and promote what they do for the community. We will be exploring issues and solutions around making equality and diversity more acceptable in Reading; and what needs to be done to further promote youth engagement and participation. Young people will feature in the presentations. Acre is a newly set up community led infrastructure organisation with responsibility for promoting equality across the nine protected strands (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, and sexual orientation). Acre will also be working to promote community cohesion through integration, engagement and empowerment. Entry: Free For further information, contact 0118 951 0279
info@acre-reading.org
25 oct
Teaching Identities:
Engaging with literary representations of 'race', racism & ethnicity Friday 25 October 2013 10am - 3:30pm
Friday
Whiteknights Campus, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AA This workshop offers A-Level teachers of English Literature a forum to reflect on reading and teaching texts that enquire into the construction of ‘race’, the practices of racism and the representation of ethnic difference. This workshop is aimed at A-Level teachers. Entry: Free, booking essential For further information contact 0118 378 7837
www.reading.ac.uk/english-literature
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27
13th Annual Black History Gospel oct Celebration
Sunday
Sunday 27 October 2013 Doors Open 5:30pm
The Globe, 12 Portman Road Reading, RG30 1EA Come and join in the celebrations at this year’s event. A great line up awaits to bless you with performances from; DCYZ-Youth Zone The Globe Singers & Band, Carlene Davies (Gospel Reggae Artist), Volney Morgan & New-Ye (Choir) Saxophonist- Kemmuel Spence History presentations Comedy and much more!! Exhibition hall will be open: Refreshments, Stalls, Memorabilia on sale Entry: Free For more information contact 0118 950 8534 or 0798 873 5714, bhmcelebration@hotmail.co.uk Find us on Facebook, search ‘Black History Celebration at the Globe’.
www.thedeliverancecentre.org.uk
27 oct
International Fostering Fun Day Sunday 17 October 2013 1:30pm- 4.30pm
The MAPP Centre, 22-24 Mount Pleasant, Reading, RG1 2TD
Sunday
This event are aimed at foster carers, children and any members of the public who are interested in Fostering or just want to enjoy themselves. The event is being held to celebrate the cultural diversity of the looked after children in Reading and promote awareness of the needs of those from different ethnic backgrounds. It offers a fun packed afternoon which will include African, Asian and Caribbean Foods and drinks, a bouncy castle, multicultural books and artefacts, face painting, henna, taekwondo demonstrations, a raffle and lots more. If you are interested in fostering the recruitment team will be available to provide information and answer any questions. It will finish with performances from young people who will have the opportunity to share and celebrate their culture and heritage via poetry, spoken word, singing, dancing, and drama. Entry: Free For further information contact Jackie on 07846362355
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Change their life & your life Become a foster carer Call 0118 937 3740 or visit us online
www.reading.gov.uk/fostering facebook.com/FABerks @FABerks
Monday 28 & Tuesday 29 October 2013 Palmer Park Sports Stadium, Wokingham Road, Reading
Come along to this popular annual football event to celebrate Black History Month and the Life of Arthur Wharton (the first black professional footballer in Britain). The event is open to all and everyone will be welcome, why not come along and support the stars of the future. For further information regarding please call Charles Carrington: 07941 539807
04 NOV
Archives & Texts: Exploring Black British Women's Theatre
Monday
Monday 4 November 2013 5pm - 6.30pm
HUMSS (Humanities & Social Sciences) Building, University of Reading, Whiteknights Campus, Reading, RG6 6UR This seminar will explore the hidden history of black British women’s theatre, showcasing visual and textual material from various public and private archive collections. Refreshments will be provided. Suitable for ages: 13+ Entry: Free For further information contact 0773 281 2649
archivesandtexts.wordpress.com
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31 oct Thursday
28 29 oct
The Arthur Wharton Memorial Football oct Festival
The Story of Steel Pan
Thursday 31 October 2013 Doors 7.30pm Show 8pm-9.30pm
South Street Arts Centre, 21 South Street, Reading, RG1 4QU CultureMix Arts presents the Story of Steel Pan, a celebratory concert featuring Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra. Meet the musicians and even have a go at playing the steel pan instruments at this fun filled family event. Ideal for families with children 9 years upwards. ÂŁ5, booking recommended. For further information contact:
0118 937 3456
www.culturemixarts.co.uk
Unity Live Radio Unity Live Radio is Readings first Internet Radio station playing music of Black origin from R&B to reggae, gospel, dance and much more, all by local DJ’s. October 2013 will see our whole programme dedicated to Black history month so why not tune in.
www.unityliveradio.com
Tony Fernandez Radio Show on Reading4U Africa4U Radio Show is the Radio Show for Africans and Caribbean’s broadcasted live from Reading. Every Tuesday Tony interviews role models making a difference to the lives of others and as part of Black History Month will be promoting the good causes of people in Reading who have projects, initiatives and social events that people should know about.
www.reading4u.co.uk
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BLACK HISTORY Month Celebrate & Discover
#bhmrdg
www.reading.gov.uk/whatson 0118 937 2771 Every effort was made to ensure that details in the diary were correct at the time of going to press. However Reading Borough Council cannot accept responsibility for any changes, amendments and cancellations of any events or activities listed, nor any inaccuracies which may have been printed in error.