BirminStrong - The Drum calls for community cohesion to mark Black History Month
Press Release
Immediate:
BirminStrong – The Drum calls for community cohesion to mark Black History Month
Today The Drum announced a special programme of events to celebrate Black History Month. BirmingStrong takes pride in Birmingham as a multicultural city, it builds on the histories the diverse communities have forged to come together in the face of adversity. BirminStrong will examine and explore through arts and cultural activities some of the underlying causes and tensions which seek to divide communities along ethnic and religious lines. In doing so, we seek to reaffirm those commitments that have contributed to making Birmingham a strong and united city.
The BirminStrong programme includes a specially commissioned exhibition featuring artists from Birmingham and the West Midlands. The exhibition titled BirminStrong captures the essence of Birmingham based artists through a series of photographic portraits, documenting their everyday lives, living and working in Birmingham.
Sonic dub genius Mad Professor will making his first appearance at The Drum as part of the BirminStrong. A powerful figure within the 80s Rock Against Racism movement, Mad Professor uses his cutting-edge reggae music to unite all sections of the community.
The BirminStrong programme includes two spoken word events: the first, Write On Sister is an exciting evening of discussion and performances with two powerful forces in the female literature world, Bonnie Greer and Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze. Plus there’s local poet Moqapi Selassie’s explosive, incendiary one man show Blackheart Man which looks at growing up in England as a Black Man/Rastafari.
BirminStrong Programme
Exhibition - BirminStrong
Mon 7 Sep – Fri 4 Dec
Mon – Fri, 10am – 6pm
Admission Free
Spoken Word - Write On Sister
Thu 8 Oct, 7.30pm
£8 (£6)
Music - Mad Professor
Fri 23 Oct, doors open 9pm
£12 (£10)
Spoken Word - Blackheart Man
Thu 19 Nov, 7.30pm
£6 (£4)
- Ends -
MEDIA CONTACT: Katie Reid, Marketing Manager on 0121 333 2421 or e-mail: k.reid@the-drum.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
• Venue: The Drum 144 Potters Lane Aston Birmingham B6 4UU
• Box Office: 0121 333 2444
• Online Bookings:www.the-drum.org.uk
• FaceBook Drum (West Midlands)
• MySpace: thedrumb6
• Twitter: the_drum
• The Drum is the national centre for Black British culture and arts, dedicated to developing and promoting contemporary art and culture of British African, Asian and Caribbean communities. Through its various initiatives, The Drum continually strives to become a centre of national and international renown firmly rooted within its local community.
• The Drum’s ambition is to lead and facilitate the development, celebration, performance and exhibition of the diversity of Black arts and cultures for the benefit of all. It is a place where contemporary Black arts flourish and are enjoyed, nurturing and broadening the appreciation of these arts for audiences and participants from the whole community – Black and White.
