Wednesday 09-10-2019 - 14:37

October is Black History Month in the UK, and there are a plethora of events, workshops and discussions available across Manchester to mark the occasion.  

Here’s a round-up of some of the things going on in the city to celebrate Black History Month: 

Rainbow Noir: Here
Where: HOME, Inspire Gallery
What: Exhibition
Price: Free 

Rainbow Noir is a volunteer led group celebrating, platforming and connecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) people of colour based in and around Manchester. 

 

The Reno
Where: The Whitworth
What: Exhibition
Price: Free

The Reno, located in Moss Side, was known as a space for young mixed-race Mancunians. The project stems from Brogan's recordings of Reno regulars reminiscing about their experiences of the club, and the subsequent archaeological excavation of the site led by Salford University Applied Archaeological unit.
About the Reno

 

Black Then, Black Now
Where: Central Library
What: Art performances and workshops 
Price: Free

The Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust and Big People Music present 3 days of history, 3 days of futurity on the 1st, 28th and 30th October.
Come and experience black culture, what it means, and why unifying a social movement forward is crucial to how we define a legacy.

 

It’s Not About the Burqua 
Where: Central Library
What: Discussion 
Price: £8 (£6 concessions) 

In 2016, former Prime Minster, David Cameron, said he considered Muslim women to be traditionally submissive. Frustrated by constantly being told what Muslim women were like, It’s Not About the Burqa anthology editor Mariam Khan wanted Muslim women to voice their own narratives and identities. Salma El-Wardany asks, ‘where’s the conversation about sex and women’s pleasure in Muslim communities?’, Yassmin Midhat Abdel-Magied recounts her epiphany on realising that being a woman in engineering could be a good thing and Afshan D’souza-Lodhi claims her identity as a queer Muslim woman. Join them as they discuss these issues, showing It’s Not About the Burqa. Hosted by Raifa Rafiq, co-host of the Mostly Lit podcast.

 

Mixing it: The changing faces of wartime Britain 
Where: The Imperial War Museum
What: Exhibition
Price: Free

Mixing It: The Changing Faces of Wartime Britain reveals the forgotten histories of service personnel and civilians who came to Britain during the Second World War – a time when the national and ethnic diversity of the population was unprecedented.

 

Trojan Horse
Where: The Lowry 
What: Theatre 
Price: From £10 

Trojan Horse was a local story that hit the national press, accusing ‘hardline’ Muslim teachers and governors of plotting extremism in Birmingham schools. Adapted from the real-life testimonies of those at the heart of the UK Government’s inquiry, critically acclaimed theatre-company LUNG investigates what really happened. Originally developed with Leeds Playhouse, Amnesty International Freedom of Expression & Fringe First Award-winning production, Trojan Horse is the story of a community torn apart by racial division, ‘British values’ and the culture of Prevent.

Jackie Kay Presents
Where: Central Library 
What: Discussion 
Price: £8 (£6 concessions)

Exceptional times call for exceptional writers. Scottish Makar, poet, and novelist Jackie Kay introduces her selection of ten of the most exciting BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic people) writers working in the UK today. Jackie will be joined in conversation with three of her chosen writers as she explores what makes their work so vital. Presented by the National Centre for Writing and British Council as part of the International Literature Showcase, a nationwide project to showcase the diversity of writers working in the UK today.