Life in Colour No.20 Mar 2010 by Level 7 Media

London’s First Multicultural Listings Guide Over 500,000 Monthly Readers

Issue 20 • Mar 2010

Entertainment L i s t i n g s

MUSIC

Jagged Edge

CLUBS

A Touch of Class

THEATRE Off the Endz

COMEDY

ACTing Up

COMMUNITY

Imagine Children’s Festival

SCREEN Amreeka

GALLERY

Lara Viana

EVENTS

Ghana’s Official 53rd

WRITTEN & SPOKEN

Lyrical Healer

FAITH

Holi — Festival of Colour

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Counsellor Mike

Let’s Hear it for the Girls Women´s Month & Mother´s Day Special

CONTENTS 28

A Word From The Editor Seeing the first sign of Mothers’ Day is like watching the first buds of Spring. A burst of energy, the grabbing of phones and setting of reminders and alarms. As we all know, you forget Mothers’ Day and there’s hell to pay! As ever we at Life In Colour keep you well looked after; we have a whole host of events celebrating the mothers in our lives, be it our mothers, the mothers of our children or our friends and siblings who are doing such a great job raising the generation of tomorrow.

04-08

MUSIC

09-14

CLUB

15-18

THEATRE

20-21 22-23

COMEDY

24-25

30-31

WRITTEN & SPOKEN

32-33

COMMUNITY

36-37

FAITH

SCREEN

38-39

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

HEALTH & WELLBEING

GALLERY

EVENTS

FOOD

26-27 Editor

Samera Owusu Tutu

Assistant Editor

Cassah

Design

Milly, Lai Fong Lam

Michalina Zietek

Contributors:

Lyrical Healer

In fact, you’re so well looked after here at LIfe In Colour, we’ll even help you pick out your Mothers’ Day flowers. In our feature, Saying It With Flowers, we give you the lowdown on the meaning of the flowers you’re giving and the best colours to give them in. Perfect. But the fun doesn’t stop there, it’s also International Women’s Day this month. Check out our special featuring all events celebrating the day. I hope the boys don’t feel jealous, but we’re truly hearing it for the girls this month. We have a feature on the unstoppable Sarah Fonteyne and also, we fill you in on which women to watch on the live soul scene.

London’s Original No.1 Multicultural Listings Guide Over 250,000 Monthly Readers

Issue 20 • Mar 2010

Entertainment L i s t i n g s

MUSIC

Jagged Edge

CLUBS

A Touch of Class

THEATRE Off the Endz

COMEDY

ACTing Up

COMMUNITY

Imagine Children’s Festival

SCREEN

Katherine Bing

Amreeka

GALLERY

Lara Viana

EVENTS

Ghana’s Official 53rd

If these women don’t inspire you, then just look at the superwoman in your own life. You could win a fantastic meal for her in our competition if you tell us how wonderful she is. You’ll find out more about this competition on our new and improved website. Furthermore, you can get involved in our blog and get your hands on some freebies too. Check it out at www.lifeincolour. uk.com.

WRITTEN & SPOKEN

Counsellor Mike

Head Of Sales

Jessica Meade

Published by

Life In Colour Listings Guide

Publishers

JB Rose

Derek Morrison-Bowen

To advertise in the next issue contact: Life in Colour Listings Guide 16 Skylines Village, Limeharbour E14 9TS T: 0207 760 7611, F: 0207 760 7612 Please e-mail all listings information to E: lifeincolour@level7media.co.uk W: www.lifeincolour.uk.com

Lyrical Healer

FAITH

Holi — Festival of Colour

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Counsellor Mike

Let’s Hear it for the Girls Women´s Month & Mother´s Day Special

Even if you don’t win, there are plenty of place to be this March… Maybe I’ll see you there!

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. The views expressed in this publication are those of the advertisers. Life In Colour can not take responsibility for any incorrect or misleading claims made. ©2010 Life In Colour

MUSIC Tony Kofi is one of the finest players on the UK scene. His new trio project features David Chamberlain on double bass and Rod Youngs on drums. The group plays classic jazz standards rearranged to give that fresh sound of today. 19 March 2010, 1:00pm Cost: Free Time: 1pm Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Info: 0844 875 0073 or customer@southbankcentre. co.uk

One to look out for!

RAR! Feat. Tinie Tempah

Mar Nitin Sawhney & LSO 2010: Yogoto No Yume

This thrilling new score from Nitin Sawhney is performed live by London Symphony Orchestra to Japanese director Mikio Naruse’s 1933 silent film Nightly Dreams A cutting-edge film of its time, it made http://www. allmovie.com/search/artist/sumiko+kurishimarepeated use of montage, a fractured chronology, and frequent close-ups. Cost: £20-35 Time: 19:30 Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street London, EC2Y 8DS Info: 020 7638 8891 or tickets@barbican.org.uk

05 Mar

The Sabri Ensemble – Shiraz This remarkable film uses documentary techniques to depict the creation of the Taj Mahal; all accompanied by a live performance of a specially commissioned cross cultural score performed by the Sabri Ensemble. Part of the East festival’s programme looking at architecture and the Asian sub-continent. Cost: £15 Time: 8pm Location: Rich Mix, 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Info: 020 7613 7498 or boxoffice@richmix.org.uk

Dennis Bovell & Special Guests

He is known for fronting Matumbi, one of the 1970s best known UK reggae bands and creating the music for cult Deptford based film Babylon. He has gone on to forge a mighty reputation as a performer and producer, remixing albums for everyone from Marvin Gaye to Wet Wet Wet and collaborating with Linton Kwesi Johnson.

Time: 8pm Cost: £10 Location: The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, SE8 4AG Info: 020 8692 4446

Mar Dizzee Rascal & Lily Allen

That’s right, seats have been released! Lily Allen and Dizzee Rascal, two of the undoubted festival highlights of the 2009 summer will definitely bring the house down when they coheadline at The O2 arena. Don’t miss out! Cost: £29.50 – £35.50 Time: 6.30pm Location: The O2, Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX Info: 020 8463 2000

Mar Close Up with David J Pugilist

Mandinka presents Close Up, a night of live music and great spinning from DJ Rhodium. This month’s featured artist is spoken word artist David J Pugilist — truly one of the UK’s finest. There will be guest performances

from Ray Antrobus, Kemi Taiwo, Soneni, Jaiah and Yinka. The show will be hosted by Alim Kamara. Cost: £8 Time: 7.30pm – 1am Location: The Old Queens Head, 44 Essex Road, Islington N1 8LN Info: 07944 090 805

Hassan Erraji

Equator, the world music and dance series returns launches its 2010 series with an exciting evening of North African music featuring the blind master musician Hassan Erraji and his band. Hassan who also plays violin, darbouka and bandir, is accompanied by bass and drums. Together the trio produce a thrilling contemporary interpretation of traditional Morrocan music. Cost: £12.50 Time: 8pm Location: Rich Mix, 35 ¬– 47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Info: 020 7613 7498 or boxoffice@richmix.org.uk

Mar TONY KOFI TRIO

Award-winning saxophonist

The infamous club night for the underage masses arrives at the Albany’s Takeover Festival with a wicked line up chosen by young people. RaaaaaaaaaR...Headlined by young grime star Tinie Tempah, tipped as this year’s biggie by HMV, 1Xtra, The Telegraph and The Scotsman. Supported by Griminal and Princess Nyah. Who get’s your vote? All this, plus industry guests from BBC, MTV and Sky, for a measly fiver? Bargain! Cost: £5 Time: 7pm Location: The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London, SE8 4AG Info: 020 8692 4446

Mar Kaiso & Steel

Kaiso (calypso) & Steel (steel pan) is a creative collaboration between two steel pan players from the UK and a Trinidadian singer/musician/ storyteller/ historian. The production gives background to the rich historical context of both these forms and will be suitable for all ages. Cost: £12.50 Time: 8pm Location: Rich Mix, 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Info: 020 7613 7498 or boxoffice@richmix.org.uk

Mar Purcell Room GODDESS BALUJI SHRIVASTAV

Classical Indian maestro Shrivastav, ‘sitarist to the stars’,

MUSIC Unsigned and Happening

CASPIAN

Mar Jagged Edge

has played with artists such as Doves and Massive Attack. He performs music from his new album Goddess - a moving selection of music from India and beyond interpreted through the power of Indian ragas on sitar, dilruba and surbahar. He is accompanied by Nafees Irfan on tabla. Cost: £12 Time: 7.45pm Location: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Info: 0844 875 0073

26 Mar

Four Tops & The Temptations

Motown meets Atlantic Records and The Philadelphia Sound when the legendary Four Tops and The Temptations are joined by very special guests The Drifters and The Three Degrees for a dazzling at The O2. Cost: £45.25 Time: 6.30pm Location: The O2, Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX I nfo: 0844 856 0202

Four Tops and The Temptations

Motown meets Atlantic Records

and The Philadelphia Sound when the legendary Four Tops and The Temptations are joined by very special guests The Drifters and The Three Degrees for a dazzling performance. Cost: £42.75 Time: 6:30pm Location: The O2, Peninsula Square, Greenwich, SE10 0DX Info: 0844 856 0202 or www. ticketmaster.com

The award-winning quartet, Jagged Edge, play a one-off concert at indigO2. Jagged Edge (made up of twin lead singers Brian Casey, Brandon Casey, Kyle Norman and Richard Wingo) began their mainstream recording career in 1998 with the album A Jagged Era. Four more albums followed with hits like ‘Where The Party At’ and ‘Walked Outta Heaven’. With so many hits under their belt, UK fans have waited a long time for the return of Jagged Edge, and they’re finally back! Cost: £25 Time: 7pm Location: IndigO2, The O2, Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX Info: 020 8463 2000

Caspian has the boy next door look accompanied with an amazing vocal range and a falsetto that captures the heart of audiences as he sets alight the stage. He is highly regarded in the UK-singers’ circuit and stands out like gold dust so precious and uniquely talented, he is one of London’s best kept secrets. You need to see this artist live for the full goose pimple effect. Caspian’s voice makes for a whole new listening sensation that has proven to be rather addictive.

JAYNE DANIELS Jayne Daniels is a young and ambitious singer destined for stardom in 2010. Daniels has joined forces with The BB Architects as lead singer/ songwriter and explodes onto the stage with her soulful, jazz-infused voice and they are regular headliner at The Playhouse Club. Daniels has spent several years being classically trained, and her vocals are on fire — she’s definitely one to watch. www. thebbarchitects.com

Mar Abdullah Ibrahim: Ekaya

The iconic South African pianist returns for a rare concert with the latest incarnation of the seven-piece band that he formed during the 1980s, and which recorded landmark albums such as African River and Capetowen Flowers. Renowned as one of the great jazz composers, Ibrahim’s music travels a journey from evocative and delicately pitched ballads to infectious swing that’s instantresonant of the exuberant chant-like vigour of his native land. Cost: £10 – £27.50 Time: 7.30pm Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Info: 020 7638 4141

TAI MAHMUD Rapper and director Tai Mahmud campaigns for the equality of men, women and children from his Afghan and Pakistani heritage. Mahmud breathes life into the mic and represents the oppressed. As a conscious artist Tai morphs into poetry, so eloquently addressing his Reading upbringing filled with racism. Tai still however conveys a touching message of change, which is woven into his lyrics. http://www.youtube.com/user/ taimahmudtv

H A R E A N S FONTEY

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Feature How did you get into promoting? By accident really! (laughs) The original idea was just to have a regular small spot for friends to get together to perform our songs. It really wasn’t meant to a be a big thing at all. However, after our first show we had a waiting list of 6 months worth of shows! In fact we still have a waiting list, which is brilliant, because it’s great to put UK Soul back on the map along with Jazz Re:freshed, Amplified, Remedy, Blessed Souls and the other cats. Is it hard being a female promoter in London? Erm, yes and no. You have to run a tight ship because there is still a little stigma attached to being a female promoter. It’s still a male-dominated industry and sometimes you come across venues and industry people who assume you don’t know your stuff. Back in the days when me and my girls used to flyer outside events, we were constantly asked who the guy was that ran the event! I mean seriously? (laughs) It used to make me laugh at how many people assume there is a man hiding away in the shadows pulling all the strings. We’re an all-girl organisation and we have a passion for what we do. However, our fellow male promoters have been really supportive, which is great. It’s really important for us all to work together and have a healthy respect for each other’s shows. It is by no means a small feat. The whole ‘women in business’ thing is not taboo in music either. I’m an entrepreneur and have three other businesses. You tend to

come across that type of attitude in a lot of sectors. Luckily, the majority don’t think that way. How important is it for London to have a live platform for its artists? I think it is the most important thing of all. Personally, I am passionate about live music, which is why Aesthetic Sounds does not allow the use of backing tracks in our shows. You just can’t beat or replicate the live experience. It’s really unfortunate that UK Soul and Jazz music doesn’t get the support it deserves in London. It’s seen as a niche genre even though it has a big underground following. It’s also a shame that a lot of venues are reluctant to host live Soul music events as we are unlikely to drink the bar dry and pass out on the floor! We are really grateful to places like Vibe Bar (where we host Aesthetic Sounds every 1st Thursday of the month) who encourage and get behind events like ours. We believe that the live band experience takes the artists’ music to another level. The hiphop artists are a great example of this. We have had many rappers who had never performed with a live band before; afterwards they would never use backing tracks again! This is so important to us, because we really want to re-introduce people to good live music, and to also show them that it can be found on their own doorsteps! When an Aesthetic Sounds show is in full swing, do you ever want to grab the mic and just jam? Sometimes! In fact, all the time.

