Bringing the Underground Railroad to the Screen

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 16 July 2021 > Shine Bright Collège Shine Bright Lycée What's On

African-American author Colson Whitehead and film director Barry Jenkins both made the same mistake when they were children and first heard about the Underground Railroad. The historical Underground Railroad was a network of people who helped slaves escape from the American South to freedom in the northern states or Canada. Both Whitehead and Jenkins pictured … Continue reading “Bringing the Underground Railroad to the Screen”

“Strange Fruit”: a Searing Protest Song

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 25 May 2021 > Celebrate Shine Bright Collège Shine Bright Lycée

Jazz singer Billie Holiday’s 1939 recording of “Strange Fruit” has become one of the most potent protest songs in U.S. history. Its images of lynched African Americans accompanied the civil-rights movement but still evoke uncomfortable truths today. The song was written by a Jewish Communist high-school teacher, Abel Meeropol. It was originally a poem, written … Continue reading ““Strange Fruit”: a Searing Protest Song”

Design as Activism Honoured in Beazley Awards

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 24 February 2021 > In the News Shine Bright Lycée

The Design Museum in London has announced the winners of the 2020 Beazley Designs of the Year, honouring see-saws connecting children on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, improvised brick arches created by Hong Kong protesters and vegan burgers. The Beazley awards don’t only consider aesthetics and user experience. They look at the bigger picture … Continue reading “Design as Activism Honoured in Beazley Awards”

Celebrating Diwali with a Light Installation at Tate Britain

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 12 November 2020 > Shine Bright Collège Shine Bright Lycée What's On

Like all museums in England, Tate Britain is closed to the public for lockdown. But it’s still celebrating art, and the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, in a stunning artwork displayed on the OUTSIDE of the building. This year’s Winter Commission for the London museum is by Chila Kumari Burman. The 63-year-old artist’s works draws … Continue reading “Celebrating Diwali with a Light Installation at Tate Britain”

Discovering Life on Organic Farms with WWOOF

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 10 June 2020 > In the News Shine Bright Lycée

If you’d like to find out more about farming, discover a new place and culture and meet new people, WWOOFing could be just the thing. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It’s a non-profit organisation which began in the UK in 1971 and now exists in more than 100 countries on six … Continue reading “Discovering Life on Organic Farms with WWOOF”

Double Pulitzer for Colson Whitehead

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 06 May 2020 > Shine Bright Lycée What's On

African American novelist Colson Whitehead has joined an exclusive club of only four authors who have won Pulitzer Prizes for literature for two different novels. After 2017’s prize for The Underground Railroad, Whitehead has been awarded the 2020 prize for The Nickel Boys, set in the Civil Rights era and based on the true story … Continue reading “Double Pulitzer for Colson Whitehead”