Black History Month events

View what’s happening in our borough this Black History Month.

If you are hosting a Black History Month event, please email details to communitynews@richmond.gov.uk so we can include it in our schedule.

A Taste of Africa - A multicultural Full of Life event

Designed for older adults, this Multicultural Richmond Full of Life event will feature an African dance performance, along with wellbeing sessions including massage, Zumba, reflexology, and more.

Event details:

• Date: Thursday 24 October 2024
• Time: 10.30am to 1.30pm
• Location: Whitton Day Centre, 111A Kneller Road, TW2 7DT

To register or to find out more, please contact the organisers on surinder@multiculturalrichmond.org.uk and 020 8893 9555 or kiran@multiculturalrichmond.org.uk and 020 8893 9000.

Sonic Laboratory with Gary Stewart 

The free event will feature a creative mix of two recordings of the late, renowned cultural theorist Stuart Hall, which Gary Stewart places himself in conversation with Hall and the audience.  

Gary’s work draws inspiration from the concept of retro-causality in quantum physics—the idea that the future can influence the present, and the present can influence the past. Through this lens, the performance explores the complex ways time, history, and ideas interact. This event also highlights the significant contributions of Black intellectuals to cultural theory and history. 

Join us for a full day of creativity and exploration as part of the A Ripple in Time exhibition. 

• Date: Wednesday 30 October
• Times: 10am to 1pm - Activation with the artist, 2 to 5pm - Sonic Lab,  6 to 9pm – Interactive performance and discussion 
• Location: Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham, TW1 3BL 

You can find out more about Sonic Laboratory.

Bright Stars of Black British History 

Led by writer and educator Joanna Brown and award-winning illustrator Angela Vives, the event will highlight the stories of Sarah Forbes Bonetta - gifted Yoruba protégé of Queen Victoria - and Una Marson, Jamaican journalist, poet, playwright and BBC producer. The event will also feature the research journeys and creative processes that Joanna and Angela embarked on to produce their biographical collection, Bright Stars of Black British history.  

Event details:

• Date: Friday 1 November 2024
• Time: 2 pm
• Location: The National Archives, Bessant Drive, Kew, TW9 4DU
• Price: £10 
• Booking: Book your tickets for Bright Stars of lack British History

A Ripple in Time

You are invited to be part of this free exhibition by adding your own sounds in real time. Play the piano and turn the dials on the synthesiser so that the sounds you create mix with the installation's sounds: audio recordings, the soft hum of the radio, a passionfruit plant talking through a plant sensor, and the buzz and whir of vintage recording equipment.

At the core of A Ripple in Time lies the philosophy of Dub: the mixing, layering, and juxtaposition of sound, time and identity. Discover these layers, reflect on our shared past, and contemplate the threads that connect us.

Exhibition details:

• Date: Open until 23 February 2025 (Tuesday to Sunday)
• Time: 10am to 5pm
• Location: Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham TW1 3DJ

You can find out more about A Ripple in Time