But one thing I love about my band is that they always jam! And I love to let them! A lot of our musicians play the big pop gigs (because that’s where the money is at most of the time), so when they come to the show they just let loose. It’s great to see and hear because there is always the passion, and the release. They go wild and I’m all for it. We definitely don’t hold back in our shows. The only thing that restricts us is the venue closing times! Any favourite performances? Gosh... so many! I just love that anyone who comes on the stage really brings it. If I had to choose... hmmmm... I really can’t to be honest. We’ve had some great headliners — Omar, Terri Walker, Mark De Clive Lowe, Choklate, Vula and more — and its great to see some of the previous support acts — Paloma Faith, Zarif, Louise Golbey — doing so well for themselves too. Long may it continue! So where do you see yourself and Aesthetic Sounds in the future? It’s just lovely being able to perform and share the stage with such talent. As an artist and musician, it makes you raise your game too when you see others doing so well. We all inspire each other, which is an important objective of Aesthetic Sounds. I’m looking forward to being a better artist and having a bigger and better show. I’m currently working on my album and have some great producers —my own personal dream team — on board. The future is bright for Soul music methinks!

MUSIC R

Raheem DeVaughn Love & War Masterpiece Release date: 1 March 2010

The whole world has waited two long years for Raheem DeVaughn’s follow up to his stunning, Grammy nominated sophomore album ‘Love Behind The Melody’. Now, the wait is nearly over! This month, the incomparable Mr. DeVaughn will release his latest triumph, ‘The Love And War MasterPeace’. Packed full of soulful melodies and eloquent lyrics, this latest set of instant classics finds Raheem DeVaughn at his emotionally charged best. The album also showcases some mind-blowing collaborations, including the Curtis Mayfield sampling slow jam ‘Bulletproof’ featuring Ludacris. And Raheem knows how to party too! The Ne-Yo composed first single ‘I Don’t Care’ is pure musical sunshine that’s guaranteed to get you on your feet!

Marvin Sapp Here I Am Release date: 16 March 2010 The follow up to the Gold selling ‘Thirsty’ album, Marvin returns with ‘Here I Am’ evolving around messages of inspiration, praise and guidance delivered to full emotional and joyous effect on “He Has His Hands on You,” “Fresh Wind” and the title track. And Sapp takes his crossover appeal a step further by letting loose on the rock-infused “Praise You Forever.” This is the eighth solo release for the Grand Rapids-based pastor, whose last release, Thirsty, garnered eight Stellar awards and produced the history making single “Never Would Have Made It”. Make sure you pre-order your copy now!

Jati Cheed Same Cliché Release date: 15 March 2010 Previously featured on albums by Ominous DJs, Panjabi by Nature and DJ Dips, ‘Same Cliché’ is singer Jati Cheed’s first solo single. More commonly known for belting out Bhangra numbers, Jati ironically offers up something a little less musically clichéd. Unexpected from the singer, ‘Same Cliché’ is a poppy upbeat number which fuses Jati’s Panjabi singing with a reggae melody — something he aims to present as a new British Asian sound. Produced by Hush Cat & Kemistry, the track also features the vocals of R&B singer Lois Davina and rapper Jason King.

Club Section Sponsored by

UPROCK

CLUBS

SPONSORED BY TELL TARRA

Way, Deptford, London, SE8 4AG Info: Box office - 020 8692 4446

11 - 28 Mar

Blaze

01 13

Mar Off the Endz

David, Kojo and Sharon grew up on a London estate. Now in their mid 20s, they’re eyeing another kind of life. But how do you choose the right path when temptation lies around every corner? If your emotional or financial debt is sky high, how do you buy your way out? Bola Agbaje’s smart, savvy second play asks whether being out of the system might be just as good as being in it. Cost: £10 Time: 19:30 Location: Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS Info: 0207 565 5000 or boxoffice@royalcourttheatre.com

12 13 Mar

Waiting

01 20

Mar Disconnect

This is a witty new drama by the Indian playwright Anupama Chandrasekhar, set in a call-centre in Chennai, India. Your credit card is maxed out, and you hang up the phone on Ross chasing your payments. But Ross is actually Roshan and though the sun is shining for you it’s past midnight in his window-less call centre. With a new accent and invented back story, bright young graduates in India are renamed and rebranded as they work to claw back the cash spent by Americans crippled by debt. Cost: £10 Time: 7pm Location: Royal Cour Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1 8AS Info: 0207 565 5000

04- 13 Mar

Every Year, Every Day, I am Walking

Aggie and Ernestine are sisters and best friends. Playing together in their rural idyll, life couldn’t be happier. That is, until their lives are shattered by violence. Aggie and her mother are forced to flee their homeland, leaving behind the rest of their family, and Aggie’s beloved sister Ernestine. Travelling from their central African village, they make their

way to the promised land: South Africa and its metropolitan hub, Cape Town. Cost: £12, Concessions £6 Time: 7.45pm Location: Oval House Theatre, 52-54 Kennington Oval, SE11 5SW Info: 020 7582 0080 or info@ ovalhouse.com

Mar The Surgery

Hosted by Jonzi D,The Surgery

is a platform for a range of new Hip Hop theatre pieces and after each one the audience has a chance to comment and share views directly with the artists on stage. This special Surgery features three extraordinary South African emcees showcasing their unique, dynamic style – Gini Grindith, Hymphatic Thabs and Krook’d the Warmonger. Supported by British Council and openvizor Cost: £5 Time: 7.30pm Location: The Albany, Douglas

Five women speak and sing their stories in their own words, stories of the unseen fallout of the war on terror. These are stories of real women from cultures as varied as Senegal, Jordan, Palestine and the English Midlands. They mostly came to the UK as refugees, or married refugees, but after 9/11 the world they loved here vanished overnight. One after another they were engulfed by private terror. After each performance, a debate will discuss the issues raised during the evening. Cost: £15 Time: 7.45pm Location: Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Info: 0844 875 0073 or customer@southbankcentre. co.uk

15 17

Mar Yard Gal Hackney-born teenagers

Marie and Boo take us on a raw and funny journey through ‘life in their ends’. They’ve been best

Brand new street dance sensation Blaze mixes nightclub vibes with West End production values, combined with the raw impact of a music gig, Blaze is a high-energy theatrical show of non-stop dance from some of the world’s hottest DJs, B-Boys and street dancers - including Ryan Chappell, Lyle Beniga, Mike Song and Kenny Wormald, plus up and coming stars Tommy Franzèn and Lizzie Gough from the BBC’s So You Think You Can Dance. All this plus stunning set designs by Es Devlin. Cost: £10- £36 Time: Various Location: Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street, Holborn, WC2A 2HT Info: 0844 412 4322

THEATRE SPONSORED BY TELL TARRA

05 – 07 Mar

The Manganiyar Seduction

The Manganiyar Seduction is a compelling feast for eye, ear and the spirit. In this colourful, uplifting and sensory show, acclaimed Indian director Roysten Abel brings together Muslim musicians from the deserts of Rajasthan and frames their music in a truly magical setting. Be seduced as they weave together their deeply rooted and complex history in a rousing array of choreography, song and rhythm, building to a breathtaking and memorable climax. There is a post-show talk on 6 Marcn. Part of EAST, a festival celebrating the best of East London. Cost: £10 - 26 Time: 8pm (3pm on 7 Mar) Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Info: 020 7638 4141

mates forever but things start to go wrong when their loyalty to each other is tested by the destructive reality of the streets. Age guidance 15+ (contains scenes of a sexual nature and swearing). On Tuesay 16 March, stay after the show and join the group from this afternoon’s Forum Theatre Masterclass, as they present a piece of interactive forum theatre created in response to Yard Gal. Participants will have completed a one-day workshop with the director of Cardboard Citizens, leading UK practitioners of Theatre of the Oppressed. This is a unique way to give your feedback to the show’s themes by stopping, pausing and rewriting character’s choices, to explore the challenges they face.This event is part of the TAKEOVER festival. Cost: £8 Time: 7.30pm Location: The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London, SE8 4AG Info: 020 8692 4446

Mar Cat On A Hot Tin Roof special Charity Night It would have been Daniel De-Gale’s 23rd birthday on Sunday 14th March. To mark

13 22 Mar

Sutra

Performed by 17 monks from the original Shaolin Temple in China, with dancer Ali Thabet in the role originally performed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Sutra is a fascinating exploration of the philosophy and faith behind the Shaolin tradition, its relationship with Kung-Fu, and its position within a contemporary context. Performed with a striking set design consisting of 21 wooden boxes by Turner prize-winning artist Antony Gormley. Cost: £10 - £35 Time: 7.30pm Location: Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN Info: 0844 412 4300 or mailto:ticket.office@sadlerswells.commailto:ticket.office@ sadlerswells.com mailto:ticket.office@sadlerswells.comticket.office@sadlerswells.com

this, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof will host a special event on Mother’s Day, 15 March, to raise funds for the ACLT. The play features a dynamic cast led by Academy Award nominee and two-time Tony winner James Earl Jones, Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad, Olivier Award winner Adrian Lester and Tony Award nominee Sanaa Lathan. Cost: £20 - £49.50 Time: 7.30pm Location: Novello Theatre, Aldwych, WC2B 4LD Info: 0844 482 5173

Mar Broken English with Shane Solanki

A sixty minute tour-de-force presented by Shane Solanki and his band, Last Mango in Paris, which examines identity and belonging through comic and subversive songs, powerful and political spoken word, and music from all corners of the globe, delivered in a cabaret style. The show, set in a classroom, includes skits about Asbos, skin lightening, manbags, racist princes, scumbag millionaires, and the dangers of kissing your teeth, and many other subjects currently close to our hearts and our wallets. Cost: £10.00 Time: 7.45pm Location: Watermans Theatre, 40 High Street Brentford, TW8 0DS Info: 020 8232 1010 or info@watermans.org.uk

Mar One Up, One Down

Enter the dark world of consumerism as three dynamic and vocal women struggle to create a sense of their own worth and identity from deep within the clutches of consumerism. With fearless performances of compelling choreography, this is a comedic flurry of dance-theatre, song and tightly wrought performance poetry. Cost: £12, Concessions £10 Time: 7.30pm Location: Venue 1, Rich Mix 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Info: 020 7613 7498 or boxoffice@richmix.org.uk

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COMEDY 27

Mar ACTing Up

Show of the Month

Comedy duo Ashley J (Eastenders) & Tee-J (CBBC’s Kerching) bring you a live improvised comedy game show, where YOU the audience take the judge’s seat. Umpired by DJ Joe Grime, two teams of performers go head to head creating comical versions of songs, adverts and well known films, all based upon suggestions from the audience. The show that Wild ‘N’ Out wishes it could be. Cost: £8, Concessions £6 Time: 8pm Location: The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London, SE8 4AG Info: 020 8692 4446

and from his popular series of live edutainment shows. Outrageous Australian Brendon Burns won comedy’s biggest prize the If Award at 2007’s Edinburgh Festival, and is a regular on Comedy Central. Highly rated newcomer Ola is one of the big new hopes of the UK comedy circuit, already rubbing shoulders with the big boys. A tough show needs a tough host - comedian turned Teletubbie John Simmit. Cost: £12, £10 Conc Time: 8pm Location: Rich Mix, 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Info: www.richmix.org.uk

Mar LOL@thealbany

Mar Will E Robo

Will E Robo - P. Diddy’s number one Bad Boy of Comedy comes to indigO2! Animated, energetic, charismatic, and hysterical are just a few words that describe this unique, award winning American talent. Will is a universal comedian, overflowing with energy, combining his hilarious story-telling abilities with amazing sound effects. With heavyweight UK support from Slim, Kat B, Wayne Dibbi Rollins and the award winning duchess of comedy Glenda Jaxson, this is a show for all lovers of great comedy Cost: £22.50 - £25 Time: 7pm Location: IndigO2, The O2, Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX Info: 0844 856 0202

04 - 06 Mar

The Best In Stand Up featuring Reginald D Hunter In just a very short time Reginald D Hunter has become firmly established himself as one of the most sought after headline comedians on the comedy circuit. Audiences everywhere have been enthralled by his

straight-talking, no-holdsbarred approach to some of the most contentious issues of contemporary society. Cost: £14 - £20 Time: 8pm 0r Midnight Location: The Comedy Store, 1a Oxendon Street, SW1Y 4EE Info: 0844 847 1728 or london@thecomedystore. co.uk

Mar He Said What?

