African History Season
Celebrating Black History Month 2022
13th-15th October 2022
What does it mean to belong? Have we truly created a place of welcome that offers acceptance and respect for all? Come and join us in The Barn at Christ Church Abingdon as we explore these poignant questions and the richness and depth of African History Season in our three-day exhibition of displays, activities, talks, workshops & hospitality to the community.
Download the Programme of EventsSOLD
Drama Performance
A historic piece of theatre that dramatises the first account of female enslavement in the British West Indies, inspired by the autobiography of Mary Prince.
Friday 14th October, 7:30pm
The performance will be held in the Barn at Christ Church, Northcourt Road. Caribbean refreshments will be available from 6:30pm and the performance will start with musical interlude at 7:15pm.
Click here for further details and to purchase tickets.Exhibition Contributors
Baobab & Bananas
Natty Mark Samuels
This workshop furthers the inception of Rootical Folklore: a new celebration, of the flora of African and Caribbean oral traditions. Rootical. From the first syllable, with its obvious connection to flora, to the meaning of rootical: the begining of an idea. Natty Mark has written contemporary folktales – The Papine Tales – set in Jamaica, around a central character: the legendary folklorist, Jah Folk of Papine. Using participatory aids such as chant, interactive cartography, riddles and the Papine Tales, we'll explore the flora featured in the folklore - and learn from them.
Caribbean Living Room
ACKHI
The Caribbean Living Room provides images and evokes memories of a life once lived by our parents, grandparents and in many cases great grandparents. It highlights a period in British Caribbean history, and its impact.
ACKHI presents a picture of life in a community which has made significant contributions to the cultural landscape of their new homeland. Seventy years later we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the landing of the SS. Empire Windursh's docking at Tilbury, faced with the effects of the 'hostile environment' and thousands of Windrush pioneers being denied their rights to remain in Britain.
The Caribbean Living Room offers a place of reflection for the elder members of the Afrikan heritage community, an insight into the past and of resonance to other visitors.
Evoking Belonging
Dr. Dianne Regisford
Racial Justice & Equity ARTivist, Dr Dianne Regisford presents a poetry recital from her book, EVOKING BELONGING: Poetics of the Urban Indigene. These poems trace a journey of exploration and excavation, connecting ancestral pathways to current day expression. The journey of re-membering and restoration in the quest for belonging is shared through rhyme, riddim and movement. Dianne offers her poetry as an evocation to embrace Belonging as a co-created cultural practice. This will be followed by a dialogue session. Copies of Evoking Belonging will be available for purchase during the three-day African History Season event.
A dynamic social sculpture practitioner, Dianne is invested in regenerative ARTivism for belonging, advocacy and place-making for African heritage Diaspora communities. Dianne’s works churn the soul soil of African-Diaspora lived experience by co-creating new narratives as pathways to socio-cultural renewal, power and sovereignty.
One Hand Can't Clap
Amantha Edmead
African Caribbean Storytelling with Amantha Edmead. A journey, an adventure into the tales, fables and stories from across the Caribbean and Africa. Listen to the sounds and rhythms as the storyteller weaves her yarn and invite you to not only listen but to take part as we build stories together.
Amantha is founder of Kuumba Nia Arts and a company director as well as an actress and drama practitioner.
SOLD
Amantha Edmead, Kuumba Nia Arts & Unlock the Chains Collective
This historic piece of theatre performed by Kuumba Nia Arts & Unlock the Chains Collective, dramatises the first account of female enslavement in the British West Indies. SOLD uses the words and experiences of Mary Prince who was born into slavery in the British West Indies and worked tirelessly there before being taken in her last years to the UK. Amantha Edmead, who wrote the show and plays Mary, was inspired to create the piece after being encouraged to audition for a part in a production about slavery where none of the enslaved characters spoke about their experiences – the action and voices coming from the European characters and their perspectives. She was compelled to show the historic truth using the real and published words of Mary Prince, an actual victim of the British Slave Trade.
Ghanaian Cultural Exhibition
Pearly Gates Church, Abingdon
Pearly Gates Church, Abingdon will be producing the live exhibition taking place Saturday morning. Africa is rich in culture. This wealth and diversity of culture is expressed in traditional institutions, language, attire, food, dance etc. This exhibition will feature a Ghanaian King and Queen in full regalia. This will be accompanied by a short presentation and followed by a presentation of the popular Adowa dance also from Ghana. And just in case you’re wondering, yes, you will get the chance to learn some basic steps! See you there!
Venue
Christ Church Abingdon, Northcourt Road, Abingdon OX14 1PL.
There is parking in the church car park and on the roads around.
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Hosted by the Justice and Inclusion Group from Christ Church Abingdon, in collaboration with African Caribbean Kultural Heritage Initiative (ACKHI) and Pearly Gates Church.
If you have any questions, please contact the team on ahs@cca.uk.net.
© Christ Church Abingdon 2024. Registered Charity No. 1153844.
Abingdon Deanery | Oxford Diocese | Church in Abingdon
