Black History Month events

View what’s happening in our borough this Black History Month.

If you are hosting a Black History Month event, please email details to communitynews@richmond.gov.uk so we can include it in our schedule.

Orleans House Gallery

Visit the Orleans House Gallery to see exhibitions A Tree Says by Phoebe Boswell and Lines of Dissent, curated by multi-disciplinary artist Dzifa Benson.

A Tree Says

In this immersive new work, the artist Phoebe Boswell inhabits Orleans House Gallery and its surrounding woodlands, engaging the audience in an intergenerational call and response, where trees become repositories of enquiry. Boswell creates space for us to raise our questions and listen to the voices of our elders as they endeavour to articulate life.

Lines of Dissent

This show brings together pieces from the Richmond Borough Art Collection to reveal their hidden legacies and tell the stories of overlooked people. With artworks that include poetry, theatre and music, the exhibition includes themes of colonisation, love, resilience, migration, trade and architecture.

Meetings

Suited, booted, and stuffed with American burgers and fries, Hugh walks out of a meeting and buys a mango on the street. To the bemusement of his high-flying wife Jean, Hugh becomes obsessed with the foods of his Trinidadian childhood and hires a cook, Elsa, to indulge his nostalgic passion. Meetings is an atmospheric, entertaining and poignant play set to capture the sights, sounds and smells of the Caribbean. Mustapha Matura’s razor-sharp comedy is about identity, belonging and the cost of progress.

Event details:

• Date: Saturday 14 October to Saturday 11 November 2023
• Location: Orange Tree Theatre, 1 Clarence Street, Richmond TW9 2SA
• Booking: Book tickets for Meetings

Children's writing, rhythm, and creativity workshop

Join performance poet and storyteller, Jane Grell, as she brings to life the African-Caribbean Oral Tradition. Jane will help you create your own stories and poems and learn how to perform them with confidence.

Event details:

• Date: Tuesday 24 October 2023
• Time: 2 to 3.15pm and 4 to 5.15pm
• Location: Ham and East Sheen Library
• Price: Free, but booking is required
• Booking: Book your tickets online or visit your local library

Saluting our Sisters

Join a variety of local organisations for a celebration of the black community, health and wellbeing advice. Guests can also enjoy exciting live music and free refreshments, including traditional African and Caribbean dishes.

Event details:

• Date: Tuesday 24 October 2023
• Time: 6 to 8.30pm
• Location: York House, Richmond Road, Twickenham, TW1 3AA
• Price: Free, but booking is required
• Booking: Book your tickets for Saluting our Sisters

The Eel Pie Museum

The Eel Pie Island Museum’s permanent exhibition is promoting the musical history of Eel Pie Island and the African American artists that played at the Hotel’s club, Eelpiland.

You can visit the museum on Thursday to Sunday, from 12 to 6pm at 1-3 Richmond Road, Twickenham, TW1 3AB.