Another line up of cutting edge urban comedy by Upfront, with their bassheavy funky soundtrack. Leo Muhammad achieved black comedy icon status as a cast member of groundbreaking sketch show The Real McCoy,

Babatunde, one of the most popular and funniest young comics on the circuit hosts a night of hilarious stand up comedy. Featuring some of the best in the business including triple-award winning comedian , Babatunde the Nigerian prince of comedy and the fantastic Fumbi, Mr Cee and Prince Abodi. Plus spots for the winners of the open mic talent quest. (if you’d like to take part contact estelle. buckridge@thealbany.org.uk.) Cost: £10, £8 conc Time: 8pm Location: The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London, SE8 4AG Info: 020 8692 4446

Mar Curtis Walker & Felix Dexter in “Mummy I Love You”

See Curtis Walker and Felix Dexter on stage together for the first time in a very special Mother’s Day stand up comedy and sketch show suitable for all the family called “Mummy I Love You”. This will be an evening of guaranteed laughter and humour brought to you by two comedy maestro’s — Curtis Walker and Felix Dexter, and they’re definitely mummies boy’s. Cost: £12.50 - £15 Time: 7.30pm Location: The Broadway Theatre, Catford Broadway, SE6 4RU Info: 020 8690 0002

COMEDY

Mar Isma Almas Bombs

14 Mar

Asian Comedy Slam

Seven Comedians take the stage and let the audience decide who will be asked to come back! Each of the acts are rising stars and they will perform for 10 minutes each. After each act the audience will give them marks — the winner will be invited back on stage for a full length set of their own. Cost: £12.00 Time: 7.45 Location: Watermans Theatre, 40 High Street Brentford TW8 0DS Info: 020 8232 1010 or info@ watermans.org.uk

24 27

Mar The Best of Little Big Woman

Llewella Gideon is back with her acclaimed one-woman theatre show. Her trademark brand of sketches, characters and songs injects humour into situations where it does not seem possible! Credits include Absolutely Fabulous, BBC Radio 4 sitcom The Little Big Woman, Nightey Nightey, TLC and the Lenny

Buckle-up for this hilarious cultural extravaganza as Isma Almas takes you on a white-knuckle comedy ride. Expertly annihilating a whole host of sacred cows, witness one of the most original and charming comediennes on the scene. Cost: £11.50 Time: 7:30pm Location: Rich Mix, 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Info: 020 7613 7498 or boxoffice@richmix.org.uk Henry Show. Cost: £17.50 - £20 Time: 7pm Location: Main House, Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Info: 0844 847 2475 or boxoffice@ leicestersquaretheatre.com

Mar One Cause Gigglathon: The Cream of Comedy 2010

After last year’s sell-out show, the One Cause Gigglathon returns to stage this year at a new venue with some of the best stand-up comedians in the UK. Tickets are limited and if last year is anything to go by, they will go very quick. Please note this event will contain adult humour. 100% of all profits from the show will go to the charity, One Cause, who are dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged people around the world. Cost: £16.00 Time: 7pm Location: The Beck Theatre Grange Road, Hayes, UB3 2UE Info: 020 8561 8371 or enquiries@becktheatre.org.uk

Transition Creative is made up of top creative industry specialists. The company continues to grow from strength to strength; from designing and producing simple business cards, sophisticated website designs, to high profile awareness campaigns, press and PR. MarCom House 29 Beaufort Court, Admirals Way Docklands London E14 9XL 0207 760 7611 0207 760 7612 info@sevenmedia.uk.com www.sevenmedia.uk.com

SCREEN 06 10 Mar

& Amreeka

Single mum Muna works her socks off at a bank in Ramallah while striving to bring up her son Fadi against the stressful West Bank backdrop. At the end of her tether with her life and at a loss to envision a solid future for her son, a successful Green Card application for the US offers her a chance at a fresh start and they both leave Palestine to start a new life with relatives in Illinois. Of course, the grass is always greener on the other side and their move Stateside proves more difficult than she had imagined. Homesick yet optimistic, the pair take their first steps into American life with grit and panache. Dir: Cherien Dabis,2008, US/Canada/Kuwait, subtitles, cert PG, 97mins Cost: £7 - 9 Time: 8.30pm Location: ICA, 12 Carlton House Terrace, SW1Y 5AH Info: 020 7930 3647

18 31

– Mar Sons of Cuba

This highly dramatic documentary follows three young boys at the Havana Boxing Academy as they endure eight months of training for Cubaís National Under-12s Boxing Championships. The award-winning Sons of Cuba captures a string of unexpected events which leave the boys contemplating their future in a challenging sport and a changing world. The Thursday 18 March preview will be followed by Q&A with the director. Dir: Andrew Lang, 2009, UK, subtitles, Cert, 88 mins Cost: £7 - 9 Time: Various Location: ICA, 12 Carlton House Terrace, SW1Y 5AH Info: 020 7930 3647

Mar Samson and Delilah (15*) (AFI Winner) & ScreenTalk with director Warwick Thornton

A multi-award winning love story set against the backdrop of life in rural Aboriginal communities. In a bleak turn of events teenagers Samson and Delilah are forced out of their community. Thrown together by circumstance on a road trip to nowhere their fight against poverty, exploitation and drug abuse thankfully teaches them how to care for one another. Thornton’s unconventional love story is ultimately one of hope and second chances that is deservedly considered to be one of the finest Australian films of 2009. Part of the London Australian Film Festival. Dir. Warwick Thornton, 2009, Australia, drama, Cert 15, 100min. Cost: £11.50 members/ £13.50 Time: 8.30pm Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Info: 020 7638 4141

SCREEN 20

Mar Little Big Shots (U) - Family Film Club

Little Big Shots is Australia’s major annual and travelling children’s film festival. An inspiring, meaningful and fun-filled festival, it features the best in local and international children’s shorts, animations, documentaries and, amazingly, childproduced films. Part of the London Australian Film Festival. Dir: various, 2009, Australia, Cert U Cost: £3 members, £5 Time: 10.30am Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Info: 020 7638 4141

Drama charting the romantic and professional life trials of fictional jazz musician Bleek Gilliam (Denzel Washington) as he makes a series of bad decisions resulting in his jeopardizing of both his relationships and his playing career.The film focuses on themes of friendship, loyalty, honesty, cause-and-effect and ultimately salvation. This is truly Washington at his best, a must see… or a must see again! Dir: Spike Lee, 1990, US, comedy drama, cert 15, 129mins Cost: £5 Time: 2pm Location: Rich Mix, 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Info: 020 7613 7498 or boxoffice@richmix.org.uk

Mar Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo - Bad Film Club

Released just seven months after the original and hugely successful Breakin’. Ozone (real street dance artist, Adolfo ‘Shabba-Doo’ Quinones) and Turbo (Michael ‘Boogaloo Shrimp’ Chambers) have once again teamed up with posh girl Kelly, and are teaching dance classes at the local community centre. Their efforts look to be thwarted when an evil real estate tycoon threatens to knock down the community centre and build a shopping mall in its place. The Boogaloo crew decide to put on a show to raise funds to save the centre. Dir: Sam Firstenberg, 1984, US, drama, cert PG, 94mins Cost: £11.50 Time: 8.45pm Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Info: 020 7638 4141

Mar Mo’ Better Blues

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

01 19

Mar City Hall Exhibitions

A series of 100 portraits, celebrating women scientists and engineers from all academic levels in support of International Women’s Day. The images illustrate the diversity of women in these disciplines, and provide a window into their areas of work and motivation. You will find the display interesting, fun and inspiring! Why not visit and see if you come away with a different perspective on scientists and engineers? Cost: Free Time: 10am Location: City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, SE1 2AA Info: women.set@imperial.ac.uk

International Women’s Day

8 March is International Women’s Day, when women and men across the world come together to celebrate women’s achievements and campaign for their rights. Here’s Life In Colour’s best event picks for the month — why limit festivities to a day we say!

04 12

Mar Celebrating Women Film makers

Birds Eye View is back for its 6th annual Film Festival of celebrating, championing and showcasing women filmmakers. Nine jam packed days, eight inspired features, seven penetrating documentaries, 21 visionary shorts, 22 retro movies starring iconic blondes, a masterclass from one of Europeans most consistently adventurous filmmakers – Susanne Bier, vocational training events, cutting-edge fashion and music films plus BEV’s already famous commissions of new scores by hot female talent to classic silent films. Expect a glittering bevy of celebrities and filmmakers, parties, special events and much more.

Cost: TBA Time: 6.30pm Location: BFI Southbank, Waterloo Info: 020 7928 3232 or 0870 787 2525

06 Mar

Annual Haringey Women’s Day Celebrations

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day Celebrations is “Laughing about life to help and heal women”. On offer are stalls and workshops on fashion, carpentry, yoga, salsa, wellbeing and fitness sessions. This year in partnership with Funny Women we will be holding workshops on stand up comedy with the best three women performing at the afternoon ceremony. The highlight of the day is the presentation of the annual Haringey Unsung Women awards which recognise the achievements of women in the borough and the vital role they play in the community. Cost: Free Time: 11am – 5pm Location: College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, Tottenham High Road N15 Info: 020 8489 2576

Mar Leading Ladies

This is an International Women’s Day Event focusing on fitness and health and featuring Ale Douvan and Bangra Grooves hosted by Somali Integration Team and Account3 in partnership with the NHS Foundation Trust. The day will be focusing on empowering women through healthy living; attend and try some African dance or Bollywood style line dancing! On the day there will be an Olympic gallery, which will celebrate and display female Olympians both past and present. Throughout the day stalls providing info on the subject of healthy living and sporting opportunities throughout the borough, be inspired as a range of fantastic sports women of our time demonstrate their sporting passions. Cost: Free Time: 11am- 4pm Location: Mile-End Park Ecology Pavilion, Grove Road Bow, E3 5TW Info: 07875 023 744 or info@ bollywoodgrooves.com

Mar Join Me On the Bridge

To honour the resilience of millions of women survivors of war around the world, Women for Women International is hosting a global campaign on this International Women’s Day. Thousands of women (and men!) worldwide will gather on bridges from San Francisco to Congo to call for an end to war and to demonstrate that women can build the bridges of peace and hope, creating a truly global movement that says NO! to war and YES! to peace and hope. Along with other bridge events happening around the world on the same day, this event will be filmed and featured in a viral video to be produced and widely released following the campaign. Cost: Free Time: 10am – 1pm Location: Victoria Embankment Gardens and the Millennium Bridge, SW1 Info: toconnor@ womenforwomen.org

International Women’s Day Event

To celebrate International Women’s Day, a panel of leading female writers will be talking about their work. Guests include Diana Evans, author of the award-winning ‘26a’, and winner of the Orange Prize for New Writers, and Bernardine Evaristo, author of four novels including ‘Blonde Roots’, which was chosen as the winner by the inaugural Orange Prize Youth Panel. Cost: £6.50 Time: 7:30pm Location: Rich Mix 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Info: 020 7613 7498 or boxoffice@richmix.org.uk

Northwood Extended School Collaborative This year the school is hosting an International Women’s Day to celebrate the role of women in the community. Event speakers will include Mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY Shirley Harper-O’Neill, Ritu Sethi, Senior Partner at the Sethi Partnership in Ruislip, there will also be running a workshop to enable women to re-evaluate themselves and give them useful tools to move forward in their lives. Cost: FREE Time: 9.30am – 2.30pm Location: Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue, UB8 Info: 07527 071945 or mdarroux@hillingdongrid.org

