Over a long career Faith Ringgold has used her art to support civil rights for African Americans and feminist causes. The first retrospective of her work in France makes the message clear through its title “Black is Beautiful”. Ringgold was born in 1930 in Harlem and grew up surrounded by the art, literature and music … Continue reading “Faith Ringgold: Black Art Matters”
You may have never heard his name before, but you’ll never forget it after watching this film or even just the trailer for Till, written and directed by Chinonye Chukwu. These B1 activities explore the heart-wrenching story of 14-year-old Emmett Till who was lynched for misjudging Jim Crow conventions in the 1950s segregated American South. … Continue reading “Emmett Till”
The Ciné O’Clock British and Irish Film Festival in Villeurbanne will be presenting its 27th edition from 22-26 February. There are some great previews of upcoming releases. On of the Oscar nominees is Colin O’Farrell, for Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin (the most nominated film this year). If you haven’t caught it yet, it’s … Continue reading “Irish and British Film Festival in Villeurbanne”
Equestrian performer Bartabas started his “Cabaret of Exile” series with a show about the Jewish culture of Eastern Europe. Now he has focused on Irish Travellers for his latest Zingaro show, that has proved so popular that it has doubled its run. This is the first time that a show in France has paid tribute … Continue reading “On the Road: Irish Travellers”
The British Tate museum has a large collection of David Hockney’s work. A large selection from the collection is on view in Aix-en-Provence, a great opportunity to appreciate the variety of Britain’s most famous pop artist, from his California swimming-pool paintings to collages, portraits and objects. Hockney was born in Yorkshire in 1937, and despite … Continue reading “David Hockney: Pop Art in Aix-en-Provence”
Blackhistoryintwominutes.com is a site devoted to producing two-minute videos on just about any topic you could think of in African American history. For Black History Month, we’ve selected a few that fit well with topics Speakeasy and Shine Bright have covered. The site is financed by African American billionaire philanthropist Robert F. Smith and the … Continue reading “Great Short Videos on African American History”
South African photographer Zanele Muholi describes themself as a visual activist. For the last 20 years, Muholi has explored the depiction of black women and the LGBTQIA+ community. Muholi’s photos are included in several modern art collections around the world and the major exhibition of their work at Tate Modern in London from 2021 has … Continue reading “Zanele Muholi: Visual Activism”
On 19 January, New Zealand’s Prime Minister announced that not only would she not seek re-election this year, she was resigning with effect on 7 February. On 19 January, New Zealand’s Prime Minister announced that not only would she not seek re-election this year, she was resigning with effect on 7 February. Ms Ardern said … Continue reading “Jacinda Ardern Resigns as NZ Prime Minister”
This A1+ worksheet is based on the trailer of the new Matilda musical, directed by Matthew Warchus and released on Netflix on 25 December 2022. It was adapted from Roald Dahl’s famous story and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Matilda the Musical. The story is faithful to Dahl’s orginal: Matilda Wormwood is an extraordinarly … Continue reading “Matilda the Musical”
Canada has a new national celebration: Ribbon Skirt Day will be held every year on 4 January. The idea came from a young First Nations girl, Isabelle Kulak, now 12, who wanted Canadians to recognise and celebrate indigenous culture in the form of the ribbon skirts and shirts many tribes create. The country already has … Continue reading “A First Nations Schoolgirl Inspires a New Canadian Celebration”
