Black History 365

Introduction

Black History 365 was launched at Central in October 2021, with a keynote speaker event, which facilitated two key initiatives in the shape of an Arts Residency and Public Lecture Series, as well as the premiere of a decentred research documentary film project entitled, ‘My name is.’

Learn more about these initiatives and projects, and upcoming events below.

We look forward to welcoming you to these and future events and thank you in advance for your support in re-imagining more balanced versions of the histories and stories that we tell ourselves and others.

On behalf of the Learning Skills Programme, Dr Javeria Khadija Shah
Programme Leader, Learning Development, and Inclusion

Accordion

  • Aims of the Black History 365 project

    What is Black history? Or perhaps more importantly, why is Black presence erased from our historical memory - compartmentalised and selectively acknowledged one month a year, through a narrativizing of oppression?

    In recent years there has been a sector wide push for ‘decolonising the curriculum’, but how can we ‘decolonise the curriculum’ when we fail to decolonise our own Eurocentric framings of ‘history’? A ‘history’ which erases Black excellence and contributions to society as we know it today.

    Through the Learning Skills programme, we now say, no more! Black history is our history. We cannot aim to decolonise or aspire for an equitable society against a backdrop of shameless omissions, erasures, and segregated histories.

    My name is Dr Javeria Khadija Shah and I am the Programme Leader of Learning Development and Inclusion at Central, as well as a cultural sociologist and interdisciplinary scholar with expertise in policy, media education, sociology, and the visual arts.

    For the past two years I have collaborated with The Centre for Race, Education and Decoloniality (CRED) on a series of events (framed as interruptions to the erasures and segregations) that fell into the UK Black History Month. We have had the honour of collaborating with some key voices behind important discourse, research, and practice that interrogate race and racism. Learn more about Black History Interruptions.

    From 2020, I am shifting Central’s Learning Skills programme’s focus to ‘Black History 365’: a model of learning, teaching, and creative practice, which will aim to desegregate and include Black excellence and contribution, past, present, and future, in collaboration with artists, emerging scholars, activists, educators, and public intellectuals all year, every year under the ethos that Black history is made every day!

Keynote Speaker

Portrait of Amira Samatar, wearing a headscarf and holding a cup of tea

The Black History 365 Public Lecture Series and African Story Telling Arts Residency were launched on Thursday 28 October 2021 with a public online keynote by emerging scholar Amira Samatar, who is researching the experiences and journeys of racially minoritised students in British universities.

Amira is a postgraduate researcher whose academic interests centre around the educational experiences and journeys of racially minoritised students in British universities, with a specific focus on Black British women’s experiences beyond the postgraduate level. Amira is committed to progressing social justice agendas within the higher education sector and is co-chair of her institution’s Race Equity Network.

In her personal time, Amira supports global majority undergraduate and masters’ students and is particularly committed to increasing support and opportunities for racially minoritised students in higher education.

Arts Residency

A portrait of Griot Chineyre, in front of a white wall

We are delighted to welcome African Storyteller and facilitator Griot Chinyere Nwaubani on the first Arts Residency of its kind. Griot will be our artist in residence developing her own artistic process, while offering a unique programme of learning development sessions, workshops, and unaccredited short courses inspired by Griot traditions and African Stories.

Griot Chinyere Nwaubani

Artistic Director, Griot storyteller, Writer, Expedition & night walk leader, performance Director, Creative Facilitator, Lecturer

Griot Chinyere is an internationally renowned griot storyteller who has travelled across Africa, Europe and the Middle East telling stories, writing stories, and delivering creative based group work. This has helped develop an artistic griot way process. Chinyere has written and produced 21 plays and has devised numerous performances with young people and intergenerational community groups worldwide.

Recent projects in last 12 months: With funding from the major’s office culture seed fund, a project creating a set of 6 contemporary Crossfields Estate Tales, short stories that uncover and celebrate the everyday magic of inner-city urban living environments undergoing transformation; from hidden histories and urban legends to the community spirit rising. This was the first project Griot delivered via zoom March 2020; With funding from Groundworks: Stories from the Trees - An expedition training around map reading, tree id, breathing techniques, walking styles & rambling with 13 feminine melanin rich walkers brought stories from nature and survival skills together. It has been a powerful journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Participant’s graduation 30 January 2021.

Nne Agwu Afrakan Storytelling 5-day family retreat for 250 strong people camping in Dorset, celebrating, promoting, and preserving the art of the oral tradition of storytelling as we nurture our community vibration and traditional family values.

Griot also runs regular Free Spirit Night walk meditations for health and well-being through the woods helping overcome fears and deepen one’s resilience.

Ibolachi: has your spirit journeyed well – a 4 day retreat tending to group and solo learning experience that explores our relationship with nature, from an Igbo cosmology perspective. Griot Chinyere asks all participants wishing would embody the magic of her session, to come with an open heart and a willing spirit.

Griot Chinyere is very excited about building a powerful and creative relationship with Central students and staff. We will be starting an introduction to storytelling open to staff, students, and alumni. Details to follow via the Learning Skills programme.

Public Lecture Series and Other Events

Our public lecture series will hold a particular focus on providing platforms to and amplifying the counter narratives that can help us challenge biases surrounding history and knowledge itself.

Forthcoming and past events

Learning Skills is pleased to welcome Dr Aleema Gray who will deliver an online public lecture as part of Black History 365. Aleema will explore curatorial and academic practices through the lens of word, sound and power.

Monochrome image of smiling person from the Rastafari community.

Learning Skills is delighted to host the first public lecture of 2022/23, inviting artist-public historian Tré Ventour-Griffiths. 

Portrait of Tré Ventour-Griffiths

Our Black History 365 public lecture series run by the Learning Skills programme holds a particular focus on providing platforms and amplifying the counter narratives. In this event, Dr Alia Amir delivers a lecture on Language Policing – when the purist and monolingual ideologies come in action.

Learning Skills Programme public lecture series

Dr Javeria Shah unpacks Zakaria's recent publication "Against White Feminism' with the author to discuss the feminist 'white gaze' and the erasure of melanated women from feminist activism and discourse in the Global North and the ramifications of these erasures towards women's emancipation.

Rafia Zakaria

Our public lecture series holds a particular focus on providing platforms and amplifying the counter narratives. The first lecture will be delivered by scholar Riadh Ghemmour.

Riadh Ghemmour

'My name is...'

This 20-minute research documentary film is a decentred research project in collaboration between our programme lead Dr Javeria Khadija Shah and MA Acting for Screen alum Tony Giroux, on the adoption of anglicised names in western contexts to ‘fit in’.

‘My name is…’ had its UK online premiere screening on Wednesday 20 October, followed by Q&A with principal investigator Dr. Javeria K. Shah & filmmaker Tony Giroux.

Visit the project website at www.mynameisdocumentary.com.

And follow the project on social media:

Listen to Dr Javaria K. Shah talk about “My name is” and Black History 365 on the Bombshell Brunches’s Podcast, episode 054. Social Impact Through Story w/ Dr. Javeria Khadija Shah.

My Name Is. Premiere Screening and Q&A

The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London
Date(s)

Join us for our first in person screening of the award-winning mini doc series My name is., followed by a Q&A and panel discussion.

Yellow banner with person with black block over eyes. Award and festival laurels and credits. My Name Is Screening premiere event 15th October