TUC Women’s Day Celebrations

This year the TUC are hosting a huge celebration, with a night of comedy, music, poetry, politics, campaigning and a showcase of the TUC international development work that is empowering women to improve their rights in developing countries. The night will feature the soulful vocals of Zena Edwards plus the hip-hop and spoken word duo Poetic Pilgrimage. Tickets include a free wine reception at the start of the evening, as well as coffee and cake at the end. You will also get a £5 discount on the Philosophy Football Women Dissenters range of T-shirts, which will be launched on the night. Cost: £15.99 Time: 7pm Location: TUC Congress Centre, 23-28 Great Russell Street, WC1 Info: 020 8802 3499

Mar She Sings Songs

Help celebrate the day with a night of theatre showcasing up and coming female stars of the London theatre scene. It will be a night comedy, drama and all round entertainment as well as raising funds for well deserving charities making a difference in the lives of women both here in London and around the world. Cost: £12 Time: 7.30pm Location: The Battersea Barge, 9 Elms lane, SW8 5BP Info: 020 7498 0004

Mar City of London’s International Women’s Day Celebrations This occasion is marked annually in the City of London where we use the opportunity to acknowledge women’s success and contribution to the workplace and to society. Sponsorship funds raised will go directly to Refuge — the national domestic violence charity. Cost: TBA Time: 8am – 10.30am Locations: City of London, Guildhall, EC2V 7HH Info: 020 7606 3030 or pro@ cityoflondon.gov.uk

Mar Day of the Goddess

I Am Woman in conjunction with Mothership Edutainment are bringing forth to much deserved woman our event Day of the Goddess. This event will be catering strictly for women. The day will be packed with 7 hours of performers, motivational speakers, presentations and workshops. A hot buffet and refreshments are also on the menu, not to mention arts and crafts stalls, raffle and gift bags. Cost: £20.00 Time: TBA Location: The Unity Centre, 103 Church Road, NW10 9EG Info: 07984 979 413 or info@ dayofthegoddess.co.uk

Mar International Women’s Day Networking Breakfast

The event is a celebration of women’s success in society, and will include a champagne breakfast and the opportunity to network. It will be hosted by comedienne Jo Brand and will feature prominent female speakers who work in the City. There are opportunities both for corporate sponsorship and for individuals to attend. Cost: £35 Time: 9am Location: The Great Hall, Guildhall, EC2 Info: 0207 332 1272 or jemma.armstrong@cityoflondon.gov.uk.

Mar London Young Women’s Day

A daytime event and evening awards ceremony recognising, celebrating and rewarding young women in London and the surrounding counties. The day is an opportunity for individuals and organisations to host events to mark this day that has been founded specifically with young women in mind! Cost: £10 Time: 12pm - 11pm Location: TBA Info: 020 8766 5847

Mar Waltham Forest Women’s Network

Waltham Forest Women’s Network invites you to their International Women’s Day Event with entertainment, buffet food and great raffle prizes. Parking available and all performances will be by local singers and dancers. Cost: £10 adult; £5.00 children Time: 6.30am -9.30pm Location: Walthamstow Academy, Billet London, E17 5DP Info: 07939 546849

EVENTS 03 Mar

AnyGivenWeekday SpeakEasy

Head west for an evening of lively discussion in the sumptuous surroundings of Ruby & Sequoia. Hosted by the dynamic duo of Jimmy Swagger & HRH Nzinga. You set the agenda and no subject is too taboo! The venue is perfect place to meet up with friends, with great food and cocktails available at the award-winning upstairs restaurant. There’s 30% off food orders for all SpeakEasy attendees. Music is supplied by Mista Marquis of AnyGivenSunday. Cost: £5 Time: 6.00pm – 10.00pm Location: Ruby & Sequoia, 6-8 All Saints Road, W11 1HH Info: 07947 564 766

05 - 06 Mar

Artivist Film Festival

2010 Artivist is the first international film festival dedicated to addressing human rights, children’s advocacy, environmental preservation, and animal advocacy. Filmmakers from around the world unite at the annual festival to address the importance of art and advocacy in our global community. The festival’s mission is to strengthen the voice of advocate artists – ‘Artivists’ – while raising public awareness of social global causes. Films premiered at the festival have included Oscar-winner Born into Brothels, Oscar-nominee Super-Size Me, Fast Food Nation, Emmanuel’s Gift, and Trudell. This year, Artivist proudly welcomes back for the third time Petrobras as its official community partner. Cost: Various Time: Various Location: Shaw Theatre, 100110 Eustion Road, NW1 2AJ Info: 0844 209 1663

06 Mar

COMPETITION

Ghana’s Official 53rd

Independence Celebration

Put on your best Kente and traditional outfits and celebrate Ghana’s 53 years of independence in style. Flying in from Ghana performing live will be V.I.P performing “I think I like em” plus many other hit songs, along with Ghana’s hottest sensation Ruff and Smooth performing Ghana’s number 1 song “She Got Swagger”. There will be UK support from Chipmunk, Tinie Tempah performing “Pass Out”, Nathan Performing “Caught me Slippin” Featuring Florida and Monlight performing his debut single “Call Me”. There will be comedy showcase featuring Eddie Kadi, Kojo and Richard Blackwood. With a no-holds-barred affter party .This Event will be Filmed Exclusive for the Dj Abrantee Show on Sky Television Cost: £15 - £30 Time: 9pm - 4am Location: The Troxy, 490 Commercial Road, E1 0HX Info: 07984 855 999

**£500 Prize money plus tickets to Eddie Kadi Show @ londons o2 for the best Traditional Outfit chosen on the night. **

06 - 07 Mar

Eat Something Different

As part of EAST, a festival championing the best of East London, and Do Something Different sample some Eastern culinary delights and build your own vegetarian chapatti from some unusual vegetables at Searcy’s Eat Something Different stand. No unaccompanied children for any workshop This event is part of the range of family events being held. Cost: £3 Time: 11am - 5pm Location: Barbican Centre, Foyer, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Info: 020 7638 4141

07 Mar

Professional Beauty London 2010 Professional Beauty London

11 - 14 Mar Move It!

This will be the ultimate day out for any dancing enthusiast and is the UK’s largest live dancing experience. Over 1500 dance performers will take to the stage and present a whole host of different dance acts. Featuring live performances, dance classes, top exhibitors, freestyle stage, masterclasses, auditions, seminars and the ‘Get On Stage Competition’, Move It 2010 has something for everyone. Expect to see Flawless and the incredible ZooNation. Ballroom TV star Erin Boag is the talented new face of Move It 2010. Erin is the only professional dancer to have appeared in every series of Strictly Come Dancing and will be inspiring visitors by demonstrating her impressive dance skills in front of the thousands of visitors expected to attend this year’s event. Erin will be taking dancers through their paces in an unmissable Cha Cha dance class. Discounted group and family passes are available. Thursday is a trade-only day. Cost: £12 - £29 Adult, £9 - £21.50 child Time: 10am - 7pm, 10am - 5pm Sun. Location: Olympia Two, Hammersmith Road, w148ux Info: 020 7385 1200 2010 is the season’s leading professional health and beauty event. Discover hundreds of UK and international suppliers showcasing skincare, nails, spa, tanning, equipment and beauty supplies, new launches, the Nail Championships, competitions, special offers and industryleading masterclasses. Cost: £20 Time: 10am - 6pm Sunday, 10am - 5pm Monday Location: Excel, London Docklands, 2 Festoon Way, E16 1JP Info: 0844 588 8078

Bringing you the latest in South Asian entertainment from the worlds of Bhangra, Bollywood and the thriving Asian-Urban music industries, the event provides a unique platform for some of the most established artists around the globe and some of the latest home-grown British Asian talent. Cost: £22 - £38.50 Time: 7.30pm Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Info: 0844 875 0073

11 Mar

15 - 22 Mar

Get set for the UK Asian Music Awards 2010. The prestigious awards return to Royal Festival Hall for the third year running.

The Albany have let tomorrow’s talent, take total control for one long week working to stage theatre, music, film and word.

UK Asian Music Awards 2010

Takeover Festival

EVENTS

20 Mar

The Ideal Home Show

For the first time in the 102 year history of the Ideal Home Show there will be two brand new pavilions dedicated to British Asian food, culture, fashion and lifestyle. The Asian Food Pavilion and the Asian Fashion & Lifestyle Pavilion have been specially created at the 2010 show to recognise the ever increasing popularity of Asian food, culture, fashion and lifestyle in the UK home and to show appreciation for the large following of British Asian visitors of the show. Cost: £15 weekdays, £17 weekends Time: 10am - 7pm weekdays, 10am - pm weekends, 10am - 9pm Thursdays Location: Earls Court One and Two, Warwick Road, SW5 9TA Info: 01737 370 512 or info@shreemevents.com

18-21 Mar

The Vitality Show

The Vitality Show is the only health, beauty, fitness and wellbeing event of its kind. This event will present many new and inspiring ways to improve your health and life in general. This event will present many new and inspiring ways to improve your health and life in general. Get pampered from top to toe, shop until you drop, pick up hints and tips from celebs and experts, try a new fitness craze or discover the latest health and beauty products to hit the market. It’s the ultimate girls’ day out! Cost: £14.50 - £17.50 adult, £6 child Time: 10am - 6pm, 1pm - 9pm Thursday Location: Earls Court Two, Warwick Road, SW5 9TA Info: 020 7385 1200

26 Mar

Bangladesh Independence Day

To mark Bangladesh Independence day, Rich Mix will be launching Cuts, a photography exhibition by Robert Streeter and will also be hosting a stellar line up of live music, spoken word, dance, visuals and exclusive sets celebrating the best of British talent feauturing State Of Bengal & Paban Das Baul Live, Arun Ghosh, Idris Rahman, Kishon Khan, Asian Dub Foundation, Deeder Zaman & Dr Das, and in a tribute to the National Poet of Bangladesh, choreographer & dancer Amina Khayyam delivers a powerfully emotive piece set to contemporary music and reading plus a dramatic reading of Tahmima Anam’s award winning novel in a musical juxtaposition by actress Leesa Gazi and musicians Sohini Alam and Oliver Weeks. Cost: £12, £10 conc Time: 8pm Location: Rich Mix, 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Info: 020 7613 7498

The Albany’s Takeover Festival has something for everyone... events, gigs, film, workshops, masterclasses, theatre and so much more. Prices vary depending on the shows, but some of them are free. From the hard hitting, witty, urban drama of Yard Gal by award winning playwright Rebecca Prichard to the sumptuous, sensual Bedouin style lounge for the screening of The Adventures Of Prince Achmed with live music by Arun Ghosh. They’ve also got Tinie Tempah headlining RAR! the infamous club night for the underage masses featuring Princess Nyah not to mention Onetaste who will be bringing blues soulstress Daisy KellyGranger and new grime from Conrad the Scoundral as well as a captivating and eclectic line-up mixing young talent with established performers. See comedy, theatre and music sections for event highlights. Cost: Various Time: Various Location: The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London, SE8 4AG Info: Box office - 020 8692 4446

EVENTS Hall, Hammersmith Road, w148ux Info: 020 7385 1200

20 Mar

X-Factor Live 2010 London

26 - 28 Mar

Easter Chocolate Festival

Just in time for Easter, the chocolate festival at Southbank Centre is a must for lovers of all the wonderful products derived from the cocoa bean. With a dizzying range of chocolatey products on offer, the festival should give you some fresh ideas on how to celebrate Easter 2010. With chocolate making workshops and demonstrations, book signings, art and master chocolatiers displaying their talents, this year’s chocolate festival should feel like seventh heaven to chocoholics. There’s also inspiration for how to incorporate chocolate into a wider range of dishes with some savoury dishes using the cocoa bean on show. Demonstrations include tips on how to make the perfect chocolate truffle, a raw chocolate making workshop and a savoury chocolate cookery demonstration. Cost: Free Time: 11am - 8pm Sat, 11am - 6pm Sun Location: Southbank Centre Square, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Info: 0844 875 0073

18 - 28 Mar

19 - 20 Mar

This year sees the 16th annual London Australian Film Festival. The Barican will host 10 extraordinary days of the best features, UK premieres, groundbreaking documentaries and shorts down-under has to offer. See Screen for our best picks for the festival. Cost: Various Time: Various Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Info: 020 7638 4141

Growing Your Own Business is an excellent forum for small business owners to gain expert advice on how to develop and strengthen their businesses. The exhibition will be supported by a free conference with inspirational presentations and thought-provoking case studies from leading advisors and successful entrepreneurs. Cost: Free Time: 10am - 5pm Fri, 10am - 4pm Sat Location: Olympia National

