Brady Arts Centre, Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets on 23 October 2016 

A play exploring African Identity within a Diasporan context during African History Month 2016 & IDPAD 2015-24

 

Taking its starting point from Peter Tosh's 'African' song, 'As Long As You're Of African Heritage...' posits that anyone of African heritage is African, irrespective of where they are born or based.

 

Using the format of a play with 5 actors set within the course of a management committee meeting of an African-led voluntary organisation, we witness the dynamics of the meeting change from congratulatory back-patting on account of a successful fundraising exercise, to putting plans for a Black History Month (BHM) event on hold, as tensions rise around the issues of identity within the African British community, where there is often a disconnect from Africa, especially by those born in Britain or the Caribbean.

 

The play also questions what BHM should be about and whether it should be renamed, 30 years on from its introduction in the UK, 50 years since the Race Relations Act, and at the start the UN's International Decade For People Of African Descent 2015-24 initiative.

 

The afternoon performance is targeted as an outing for youths, school children, teachers and parents, whilst the evening performance is targeted at the wider community. A facilitated Q&A follows each performance, which provides the audience with an opportunity to engage with the issues raised in the play. Organised by Akoben Awards.