Reclaiming narratives: Telling our stories, reimagining our futures

by Midge Purcell | Stroud Against Racism & Ronnie McGrath | Black Ark Media

Midge Purcell, a spokesperson for the Black History Month Festival:

“We invite the entire Stroud community to celebrate the resilience and achievements of people of colour and their contribution to the building of the UK, Europe and the Americas.

“The Festival aims to showcase, raise the visibility of communities of colour, and give all of Stroud an opportunity to embrace the richness of our diverse heritage.”

Tickets for the event are free and there are suggested donations of £8 on the Saturday and £5 on Sunday towards the costs of hosting it.

The full schedule is available on the ticket booking site (EventBrite)

On Saturday from 2-11 pm the line-up includes:

Griz-O is an Artist/MC defined by his bold and direct approach whilst embracing an experimental sound influenced by Grime, Hip Hop and much more. His career thus far has already seen him travel as far afield as Kazakhstan and Hungary to play headline shows.

Winner of the ‘Best Grime’ category at the 2023 Beacon Urban Music Awards.

Griz-O is an MC in the South West, UK | Grime and UK rap

Grim and UK rap artist Griz-O is based in the South West. Delivering smart and head-turning bars with a grizzly sound.

Grizogerchbee

Instruments of Praise is a Gloucester-based Gospel Choir

Instruments Of Praise Gospel Choir

Instruments Of Praise Gospel Choir. Отметки ”Нравится”: 68. Instrument Of Praise - Gospel Choir A community Gospel Choir from the City of Gloucester England

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“Blessed with a rich bright baritone, he has been lending an ear to the finest singers and musicians of the Swing and Jazz era and beyond.

“Like them he feels lucky to be able to sing some of the finest songs ever written”
— From Neil's website

Tia Callum / Miss FigureATE is a professional singer/songwriter and performer working with young people in Gloucestershire. Tia is a Voices Gloucester ambassador as well as a founder of Sing Share Heal and a member of the team behind Chispa CIC.

BBC Radio Gloucestershire daytime - My Place Tia Callum - BBC Sounds

Voices Gloucester Ambassador Tia Callum on why Jolt in Gloucester is her favourite place.

BBC

A published writer and poet, Ronnie is a graduate of Manchester University’s MA in Novel writing and was both a runner up and 1^st place winner of Len Garrison’s ACER award for Young Penmanship. Born in the UK, he spent his early years growing up with his grandmother Sarah, brother Michael, and other members of his extended family in Kingston, Jamaica. Just like his neo-surrealist poetry and postmodern writing, Ronnie produces contemporary works of art which are informed by the changing same of his ‘black’ identity.

Ronsurreal – The website of writer Ronnie McGrath

Ronnie McGrath – writer, artist and neo-surrealist poet. I privilege the imagination through a play with words to look at what writing is and what it can become.

Ronsurreal – The website of writer Ronnie McGrath

GenevieveRayPoet | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree

Linktree. Make your link do more.

Linktree

Permission To Speak - Out Now

The Mistress of Mischief & wordsmith wench playfully weaves her wit & wisdom to express & connect her innermost thoughts. Kezzabelle x

Kezzabelle Ambler

About | zariqrosita-hanif

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Featuring Selva Romero (Simbora Samba), Laurence Kapoor (Bag a Tings), Roger Edmund (Stroud Love Radio), and Jagdish Patel (Global Beats) mixing up a combination of Reggaeton, Latin beats, Reggae, R&B, Soul, and funky World Music.

On Sunday, 12-6pm, there will be several film screenings and discussion on the Black and Asian experience, including Unreflected Reflections, about the resilience of Gloucester’s Muslim community and The Price of the Ticket, a documentary about black writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin.

“JAMES BALDWIN is one of the greatest writers, intellectuals, and civil rights leaders of the 20^th century.

“His contribution to the canon of Black writing, politics, and philosophical thought still resonates today and will continue to do so into the future.

“Whether you are familiar with his genius or not, the Price of The Ticket is a must-see, a significant film that charts the life of thiswonderful sage, humanist, and great writer.”

– Ronnie McGrath

Unreflected reflections — pioneering glimpses

in this deep dive into one of the events at the film festival, we interview the producer of unreflected reflections.

AmplifyStroudantenna

The afternoon includes a panel on the theme of this year’s Black History
Month, Reclaiming Narratives: Telling our Stories, Reimagining Our Futures with Stroud artist Dan Guthrie, Friendship Cafe’s Ismail Kholwadia, International Lawyer Anita Kamat and Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, founder of Black Trail Runners.

Dan Guthrie

Dan Guthrie is an artist who often works with the moving image to explore representations and mis-representations of Black Britishness with an interest in examining how they manifest themselves in rural areas.

The Friendship Cafe | We provide youth & community based activities

The Friendship Cafe

Sabrina Pace-Humphreys

Sabrina Pace-Humphreys0

Stroud Against Racism is a multi-cultural, anti-racist organisation working in
Stroud and the region to challenge racism and discrimination in all its forms

Stroud Against Racism

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Black Ark Media aims to shed a critical light on what it means to be Black and British through events that share socially conscious art, literature, and films which allow people to have meaningful conversations about race, culture, and identity.

Black Ark Media

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Amplify Stroud is supported by Dialect rural writers collective. Dialect offers mentorship, encouragement and self-study courses around Rediscovering Albion and Human=Nature as well as publishing.

You can find out more at https://www.dialect.org.uk/