London Australian Film Festival

Growing Your Own Business

Everyone has heard of the X-factor; if you haven’t, where have you been? It’s Simon Cowell’s monstor of a show where contestants compete for public and judging panel approval in order to become the next big popular music act. X Factor Live 2010 London will be the UK’s biggest talent search, scouring the depths of society looking for performance gold. Be part of the TV show this March or your chance at a taste of fame. Cost: TBA Time: 2:30pm and 7:30pm Location: The O2 Peninsula Square, Greenwich, SE10 0PE Info: 0161 385 3211

20 Mar - 05 Apr Ideal Home Show

This landmark show now has a new, award-winning owner and the great British home show just got better. It’s new and improved and an unrivalled day out. From ideas and inspiration for the home, to relaxation and pampering, the Ideal Home Show is the biggest and most varied home event in Britain. From the latest innovation, to the tried and trusted; bespoke suppliers, boutique solutions and the admirably different – it’s all here, under one roof. Fabulous features include; a show house village with five fully constructed show homes, the Kitchen Theatre where famous chefs will show how to cook up a feast, the Beauty Bar for a relaxing treat and the Smarter Living Theatre for the home of the latest technology. Cost: £15 weekdays, £17 weekends Time: 10am - 7pm Location: Earls Court One and Two, Warwick Road, SW5 9TA Info: 020 7385 1200

21 Mar

Touch of Class

Fresh off the back of the sold out Credit Crunch Comedy event Affinity Arts Entertainment returns with a brand new Variety showcase for all generations. On this night you will have the best entertainers in their field past and present performing live. Topping the bill we have two time M.O.B.O award Saxophonist Yolanda Brown with full band, celebrity comedian Richard Blackwood, king of UK lovers rock and reggae music Peter Hunnigale performing all his hits and also the current Number one UK bashment and reggae artist Gappy Ranks performing the number one singles Stinkin Rich and Heaven In Her Eyes. Comedy on the night from Richard Blackwood, Eddie Kadi, Felicity Ethnic, Travis J and Kayleigh ‘loudmouth’ Lewis. To round off the bill there will be performances from Natalie May with her Funky House anthem Sexy Sexy, poetry from Comfort and Imhotep, UK Hip Hop artist Moonlight and also two of the UKs best street dance crews Definitives and Retaliation. Cost: £15 - £20 Time: 6.30pm Location: The Broadway Theatre, Main Theatre, Catford Broadway, SE6 4RU Info: 020 8690 0002 At lum

Mahogany Bridal Fashion Show

The largest and only African Caribbean bridal fashion show in Europe will be returning for its 16th year. Exhibitors will include a range of things that a bride needs for her wedding day; from decorative features such as chocolate or champagne fountains, to photography, menswear, wedding planers, cake makers and other wedding service providers. Cost: £10 Time: 12pm – 6pm Location: Holiday Inn, Coram Street Bloomsbury W1 Info: 07525148327 or deborah@mahoganygroup. com

send your taste buds around the world Take your taste buds on a journey they will never forget with Encona Sauces, the chilli sauces and hot pepper sauces range that adds a dash of inspiration to any dining occasion. Encona Sauces Taste Explorers have travelled the world in search of new and exciting flavours for you to enjoy with your family and friends. In addition to all your Caribbean favourites, you can now enjoy sauces from exotic destinations across Asia, the Far East and the Americas. Encona Sauces are wonderfully versatile. The perfect condiment for meat, chicken, seafoods, fish and vegetables, also try drizzled into stir-fries, rice dishes, dips and salad dressings and much more. Prepare to send your taste buds around the world. Enjoy!

for more information visit www.enconasauces.co.uk Available from all good supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide.

WRITTEN & SPOKEN SPOKEN WORLD & BOOK REVIEW

Mar Word4Word

Join award winning Kat Francois and friends as they deliver fresh and powerful poetry; a must for spoken word fans. There are a limited number of open-mic slots available so you need to book in advance. Cost: TBA Time: 8pm Location: Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, E15 1BN Info: 07961 313 557 or kfrancois@ stratfordeast.com

06 - 07 Mar

Barbican Young Poets

Meet the up and coming young stars of London’s poetry scene. These extraordinary and diverse poets aged 14-22, have been working with acclaimed poet Jacob Sam-La Rose for 6 months at the Barbican, writing and performing new work. Come and hear their latest pieces at this not to be missed event. Cost: Free

Time: 4.30pm - 5pm Location: Barbican Centre, Conservatory, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Info: 020 7638 4141

Mar Poetry open mic with Apples & Snakes Well, we’ve had World Book Day and International Women’s Day, so it must be time for our all-female open mic. If you fancy

yourself as the next big thing on the poetry scene, jive on down to the Vibe Bar and take the proverbial mic. Cost: £3 Time: 7.30pm Location: Vibe Bar, 91-95 Brick Lane, E1 6QL Info: 0845 521 346

Poetry open mic with Apples & Snakes Well, we’ve had World Book Day and International Women’s Day, so it must be time for our all-female open mic. If you fancy yourself as the next big thing on the poetry scene, jive on down to the Vibe Bar and take the proverbial mic. Cost: £3 Time: 7.30pm Location: Vibe Bar, 91-95 Brick Lane, E1 6QL Info: 0845 521 346

Mar Battle Scars Lyrical Combat Rappers, singers, mc’s, poets, bashment mc’s and masters of

lyrical arts enter the arena to do lyrical combat in a for round elimination contest it’s lyrical kung fu skill style and technique decides who survives for there can be only one! Cost: £5 Time: 8pm Location: Jamm 261 Brixton Road, Brixton SW9 2LH, UK Info: 07932 922 532 or info@calibratedents.com

Mar Zena Edwards Sunday Sessions

Renowned performance poet Zena Edwards and guitarist Jon Speedy bring you a dynamic journey of sound and captivating spoken word blending African and Latin rhythms with soul moving blues-jazz licks. Cost: Free Time: 3.30pm Location: The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, SE8 4AG Info: Box office - 020 8692 4446

A woman’s anthem. Woman so fair smelling of lavender in the jasmine breeze. I pay homage to the Goddess within you. Swaying back and forth in your sassy rhythm. At the core you are a tender nurturer. As you stand firm through salted tears. I adore the courage that is your rock. Conflict empowers you to change the world. As you emancipate yourself from stereotypes.

School Workshop Facilitator Singer & performance poet Inspirational Speaker Radio Presenter Book Lyrical Healer to perform or speak at your event, call 07944 455 010 or email: info@lyricalhealer.co.uk to see the services that Lyrical provides - visit: www.lyricalhealer.co.uk for more information.

As you go forth and teach. Mass conscious are charged positively. When you extend your arms for an embrace. Only your hugs could improve the atmosphere. In your bosom resonate the secrets of life. Men cherish the womb inside of you. Precious and sacred is your mother earth. Everyday I celebrate your curvaceous creativity. Written by Winsome “Lyrical Healer” Duncan

Red Edited by Kwame Dawes Format: Paperback Published: Peepal Tree Press Ltd. ISBN: 1845231295 RRP: £8.99 Kwame Dawes is an award-winning Ghanian-born Jamaican author of several books of poetry. Inspired by the word “red,” this collection of powerful poems written by black British poets—including both established authors and new, exciting poets—exploring the subjects and ideas are stirred by a single trigger, from the word’s usual associations with blood, violence, passion, and anger, as well as with sensuality and sexuality. This remarkable compilation succeeds in generating poems that find an intriguing resonance with each other while also revealing images and themes unique to the individual poets.

Format: Paperback Published: ISBN: 0061710393 RRP: £8.99 When Asha Bandele’s dreams of a happy family life are shattered when her husband, Rashid, is denied parole and the threat of deportation back to his native Guyana hangs over their heads. Suddenly a statistic—a black single mother in New York City—Asha has to keep it together on the outside while falling apart on the inside. A lyrical, astonishingly honest memoir, Something Like Beautiful is not only Asha’s story but also the story of thousands of women struggling with the daily grind of motherhood.

Up At The College Michele Andrea Bowen Format: Paperback Published: Grand Central Publishing ISBN: 0446577758 RRP: £9.89 Yvonne Fountain Copeland finds strength in the Lord when her husband leaves her. Back in her hometown she lands a teaching job and meets Curtis Parker, who is everything she could want in a man—except he isn’t saved. What’s a God-fearing woman to do when her man’s troubled soul threatens to ruin their otherwise perfect relationship? With Yvonne by his side, they learn nothing’s insurmountable if they have Jesus on their side. An enjoyable read that will have you rushing back from church on Sunday to get to the last page.

He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. He’s black, black like Wesley Snipes-black with Samuel Jackson’s cheeky grin. Tall with a shaved head and a chiselled type face… the kind of face which surely belongs on the big screen. Right Sarah: don’t screw this one up. Now concentrate… think ‘GODDESS’…think ‘SOPHISTICATED’…think ‘NAKED’. I try, and smile awkwardly. He smiles back. ‘Boy, I’ve heard of women throwing themselves at men, but I didn’t realise that this was how it’s done.’ Match Point. I feel his arms move around my waist, and take hold of me gently. He pushes me up straight and then looks to me for help in standing up himself.

Something Like Beautiful Asha Bandele

Singleholic Sarah Looking for Love in London

‘Well that was quite an adventure.’ He licks his lips. ‘We’ll have to do it again sometime.’ Then he lets go of me and walks away. Deuce. SAY SOMETHING SARAH! COME ON! Just say something for god’s sake! He’s moving further and further away. Soon it’ll be too late. But my mouth won’t move. I stand there like a statue, willing myself to speak without success, about to chalk this up as Failure #69. But then an extraordinary thing happens. He stops at the counter to talk to one of the saleswomen. He’s about six foot and built like a footballer. Images of that Gap model Tyson shoot through my head. Thirty seconds to make myself presentable…shit. Thirty seconds to calm down, and get ready to be delightful. I’m trying hard to remember the art of tossing my hair and looking seductive, but my brain won’t work and I keep brushing myself off as if I’m sweeping crumbs off my lap. Fuck. He’s getting closer. Fuck. WHAT DO I DO? Where’s Jacquie when you really need her? Come on, Sarah, just be calm. CALM, Sarah…CALM. ‘Hey there.’ He twists his head to the side. ‘Quite an adventure, eh? You look a bit shook up. Are you OK?’ ‘Yes. Thank you.’ I nod. ‘Thank you for helping me up. I’m so sorry for the trouble. I’m a bit clumsy sometimes.’ I’m so proud of myself that I begin to smile. ‘Ah, don’t worry about it. Clumsy is cute…especially on a girl.’ He scans the store. ‘I was looking for a present for my sister, a nice top of some sort. But I’m not very good at this kind of thing.’ He winces slightly. ‘Uh…perhaps you might help me as a kind of redress for all the pain you caused me a moment ago?’ I laugh. Game, Set, Match. Singleholic, the novel is available at bookshops and amazon.co.uk. www.singleholic.com

COMMUNITY Fitch, Royal Airforce, Siemens and many more. Cost: TBA Time: 11am - 5pm Location: Hall 1, Barbican, Golden Lane, EC2Y 8DS Info: 020 8394 5100

Mar Imagine Children’s Festival

Mar Architectural Memories Family Workshop

Children’s writers, poets, performers, comedians and magicians unite for this annual young persons’ festival. Imagine is aimed at children aged 5-11 years, though some of the activities are also suitable for younger children. Performances and workshops such as poetry hopscotch, Kathak dance, comedy, visual arts and magic will run throughout the festival in the Bibliomancer’s Dream – a magical library of books on The Clore Ballroom floor in Royal Festival Hall. Cost: Free - £1.45 Time: TBA Location: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Info: 0871 6632500

03 - 05 Mar

UCAS Higher Education Convention

The London convention brings together universities and colleges within the UCAS scheme to inform and guide prospective students. The event plays a vital part in helping applicants decide about what and where to study within higher education in the UK. Other exhibitors include further education colleges, Connexions, GAP Year organisations, student support services, professional bodies, student travel firms, student finance and lots more. The convention also has an extensive seminar programme covering topics such as ‘Grants and Loans’, ‘Taking a year out’, ‘How to fill in your UCAS Form’ and ‘Studying outside of London’. Cost: Free Time: 9.30am - 2.30pm Location: Olympia Two, Hammersmith Road, w148ux Info: 0871 468 0 468

