Windrush Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 20 June 2023 > Ready to Use

Windrush Day is coming! But what is it exactly? It has been celebrated annually in the UK since 2018. It takes place on 22 June, the date in 1948 when the arrival of a ship called the HMT Windrush heralded the beginning of a wave of immigration from British colonies,. This 75th anniversary year will … Continue reading “Windrush Day”

Barbados Elects its First President

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 22 October 2021 > In the News

On 21 October, the Caribbean nation of Barbados took the first step towards becoming a republic when the joint houses of Parliament chose Dame Sandra Mason as the country’s first president, to replace Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. Ms Mason, a trained lawyer and former magistrate, has been the Governor-General of Barbados since … Continue reading “Barbados Elects its First President”

Teaching About Windrush

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 19 June 2020 > Webpicks

The 70th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush in the UK, and the current scandal about the treatment of the children of the Windrush Generation, give an opportunity to look at the experiences of Commonwealth immigrants to the U.K.  This is a nice simple explanation of the Windrush generation from the BBC children’s … Continue reading “Teaching About Windrush”

Musical Migrations

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 11 June 2020 >

Last year, the Immigration Museum in Paris held an excellent exhibition on the influence of migration from former colonies on the musical culture of the UK and France after decolonisation in the 1960s. Paris-London Musical Migrations fits perfectly with the themes of Shine Bright 1e File 7 Caribbean Vibes and  Shine Bright LLCE File 8 From … Continue reading “Musical Migrations”

The Jungle Book on Stage

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 30 September 2019 > What's On

Robert Wilson’s new stage adaptation of The Jungle Book will be on in Paris, Aix-en-Provence and Clermont-Ferrand over the next few months. The visually striking production combines dialogues in French and original songs in English. Wilson created the show with Cocorosie, a music group composed of two American sisters based in France. The show follows … Continue reading “The Jungle Book on Stage”

Celebrating Author Jean Rhys

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 21 June 2018 > What's On

Jean Rhys (1890-1979) lived and wrote about her extraordinary life in the West Indies, London and Paris before producing her masterpiece, Wide Sargasso Sea, a prequel to Jane Eyre, telling the story of Bertha Mason, the Creole wife Mr Rochester married for her fortune, and who in Jane Eyre is portrayed as the madwoman in … Continue reading “Celebrating Author Jean Rhys”

What About Windrush?

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 14 May 2018 > In the News

There were various celebrations and exhibitions planned to mark the 70th anniversary of the beginning of West Indian mass immigration to the U.K., with the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in London on 22 June 1948. Instead, a scandal has grown up about the treatment of the “Windrush Generation” that led to the … Continue reading “What About Windrush?”