‘The Underground Railroad’ reimagines the historical Underground Railroad escape network as a literal railway. The story follows Cora, a young, enslaved woman fleeing a Georgia plantation, as she journeys through states that reflect different facets of American society and its treatment of Black people. Pursued by the relentless slave catcher Ridgeway, Cora’s path explores themes of freedom, oppression, and identity, powerfully highlighting the brutal realities of slavery and the quest for liberation.
You can join the book chat in person at Redbridge Central Library.
Or you can join online. Please register so the online joining details can be emailed to you one week before the book chat and again on the morning of 1 October.
Uncover Redbridge’s connections to the transatlantic slave trade and campaign for abolition in this new permanent exhibition at Redbridge Museum.
Free, during Museum opening hours.
Discover the experiences of Redbridge’s Windrush generation in this new permanent exhibition at Redbridge Museum.
Free, during Museum opening hours.
Join us Tuesday October 28 For Black History Month, we’ll be discussing ‘Open Water’ by Caleb Azumah Nelson.
Caleb Azumah Nelson is a British–Ghanaian writer and photographer. ‘Open Water’ is his debut novel, and won the Costa Book Award for First Novel 2021. ‘Open Water’ is a romance novel about two Black artists from South East London and deals with themes such as race, love and masculinity.
Some other related Rapid Reads are:
Hello Mum by Bernadine Evaristo
Notting Hill Carnival: A West Side Story by Candice Carty-Williams
These are suggested books only, so feel free to read any other books suitable for Black History Month with fewer than 200 pages. You can then recommend your read/s to others at the sharing circle!
You can join Rapid Reads in person at Redbridge Central Library or you can join online. The online joining details will be emailed to you one week before the book chat and again on the morning of 28 October.
Join us for Unheard, Now Spoken — a heartfelt tribute to the courage and unity of women who have found strength in their stories and in each other.
Experience an unforgettable evening of storytelling, poetry, and cultural celebration with Unheard, Now Spoken — a stage adaptation of the book Voices in Harmony. This moving production brings to life the voices of Black and Ethnic Minority women from Redbridge as they share their remarkable stories of strength, resilience, and sisterhood.
Directed by Kaleya Baxe, Assistant Director at the National Theatre, Unheard, Now Spoken offers a dynamic blend of spoken word, music, and movement. With an amateur ensemble cast of twelve women, the performance creates a theatrical experience that fuses spoken word, dance and poetry to celebrate cultural identity and community.
This personal yet universally resonant performance explores themes of belonging, support, and solidarity, inviting audiences to connect with the warmth and power of shared experience.
This performance would not have been possible without the generous support of Lifeline Projects, Colours of Redbridge and the Wellbeing Hub.
Fancy trying ballet in a less formal setting?
The Black British Ballet is back by popular demand!
Led by one of the dancers from the Black British ballet project, this fun and accessible ballet workshop introduces you to the basic ballet movements and will be followed by a short Q&A with the session leader.
During the Golden Hour, your senses will be awakened with smells, tastes and even the sounds of unique and untold stories about local foods and cultures.
Inspired by sunset food sharing, such as Iftars, picnics and block parties, the centrepiece of the evening is a communal and magical rooftop meal at sunset. As you eat, characters from the recipes will draw you into their worlds and bring the dishes to life with stories and activities. At the end of the evening, you can reflect on your own memories of food and how it gives us a sense of belonging. This family-friendly event will leave you feeling fuller, both in your belly and your soul.
These immersive dining experiences are family friendly and welcome to all. Under 16s will need to be accompanied by an adult.
What is the format of each event?
Working with Hackney School of Food, we have curated a culturally-rich, four-course menu inspired by local stories from people in Redbridge. As you arrive, you will enter a recreation of a local street party, where the dishes will be presented by the characters from each story. As well as eating and enjoying the food, you will experience live performances reflecting the stories we have collected and there will also be some activities for you to try.
The menu is a mix of vegetarian and vegan food which will be announced closer to the time. Food allergens will be labelled but we are unable to accommodate individual requests.
The events are running on:
Friday 5th September & Saturday 6th September, approx. 6-8PM*
Friday 12th September & Saturday 13th September, approx. 5:45-7:45PM*
Friday 19th September & Saturday 20th September, approx. 5:30-7:30PM*
*As the event is centred around sunset, exact times will be confirmed closer to the event.
How to book?
Use the link on the right-hand side of the page to book via Bookwhen or call us on 020 8708 2858 and choose option 4. For more information, email hello@colours.red.
Booking guarantees you a space, but there will also be some spaces available first-come-first-served on the day.
**Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the advertised start time as any empty spaces will be reallocated on the day.**
How do I get there?
The event will be held at the Exchange Shopping Centre, Level 6 Carpark Roof, 112 High Road, Ilford IG1 1RS.
Exact meeting points will be confirmed closer to the event. Note that this an outdoor event, although there are covered areas and spaces to sit and relax.
We recommend taking public transport where possible. Many bus routes and the Elizabeth Line stop nearby at Ilford station (a 5 minute walk), and there is limited parking at the Exchange Shopping Centre Car Park. Plan your journey at tfl.gov.uk.
Access
All our activities are step-free with facilities such as accessible toilets. Most activities can be easily adapted for people with varying disabilities or neurodiversity.
There is a Changing Places Facility on site, accessible on Level 1 via lift or stairs. At least one of the performances will offer BSL interpretation or live captioning. Please contact us to reserve a space for this opportunity.
Mia Jerome – Writer and Director: Mia hails from Barking and Dagenham, and is an actress, writer, director and dramaturg. She studied Creative Writing & Television at Kingston University and trained as an actress and theatre maker at Fourth Monkey Theatre Company. She is an associate artist at Punchdrunk and recently wrote and directed ‘Rice & Peas’ – a three course, three act, immersive dining experience inspired by her family history. Mia will be writing and directing the food story performances of the evening.
Valentina Miranda – Set and Costume: Valentina is a Brazilian performance designer and multidisciplinary artist. She has recently worked with Black Women Kindness Initiative for their performance of ‘Unheard, Now Spoken’, amplifying the stories of women in Redbridge. She will be working closely with Mia to create an immersive and exciting setting for the ‘Golden Hour’ event.
Will Alder – Lighting: Before working with Colours of Redbridge, Will led the conversion of a Grade II listed building into an arts centre and community space in East London. He is an international Lighting Designer for theatre and events.
Hackney School of Food: A community-powered food education hub in East London. They teach children, families, and adults to cook and grow food in a way that’s fun, inclusive, and rooted in everyday life. They will be working with volunteers from Redbridge to design and create the four-course menu for the event.
Wayne Snooze – Illustrator: Wayne is an Associate Artist for Colours of Redbridge, working closely with our Community Producers to create the ‘Golden Hour’ event. He is also an illustrator passionate about creating work that is relatable and inclusive. Wayne will design a Zine that encompasses the inspiring food stories collected from the people of Redbridge.
Please arrive 10 minutes before the advertised start time as any empty spaces will be reallocated on the day.
*Image Credit ‘Golden Hour’, Wayne Snooze
Many thanks to Exchange Ilford for hosting the event.
Experience the powerful virtual reality film “Travelling While Black” and step into the lived realities of Black Americans throughout history. This immersive VR session transports you to the iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C., where you’ll hear first-hand reflections on the challenges of restricted movement, the creation of safe spaces, and the ongoing struggle for equality. Afterwards, we’ll offer space for quiet reflection or conversation.
Join us for Black History Month as we use virtual reality to remember the past, spark dialogue, and reflect on the journeys and resilience of Black communities—then and now. We are running free sessions at 10:30 am, 11.30 am, 2 pm and 3 pm.
IMPORTANT: This is a 20 minute, seated Virtual Reality documentary with quite powerful themes and is recommended for ages 13 yrs+.
The first Wanstead Independent Book Fair at Wanstead Library will be on Saturday, 1 November. Organised by Julian Walker, the Book Fair will be highlighting the work of London-based small presses, zine-makers, book artists, bespoke poets and local independently published authors. Some of the kinds of work on show and for sale will be new to library users – books made into sculpture, and intricate bindings – while letterpress publications use techniques that date from hundreds of years before digital printing. The fair is a chance to see how artists, printers and writers are pushing the boundaries of the book.
If you are a London-based small press, book artists, zine makers, bespoke poet or local independently published author, you might like to hire a table at the Wanstead Independent Book Fair to showcase and sell your work.
About Julian Walker
Julian Walker is an artist and writer living in South Woodford. He set up StuffLikeThatbooks in 2023 to make high-quality handmade books to publish short stories, essays and poetry. A former museum educator at the British Library, he also makes jewellery and has written many books on the English language.
Saturday, 1 November
Wanstead Library – Churchill Room
10.30am to 4.30pm
Free. Just turn up
Open to everyone, but access may be restricted occasionally due to venue capacity
For more details about the first Independent Wanstead Book Fair and/or to book a table, please visit https://stufflikethatbooks.carrd.co/