04 Mar

The Big Read

In partnership with the London Muslim Centre, Muslim Aid, Islamic Forum of Europe and Tower Hamlets Council, IF Charity are looking to break the world record for the “most children reading with an adult” (Guinness Book of Records

official title) creating the largest shared reading experience in the world! Join a host of schools, celebrities, councillors, teachers and parents in this reading extravaganza promoting the importance of reading and literacy among children. If successful, participants will receive an exclusive World Record Breaking Certificate. Cost: £2 Time: 9am – 9pm Location: London Muslim Centre, Whitechapel Road, E1 1JX Info: 020 7858 2020 or naweeda@ifcharity.com

04 09

Mar East London Festival

Give East London the credit it deserves at the East London festival, a six-day celebration of everything in the East End. There’ll be more than 100 events going on through the week, concentrating on performance, art, architecture, history, sport and music all throughout East London. Put on by the Mayor of London, the festival aims to explore the diversity that East London is famous for. Cost: Free Time:TBA Location: Across East London Info: 020 7364 5000

05 06

Mar Landlord & Buy-to-Let Show The largest and longest

established free to attend private rented sector show, sets up shop in the Olympia Conference Centre. The Landlord & Buy-to-Let Show has a proven track record in attracting thousands of serious landlords and letting professionals and is the UK’s premier source of free training and advice and the most comprehensive exhibition of landlord focused products and services. So if you’re a landlord looking for the best advice and great deals, or you have a great landlord focused product or service you would like to promote, don’t miss out: this really is the place to be. Cost: Free Time: 10am - 6pm Fri, 10.30am - 5pm Sat Location: Olympia Two, Hammersmith Road, w148ux Info: 0800 321 3028

National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition

This is an excellent tool to kickstart graduate careers. With loads of useful information for final year students and recent graduates, the National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition 2010 teaches how to jump headfirst into the jobs market. Take the first step in your career and meet company representatives face-to-face to discuss job opportunities for graduates. Carefully selected exhibitors include HSBC, RollsRoyce, ACCA, Abercrombie &

Using architectural features, children and parents will work with professional artist Bhajan Hunjan to create artworks that will be displayed in the Rich Mix foyer. Families will use a variety of materials to explore form and colour in this fun one-day workshop. Families are welcome to bring photographs of buildings that are of personal significance. Cost: £5 Time: 11am – 4pm Location: Rich Mix, 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Info: 020 7613 7498 or boxoffice@richmix.org.uk

Mar Nominations: Black Youth Achievements Awards

The annual Black Youth Achievements Awards will provide a platform for these young people to be openly recognised, rewarded and celebrated; the aim being to increase esteem and pride amongst the target group of 8 – 25-year-olds. For this year’s event be sure to send your nominations in as of the 8th of March. Cost: Free Time: TBA Location: TBA Info: admin@ blackyouthachievements.org

Mar Teen Xra Evenings

This is a free club for 12–21year-olds held every Thursday where you can show off your skills and play games on the X Box 360 Elite, Nintendo Wii, or Playstation 3. Design your very own web page, join the Film Club and watch films, or get active and take part in DJ workshops and Dance/ drama workshops. Are Stressed

COMMUNITY

12 14

Mar Disney Live!

Mar Tackling Bullying in the Community

Mar Hindi for Kids Launch

This is where kids can learn an Asian language (Hindi, Gujarati & Urdu) in a unique, interactive and stimulating way. Desi Guru DVD’s are educational and entertaining, supporting parent’s efforts to teach a Asian language to young kids around the world in a fun and interactive way. Kids will delight with animated jungle characters, eye-catching visuals, new story adventures, interactive games and music with a desi twist! Truly a great and unique gift with long lasting benefits. Kids will simply want to watch them again and again! Cost: £12.99 Time: TBC Location: 64 Minster Road, NW2 3RG Info: 0845 621 6221 or info@hindiforkids.net

about upcoming exams, need help with an essay? Use the library to do your research or revise in a quiet study area only made available to you. Cost: Free Time: 6pm - 8pm Location: The Library @ The Gate, 4-20 Woodgrange Road, Forest Gate, E7 OQH Info: 020 8430 2000 ext 40385

or andrew.deheer@newham. gov.uk http://www.newham.gov.uk/ Services/LibraryServicesFor YoungPeople/AboutUs/ TeenXtra.htm

13 Mar

Dino Snores – Sleepover at the Museaum

Over recent years, the AntiBullying Alliance (ABA) has become increasingly aware of how bullying in the wider community can impact on the wellbeing of children and young people. To support local practitioners to get to grips with the new DCSF Safe from Bullying guidance on tackling bullying in a range of community settings, ABA is organising a series of one-day conferences in each of the nine government regions, including this event in London. Cost: Free Time: 9.15pm - 3.30pm Location: De Vere Canary Wharf Hotel, 1 Westferry Circus, E14 4HA Info: 020 7843 6000 or conferences@ncb.org.uk

Mar Asian Wedding Course

A fun instructive one-day course that combines the arts of garland making with other exciting designs for

Asian weddings. Garlands students will create their own garland using traditional skills. Alternative garlands will be demonstrated and different techniques and equipment explained so that all students can adapt their knowledge to create exciting new and original variations. Cost: £225.00 Time: 10:15am Location: The Judith Blacklock Flower School, 4-5 Kinnerton Place South, SW1X 8EH Info: 020 7235 6235 or school@judithblacklock.com

24 28

Mar Country Living Spring Fair

This is a wonderful way to get into the spring mood in despite chilly March. The Country Living Magazine will offer an opportunity to view a particular collection of self-regulating British stylists, creators and minute makers who symbolise the authentic strength of the glossy magazine. The fair will not only help you choose the spring season basics and essentials, but also get into a more joyous mood and banish the winter blues. Cost: £10.50 Time: 10am - 6pm Location: Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Islington, N1 0QH Info: 020 7359 3535

Mar New Shed

New Shed offers a place where children can become valuable members of the company, exploring their creativity and working inclusively with their peers. Parents can feel secure in the knowledge that their children will not only be safe, but will also be happy and included in all the activities, which are completely accessible to all. The weekly performing arts sessions help members to develop skills, building on their own strengths and those of others for the benefit of the whole company. Cost: £2 Time: 6.15pm -7.15pm Location: 1 Bridge Terrace, E15 4BG Info: 07766 277299 or newshedinc@yahoo.co.uk

Here is your chance to see “Disney Live” where Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy stumble upon a magical storybook hidden amongst a treasure trove of clothes. When they open it to see what’s inside, three classic fairy tales come to life in front of their eyes — “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Cinderella” and “Beauty and the Beast”. Cost: £17.50 Time: TBA Location: Wembley Arena, Engineers Way, Wembley, HA9 0DH Info: 0870 060 0870

Have you ever seen the movie “Night At The Museum”? Well now’s your chance to find out what really goes overnight at the Natural History Museum as you try to sleep in the Central Hall with the Dinosaurs towering nearby. Thrilling activities include a torch-lit tour of some of the famous galleries, including the Dinosaur skeletons; film screenings; and a live show about bugs. When the night is over you can tuck into a hearty breakfast before the Museum opens to the public. Dino Snores is suitable for children aged 8-11 years old. Cost: Children £45, Accompanying adults are free Time: 7pm to 9.50 am Location: Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7 5BD Info: 0207 942 5000

Saying it with

flowers

It’s that time again, and unless you want the cold shoulder from your missus or your mum, you’d better remember to acknowledge them on Mothers’ Day! And what better than a bunch of flowers… or so we’re told… You see it’s pretty easy to walk into a florist with good intentions and walk out with a bunch of flowers more suited for a hospital beside get-well-soon than a Mothers’ Day brunch. Never fear, Life In Colour is here, and with the help of our friends at Interflora, we’re breaking down the best bloom for the special women in your life.

as a symbolic form of language to communicate in a way that the propriety of the times would not allow. A specifically designed bouquet, could convey a silent message to an illicit lover — with meaning lying in the colour, arrangement and quantity of flowers. Today, however, flowers have become more associated with gestures or significant events in our lives – weddings, funerals, Valentine’s Day and of course Mother’s Day.

White lilies imply purity, virginity, majesty and heavenliness; calla lilies represent beauty and lavender lilies admiration or solitude. Roses The rose is a typical example of a flower that can convey a different meaning according to its colour, shape and number of petals. In general, red roses signify passion; white roses express love and yellow roses mean friendship. Lilac roses symbolise love at first sight. Pink roses have undertones of grace and gratitude — perfect for our lovely mothers.

What do they mean? So… why flowers? For centuries, flowers have been used as an expression of emotion. The Ancient Greeks used them to decorate their palaces and the Romans to honour their heroes and celebrate ancient feasts and festivals. “In fact,” says Kathryn the ‘language’ of flowers, known as ‘floriography’, started life in the harems of the Middle East, to uphold secrecy between lovers. Similarly, the Victorians used them

Flowers can denote the varying extremes of emotions — love, celebration and happiness, or grief, sobriety and respect; all depending on both the flowers and environment. Here are three of the nation’s favourite flowers and their meanings. Lilies Back in Medieval times, the Lily was a symbol of feminine sexuality and to this day it is emblematic of fertility.

Carnations Given as a good luck token to women in the Victorian age, today pink carnations are typically associated with Mother’s Day. Alternatively, if you wish to express passion to a loved one, pick the red variety. White carnations on the other hand are the perfect way of saying good luck. Flowers, check! Now, what colour? You didn’t think we’d leave you hanging did you? It’s clear to see

that it’s not just the meaning of the flowers that lets you know which to get for your mother and which for your lover but also the colour chosen. Here’s a breakdown of the best shades for your Mothers’ Day blossoms. White There is an element of purity in white. White breathes a touch of heaven in its petals. Not only is there heaven in white roses, there is also innocence that one can only find in this flower.

Lavender Lavender is not as strong as regal purple. The meaning of lavender flowers is one of womanhood in her prime. The elegance of lavender reflects the grace and feminine beauty of those who receive it. Modest yet mature, lavender conveys a message of what it really means to be a woman. Pink If red is the colour of deep and abiding love, pink is red’s youthful

counterpart. The meaning of pink flowers is one of innocent happiness. Both caring and carefree, pink flowers allow you to show love more than romance. Use pink when the meaning of your flowers needs a cheerful touch. Yellow Nothing dispels gloom and denotes spring like yellow—and the happiness, new life, and smiles carried by a yellow bouquet banish all things melancholy. Yellow in a flower arrangement enlivens the rest of the colours. Yellow has one of the brightest symbolic meanings of flowers. Peach Peach offers a little more friendship than the obvious romance of a straight pink flower. Mixed with orange and yellow, peach confirms gratitude and tender feeling. Friendship is the true meaning of peach flowers. So next time you plan to say it with flowers, why not help preserve the ancient art of floriography by experimenting with what message you can create – you can then impress your loved one with your flower knowledge by explaining its significance. By Samera Owusu Tutu

The bouquets pictured are available from Interflora, ranging from £29.99 to £75.

FAITH 01-07 Mar

Global Poverty Prayer Week One Voice is about bringing churches around the world together in prayer and worship for this year’s event, which will be about connecting with God and each other through prayer and hearing from God as we seek justice, mercy and an end to poverty. One Voice is about praying for change, and being the change. Cost: Free Time: TBA Location: See your local church Info: 0845 355 8355 or enquiry@tearfund.org

Mar Holi — Festival of Colour

Orleans House Gallery bursts with colour as people throw pigment to celebrate the arrival of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colour. Come and celebrate, to mark the end of the gloomy winter days and welcome to the spring. The Richmond Holi Festival, delivered in partnership with Ethnic Minorities Advocacy Group, involves traditional celebrations including the play of colours, performances by traditional artist s, art workshops and stalls selling delicacies and handmade crafts. Cost: Free Time: 1pm - 4pm Location: Orleans House Gallery, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond, TW9 1TP Info: 020 8831 6000 or artsinfo@richmond.gov.uk

01- 08 Mar 36

Life Exhibition

The Life Exhibition is a unique, mobile exhibition developed by UK-based Christian Charity Counties It’s an educational experience using PDA technology, with text, graphics, DVD and sound, and aims to help visitors understand what Christians believe about Jesus. The exhibition is a hands-on interactive learning experience that tells of the life of Jesus, his Jewish roots, his teaching and miracles, and his death, burial and resurrection. The final area of the exhibition is the Life Café, where visitors can have refreshments and discuss what they have seen and experienced. Cost: Free Time: TBA Location: Latchett Evangelical Church, Latchett Road South, Woodford, E18 1DL Info: 07816 408452 or latchettnews@ntlworld.com

F Word: Images of Forgiveness

This is a thought-provoking collection of arresting images and personal narratives exploring forgiveness in the face of atrocity. The exhibition will be on display in the Cathedral’s South Transept and has been produced by The Forgiveness Project, which is a UK-based charitable organisation that explores forgiveness, reconciliation and conflict resolution through real-life

04 Mar

Islamic Finance Access Programme

This one-day training programme aims to introduce fundamental concepts, structures, practices, institutions and other players in the field of Islamic Finance. A qualification in its own right (the attendees will receive HD Certificate in Islamic Banking & Finance), it can also serve as a gateway to more advanced qualifications such as Islamic Finance Qualification and Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance. Training will be provided by well-known economist and Sharia technician Professor Humayon Dar. Time: 8.30am-5pm Cost: £97 Location: Toynbee Hall, 28 Commercial Street, E1 6LS Info: 0207 147 9970 or qhussain@ edbizconsulting.com human experience. Cost: Free Time: TBA Location: Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge, SE1 9DA Info: rose.harding@ southwark.anglican.org.

06 Mar

Dance In Worship

Dance and move to Christian praise music to worship Jesus. No need to be very fit and all ages welcome — yes, that includes older people. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Cost: £2 Time: 10am -12pm Location: United Reformed

Church, Chapel Road, Hounslow, TW3 1TT Info: 0208 744 5333 or dance@ hounslowmission.org.uk

07 Mar

March against Sharia Law

This is your chance to voice your opposition to Sharia law with all religious-based tribunals in Britain and elsewhere, demand one secular law and full citizenship rights for all, demand an end to cultural relativism and racism, and defend universal rights. This seminar on legal and legislative means to ban Sharia law in Britain has speakers such as Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Pragna Patel and Yasmin

Rahman. Cost: £10, Students/ Unwaged £3 Time: 6pm Location: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square Holborn, WC1R 4RL Info: 07719166731 or onelawforall@gmail.com

Delhi Darbar: Lecture

This event is a special feature on the wider relevance of houses of worship in the world communities. St Ethelburga’s in association with Darbar Festival present a lecture on the Baha’i temple in Delhi with Phineas Manasseh, Architect B Arch and Dip Arch. This lecture will help you discover what the Baha’i Houses of Worship are for, how the house of worship

FAITH John’s centre believes that the God of the Bible heals people today, and miraculously intervenes in difficult situations of all kinds. All are welcome! Cost: Free Time: 7.45pm-9.30pm Location: St John’s and St Matthew’s, South End Road, Rainham, RM13 7TX Info: 01708555260 or stjohns-centre@tiscali.co.uk

14 Mar

24 Mar

Walk for Women

St John Passion

15 Mar Oasis Day

23 Mar The Bible

Tedious, taboo and toxic or transforming, treasured and true? Biblefresh offers a whole host of ideas and resources to inspire and equip you, your church and your community to read, study, meditate, listen, learn and live the Bible. Now in partnership with over 50 organisations joining forces to help you grow in appetite and confidence in the scriptures, this event coincides with the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible. Cost: Free Time: TBA Location: TBA Info: 020 7207 2146 or info@biblefresh.com in New Delhi was conceived and constructed, how the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár exists when Baha’is gather to worship and that it is not dependant on a physical building. Cost: Free Time: 3pm Location: St Ethelburgas Centre 78 Bishopsgate,

Faiths Act Fellows London are organising this 10 mile sponsored walk to commemorate International Women’s Day, celebrate mothers around the world on Mothering Sunday, remember the Suffragettes’ Mud March of 1907, fundraise for project Muso Ladamunen, the project for the empowered woman. The end of the walk will take the route of the Mud March ,which took place on February 7, 1907. Cost: Free Time: 10am Location: From Kew Green to Embankment Gardens Info: myriam.volk@ faithsactfellows.org.

Spitalfields, EC2N 4AG Info: 0777 613 6609

10 Mar

Prayer & Healing Service Are you experiencing problems of some kind? Would you like to talk to someone confidentially about your situation? The St.

Christian international Catholic peacemaking movement. ‘Oasis Days’, offered in conjunction of the Leprosy Mission (London), offer quiet reflection for people who need a day to re-charge their spiritual batteries and enjoy the stimulation of an excellent speaker. All welcome; no charge. Donation toward lunch. RSVPing is necessary for catering purposes. Cost: Free with donation towards lunch Time: 10.45am - 3.15pm Location: London Interfaith Centre 125 Salisbury Road, NW6 6RG Info: 020 7604 3053 or info@ londoninterfaith.org.uk

26 Mar

The Beautiful Mind?

27 Mar

Behind the Veil Worship Evening

Secret Place Ministry presents Beyond the Music; Beyond Words; Beyond the Performance, the ultimate experience of praise and worship that will take place in the evening. Go out and join them! Time: 6.30pm Cost: Free Location: St., Paul’s Church, Maryland Road, Stratford, E15 1JL Info: 07946322835 or psalms91v1@aol.com

28 Mar

Palm Sunday Procession

Gather in the Borough Market for music and singing at the beginning of Holy Week — the week when Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The congregation re-enacts the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem with an outdoor procession and the carrying of palm branches. Cost: Free Time: 8am Location: Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge, SE1 9DA Info: 020 7367 6700

Bach’s intensely felt masterpiece narrates the events leading to the crucifixion of Christ. This professional performance, sung by the Cathedral Choir, is offered as a devotional preparation for Holy Week and Easter. Cost: Free Time: 6.30pm Location: The Chapter House, St Paul’s Churchyard, EC4M 8AD Info: 020 7246 8350

How we deal with our emotions is an increasingly popular topic. Yet things seem to be getting worse not better, with growing numbers of people suffering from depression. Mind and Soul have teamed up with theologians from St Paul’s Theological Centre to offer you this one-day conference on emotional health and Christian Theology. It will bring the insights of theology to bear on some of the ‘tough questions’ that surround this issue such as prosperity theology, demon possession, how healing might happen and how we can assess secular therapies. Cost: £20 Time: 9.30am – 5pm Location: Holy Trinity Brompton, Brompton Road, SW7 1JA Info: 020 7052 0440

HEALTH & WELLBEING 06

Mar Zumba with Bianca

Mar Yoga with Rhian Shriila Davies

Zumba is a spicy, hot, hip swivelling workout where African, Caribbean and Latin dance moves are combined with aerobics/fitness. It is a ‘fun and easy to do’ workout where one does not need to be a dancer to Zumba and you can burn up to 1000 calories in a Zumba class! Time: 7.00 - 8.00pm Cost: £5 Venue: Ladywell Leisure Centre, 261 Lewisham High Street Lewisham SE13 6NJ Info: 07818415975 or www. zumbawithbianca.com

Rhian incorporates breathing techniques, yogic postures and visualisation in her routines, giving special attention to individual needs suitable for all levels. Cost: £60 Time: 7pm Location: 1 Edwin Hall Place, Hither Green, SE13 6RN Info: 07505 366 123 or info@ gatehousehealth.com

March Sainsbury’s Sports Relief Mile

There’s no better way to rise to the challenge than by entering the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile. This year, it’s all set to be bigger and better than ever before with 16 fantastic flagship-miles events taking place across London to help transform the lives of poor and vulnerable people, both at home and across the world’s poorest countries. So be a part of it and rise to the challenge for Sport Relief. Cost: £5 Time: TBA Location: Various – visit website for more information Info: www.sportrelief.com/the-mile or info@ sportrelief.com

01 Mar

Karate Classes

These classes have been specially developed for kids 5 years and older to improve fitness and create a sense of general wellbeing. The building is wheelchair accessible and has Parking for blue badge holders nearby. Classes last 90mins. Cost: £4.50 Time: Location: Trinity Community Centre, East Avenue, E12 6SG Info: 07850 253998

Mar No Smoking Day

This health campaign is for smokers who want to stop and

is organised by a charity of the same name. It highlights the many sources of help available to people that want to quit. This year, Soul singer Lemar has been named as an ambassador. Look out for the party double decker bus that will tour Islington and the CO readings and chemical box at ASDA, Beckton. Cost: Free Time: 8am Location: TBA Info: 0207 059 6634 or enquiries@ nosmokingday.org.uk

Mar Newham Swimming Club The club is a community run swimming club offering

swimming skills development in a fun, relaxed and positive atmosphere. The NSC enjoys the use of the accessible East Ham Leisure Centre. It is also open to swimmers of many different levels of ability. A maximum of 6 swimmers may attend each trial. Contact the Club’s Head Coach in advance if you would like to attend. Cost: TBA Time: 7pm Location: Balaam Leisure Centre, Balaam Street, E13 8AQ Info: 020 7476 5274

Mar Kettlebell Public Workshop This course is personally run by the London Kettlebells Training

director and is limited to 12 people to ensure instruction quality, adequate learning and safety. The workshop is aimed at those that have never seen a kettlebell and are interested and those that have seen or used them and don’t really know what to do. Cost: £97.00 Time: 10am Location: Energie Fitness, The Piper Building, Carnwath Road, SW6 3EF Info: 0844 736 5825

Mar Military 5K and 10K Race

The Military Series is tough. All of the courses are wet, muddy and challenging. There are obstacles, hills, trees and ditches. You will get dirty, and we can guarantee that your trainers will never look the same again. For those that feel the 10k course is a tad out of reach, try the 5k course and see how you go. You must be at least 17-years-old on the date of the event to take part. Cost: £20 - £22 Time: 10am Location: Private land near Redhill, Surrey Info: 0870 241 2517 or fitness@britmilfit.com

HEALTH & WELLBEING Dear Counsellor Mike

I fear my relationship is deteriorating as we speak. I have been married to my husband for two years and when we met his worked involved travelling around the UK. This was fine with me at the start but thought it would eventually stop when we got married. Since the recession, things have got worse, what with redundancies at his workplace and being asked to take on more work. Due to this I hardly see him. I usually see him at weekends, which is fantastic, but when the weekend is over I feel that my life is empty and that I am a single person. It’s difficult to talk to him about it because when he’s here, all I want to do is just hug him and spend quality time with him rather than bring up something that can cause friction or problems which will leave me feeling worse then ever. What can I do?

Chante

This is the first time I am opening up to someone. I have kept this to myself and I don’t think I can cope with these feelings anymore. Since my partner’s father died three months ago, she has started drinking alcohol excessively and I can’t seem to communicate with her as she is drunk most of the time and can get quite aggressive and erratic. When she is sober, she is suffering from a hung-over and doesn’t want to talk. She has completely shut herself off from me. Her friends also can seem to communicate with her and it’s left up to me to try and explain what’s wrong, but I don’t even know what to say. Gary Gary Gary I am very sorry to hear of your situation and that of your partner’s. She is obviously finding it hard to cope with the loss and relies on alcohol as a form of comfort to numb the pain; however, this is having a knock-on effect on you and the people that care about her the most. If you can’t communicate to her, it might be worth seeking professional help - that she has some form of counselling. It might help her to talk to a professional who will help her deal and explore her current emotions and guide her to move forward in life. You may find it difficult approaching her with the subject of counselling, but this will be a test for you to try and persuade her that it may be the right thing to do. All the best Counsellor Mike

If you are in a relationship and have a question for Counsellor Mike to answer, email: mike@theinstituteofwellbeing.com. To see all our Private Therapies and Personal Development Programmes - visit: www.theinstituteofwellbeing.com or call 0700 2222 700 for more information. SPECIAL 10% DISCOUNT ON COUPLE COUNSELING IN FEBRUARY

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I empathise; you must feel that you are leading two lives, one as a single person and the other as a married person. If you are not going to say anything to him then he will naturally think that you are happy with the current situation. You are clearly not and you must tell him. It might be worth mentioning it to him before he comes at the weekend so that he is prepared and that there will be a discussion to follow when he comes down for the weekend. You must let him know how you are feeling and how you would like things to be. You also need to find out how he is feeling. Communication is key and you may have to be the one to make the first move. Counsellor Mike

Dear Counsellor Mike

GALLERY 01 20

Mar Lara Viana

Domo Baal is delighted to welcome Lara Viana to the gallery programme with her first solo show. Viana appears at home within the representational hall of mirrors that connects the world of painting with that of imaging; her pieces draw your attention to the innate human desire to render things realistically and the ways that new technologies fracture our understanding of reality. Cost: TBA Time: 12pm-6pm Location: Domobaal 3 John Street, WC1N 2ES Info: 0207242 9604 or info@domobaal.com

Mar Arshille Gorky

Mar Blow Horn: Signs and Life in India

An exhibition of paintings by Natasha Kumar and original prints celebrating the colourful mix of everyday life in India and its commercial art featuring a print workshop and gallery talk. Cost: Free Time: 10am - 6pm Location: Main Gallery, Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street, W1G 7LP Info: 020 7307 5454 or enquires@asiahouse.co.uk

Tate Modern will be celebrating one of the most powerful American artists of his generation, in “Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective”. With an emphasis on his uniquely lyrical paintings of the 1940s, the exhibition will examine his extraordinary contribution to the world of Abstract Expressionism. Cost: £10 Time: 10am Location: Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG Info: 0207 887 8888

12 18

Mar Living in the Light

Amura-An loves sharing so therefore she loves to paint. As an artist Amura combines colour therapy with healing as

Mar Art In Mind

Through the medium of drawing and painting, Sahar Aljajeh captures the essence of the objects surrounding her. Having originally worked with the medium of charcoal, she developed an understanding of how images are formed through light and shade and how colours are produced and interact with one another. For Sahar, oil painting “reflects the colour of life”. Cost: TBA Time: 1 - 6pm Location: The Brick Lane Gallery, 196 Brick Lane, E1 6SA Info: 0207 729 9721 or info@ thebricklanegallery.com

a channel for healing energies by focusing on opening the viewer’s perception beyond their five senses and getting in touch with their inner feelings. Beyond these canvasses the paintings are alive, and they work as “a tool for the manifestation of healing and unconditional love”. Cost: TBA Time: 11am-6.30 pm Location: Red Gate Gallery, 209a Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8RU Info: 0207 326 0993 or info@ redgategallerylondon.co.uk

Mar Where Three Dreams Cross

A landmark exhibition that showcases beautiful photography from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh – stretching over 150 years, featuring over 300 works by 70 artists covering historic and contemporary photography from the subcontinent. This exhibition has brought together photographs from private family archives, galleries, individuals and works by leading contemporary artists. Cost: Time: Location: Whitechapel Gallery, 77 – 82 Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX Info: 020 7522 7880 or rachelmapplebeck@ whitechapelgallery.org

Mar Jewish Museum London

The Jewish Museum London will reopen after a £10 million transformation creating a landmark museum celebrating Jewish life and cultural diversity. Its new displays and exhibitions will tell the story of Jewish history, culture and religion in an innovative and compelling way and engage with people of all backgrounds and faiths to explore Jewish heritage and identity as part of the wider story of Britain. Time: 10am – 5pm Cost: £7 Location: Raymond Burton House, 129-131 Albert Street Camden Town, NW1 7NB Info: 020 7284 7384 or admin@ jewishmuseum.org.uk

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COMPETITION

London’s First Multicultural Listings Guide Over 500,000 Monthly Readers

LIFE IN COLOUR promotes the dynamic world of multicultural entertainment throughout London. This exciting medium delivers a listings guide incorporating arts, media and live events in and around the capital. 100,000 LIFE IN COLOUR publications are distributed free every other month.

*50,000 copies of Life in Colour distributed to... Events e.g. Nottingham Hill Carnival, Black Hair & Beauty Show, all London boroughs through-out Black History Month, London Film Festival, The Wedding Show etc London Cinemas & Theatres e.g. Hackney Empire Bullion Room Theatre - 291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ | Toynbee Studios - 28 Commercial Street, London E1 6AB | Playhouse Theatre - Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5DE | Ambassadors Theatre - West Street, London WC2H 9ND | Stratford Circus, Stratford Circus - Theatre Square, Stratford, London E15 1BX | Arcola Theatre - 27 Arcola St, London, E8 2DJ | The Drill Hall, The Drill Hall, 16 Chenies Street, London, WC1E 7EX | Broadway Theatre - Catford, London, SE6 4RU | Broadway Theatre, Broadway Theatre, the BROADWAY, Barking, IG11 7LS | Fairfield Halls Croydon - Park Lane, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 1DG | Centerprise Bookshop -136-138 Kingsland High Street, London, E8 2NS | Hackney Council - London Borough of Hackney, Town Hall, Mare Street, London E8 1EA | The Albany - Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG | Barbican Centre - Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS | Yaa Asantewaa Art & Community Centre -1 Chippenham Mews, Chippenham Road, London, W9 2AN | The Tricycle Theatre - 269 Kilburn High Road, London NW6 7JR | Brixton Academy - 211 Stockwell Road, London SW9 9SL | Oval House Theatre - 52-54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SW | Idea Store Canary Wharf - Churchill Place London E14 5RB | Hackney Town Hall, Mare Street E8 1EA | Arcola Theatre, 27 Arcola St - London, E8 2DJ | The Lexi Cinema Cinema - Chamberlayne Road London NW10 3JU | Ritzy Cinema - Coldharbour Lane London SW2 1JG Also available from selected Hair Salons, Barber Shops, Restaurants, Takeaways, Nightclubs, Libraries

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Black Heroes of Our Time

POLITICS & LAW

is an exciting informative, publication highlighting the achievements of people of African descent. Published by Seven Media this unique Glossy A4 historical book promotes the achievements of people of colour particularly focusing on trail blazers and noted people who are the first in their field to have made recognisable achievements within government, the arts, business, industry and community sectors.

Black Heroes of Our Time

POLITICS & LAW

Baroness Valerie Amos

One of Britain’s First Black Female Recorders

B: 1954 - Georgetown, Guyana Baroness Valerie Amos was created a life peer in 1997. She is a British Labour Party politician and life peer, formerly serving as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council. When she was appointed Secretary of State for International Development on 12 May 2003, following the resignation of Clare Short, she became the first black woman to sit in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. A distinctive element of Baroness Amos’ political career is that she has never actually been elected to any public office as every office held has been

B: 1957

an unelected appointment. Following positions in Equal Opportunities, Training and Management Services in local government in the London boroughs of Lambeth, Camden and Hackney, she became Chief Executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission 1989–94. After resigning from the cabinet, Baroness Amos took up a directorship with Travant Capital, a Nigerian private equity fund launched in 2007 and is involved with the 2012 Olympic Committee.

Barrister Constance Briscoe was one of six children born to two Jamaicans who settled in the UK in the 1950s. Briscoe studied Law at the University of Newcastle, financing her studies through various weekend and holiday jobs including working at a hospice with the terminally ill. After completing her MA at the University of Warwick she was called to the Bar in 1983, and became a Recorder, a part time

judge in 1996 - one of the first black women to sit as a judge in the UK. Briscoe’s legal practice focuses on criminal law and fraud, principally defending. She is also known for her books ‘Ugly’ and ‘Beyond Ugly’ in which she recounts tales of abuse as a child and she often talks about her experiences publicly.

Baroness Scotland

The First Black Female Attorney General

Dame Linda Dobbs

B: 1955 - Commonwealth of Dominica In 1999, Scotland was appointed Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. She was responsible for introducing the Bill to ratify the International Criminal Court in the United Kingdom. She also set up a panel of British-based lawyers who provided pro bono services to UK nationals imprisoned overseas. In 2001 she became Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor’s Department, and was made a member of the Privy Council. Scotland was a contender for a

The First Black Judge Appointed To the High Courts of Justice

cabinet position at a time when Tony Blair is reported to have considered appointing her Leader of the House of Lords. In 2003, Lady Scotland of Asthal, as she is also known, was made Minister of State for the Criminal Justice system and Law Reform at the Home Office. On 28 June 2007, Baroness Scotland was appointed Attorney General by the new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. She is the first woman to hold the office since its foundation in 1315.

B: 1951 Dobbs’ mother was from Sierra Leone, and her father was an English lawyer who became a High Court judge in Sierra Leone. She studied Linguistic and Regional Studies (Russian and Law) at the University of Surrey, graduating with a BSc in 1976. She received an LLM from the London School of Economics, and a PhD for research on criminology and penology in the Soviet Union. Dame Linda Penelope Dobbs was the first non-white person to be assigned as judge of the High Court of justice of England and Wales. She was appointed a High Court Judge in September

Bernard Grant MP

One of Britain’s First Black MPs

B: 1944 - Georgetown, Guyana

2004. She received a DBE, and was assigned Queen Bench Division, the Administrative Court, and the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal. At the time of the appointment, Dobbs said: “It is a great honour to have been invited by the Lord Chancellor to become a High Court Judge… I am confident, nevertheless, that I am the first of many to come”. She has subsequently been appointed as Chairman of the Magisterial Committee of the Judicial Studies Board.

D: 2000

Bernard Grant was one of many West Indians who took up the British government’s invitation to the colonies to move to the UK for blue-collar employment in 1963. He was for a period a member of the Socialist Labour League. He quickly became a trade union official, and moved into politics, becoming a Labour councilor in the London Borough of Haringey in 1978. As council leader during the Broadwater Farm riot of 1985, in which a policeman, PC Blakelock, was killed, he was thrown into the public eye, when he was widely quoted as saying “The police got

a bloody good hiding”. Grant claimed had been taken out of context, but offered an apology to the family of PC Blakelock. The controversy did not prevent him from becoming MP for Tottenham in the 1987 election, one of only three black MPs at the time. As an MP he backed demands for black sections in the Labour and was recognised as a staunch voice against Police racism. In September 2007 in Tottenham, London, Haringey Council opened the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in his name.

Dawn Butler MP The first Black Female Minister in the House of Commons

B: 1969- London, UK

Colin Powell

First African-American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

B: 1937 - New York City, California, USA Colin Luther Powell, KCB, MSC, is an American statesman and retired as a four-star general in the United States Army. He was well known for his tremendous popularity among the American people. He was the first African American appointed to the position of 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush. During his time within the military, Powell also served as National Security Advisor, as Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Army Forces Command and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, holding the latter position during the Gulf War. He was the first, and so far the only, African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs

of Staff. Colin Powell announced his resignation as Secretary of State on Monday, November 15, 2004. The following day, George W. Bush nominated National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice as Powell’s successor. In 2007, Powell donated the maximum amount to John McCain’s campaign with his name listed as a possible running mate in 2008 for Republican nominee McCain’s presidential election bid however, on October 19, 2008, Powell declared his backing of Barack Obama during a Meet the Press interview, citing “his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign’ additionally referring to Obama as a “transformational figure.”

Dawn Petula Butler is a British Labour politician, Member of Parliament for Brent South and an Assistant Chief Whip for Gordon Brown’s government. She worked as a GMB Union Officer, including time as a national race and equality officer. She was also an advisor to former London Mayor Ken Livingstone on employment and social issues. She is the first Black female minister in the House of Commons. She was born in London into a large family of Jamaican immigrant parentage with a sister and four brothers. She has said, “It is important to me that government is reflective of our diverse community and ordinary hard working individuals are given the opportunity to have their voices heard.” Interest in youth services has continued as one of her main interests in Parliament. On 24 October 2006 she was appointed Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs, and she is an Honorary Vice President of the British Youth Council. After Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, on 27 June 2007, Butler was made one of the Labour Party’s six Vice Chairs, with particular responsibility for Youth issues. on

She was appointed to the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons shortly after her election, and has also served on standing committees (notably on the Violent Crime Reduction Bill 2006). In November 2007 she was appointed to the Children & Families Select Committee. Earlier (in November 2005), she had been promoted to Parliamentary Private Secretary to the health minister Jane Kennedy, but decided to stand down from this post in early 2006. On 6 November 2007, Butler was chosen to second the Queen’s Speech. Her voting record shows she has largely been loyal to the government. She was promoted to Assistant Whip on 12 September 2008.

A Seven

0 Editi

2009 - 201

is a fantastic educational tool for teachers in schools, colleges, youth workers and other educationalist with pages and pages of facts and figures detailing the lives and achievements of Black people that have often gone undocumented.

Black Heroes of Our Time

is particularly accessible to young people as it celebrates not only the African American achievers like Martin Luther King and Alice Walker but also home grown talent like Bill Morris and Kwame Kwei-Armah highlighting rappers, entrepreneurs and community activists. The whole family as well as educationalist will find this important publication invaluable during Black History Month and throughout the year and as an inspiration to all especially young people. For added value we have available a seperate teachers resource crammed pack with exercises and activities to help you get the best out of Black

Constance Briscoe

The First Black Female Cabinet Minister and Joint First Black Woman Peer

Heroes of Our Time.

Black Heroes of Our Time - The book - £25

is already fast becoming an essential addition to all the family.

Black Heroes of Our Time -The book and Teachers Resource Pack- £95 is a ‘must have’ feature in all teachers’ and educationalists toolkit.

To Order Now or for more information about Black Heroes of our Time contact: info@level7media.co.uk Tel: Seven Media 020 7760 7611 www.level7media.co.uk/heroes

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