Film Africa, Igbo Dance Lessons, Natural November and other events of the week 29th October

Greetings and salutations!

As Black History Month comes to an end, the clocks go back and the cold descends upon us I have a veritable smorgasbord of succulent cultural treats, with 70 African movies, new plays, live music, networking, career events and book clubs there is more than enough this week to keep us all warm and content as we wait for the sun to resume its normal duties.

Oya enough talk from me, please see below

Monday 29^th October

At 5.00pm we have a celebration of African culture with the Edo Heritage Evening with the King of Ekpoma HRH The Onogie of Ekpoma at the African Community Centre, Unit 2 Lyndean, 137 Felixstowe Road, Abbeywood, SE2 9SG. The evening will be an opportunity to enjoy the richness and diversity of the Edo culture with a key note address by the 17^th King of Ekpoma, HRH Anthony Ehizoju Abumere II, a cultural display of Edo heritage, raffle draw, food, drink and networking opportunities. For those that don’t know, the Edo people are based in Mid West Nigeria and have a long rich heritage. This event is FREE but RSVP here.

From 6.00pm to 9.30pm we have Football leadership and race at the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, 39 Brookmill Road, Deptford, SE8 4HU. Hosted by Rodney Hinds (Sports Editor, the Voice newspaper) this is an evening of debate and discussion by leading industry professional. The panel will consist of Stephen Lyle (Editor BBC Match of the Day2), Natasha Henry (Sports writer), Joel Campbell (Sports writer), Mervyn Lyn (MD, Strategic Partnership Solutions), Jason Euell (ex pro footballer). Peter Herbert OBE( Chair of Society for Black Lawyers). Register here for this FREE event. 

Collaborate for Africa will be holding their next meeting at 6.15pm at Avanta, 48 Charlotte Street, W1T 2NS, this meet up seeks to bring together social enterprises, NGO’s businesses and anyone with an interest in Africa to pool knowledge, resources and contacts. This meeting is FREE

Tuesday 30^th October

At 5.30pm at Kings College London, Strand Campus, Surrey Street, Strand, WC2R 2NS, Room K6.07 we have Sudan: War and Peace, a lecture by Professor Paul Moorcraft about monitoring Sudan’s 2010 and 2011 referendums. Register interest by email the event is followed by a wine reception. 

At 6.00pm, is the University of Westminster ACS Black History Month: Fashion Show. As well as the fashion show there will be singers, dancers, poets and other performers. The event takes place at The Pavilion, University of Westminster Cavendish Campus, 115 New Cavendish Street, W1W 6UW, admission is £4.00 (£2.00 for ACS members). More details here

The ICSN Book Club returns at 7.00pm at Madam Chi, 187 Upper Street, Islington, N1 1RQ. This month’s choice is the Spider Kings Daughter by Chibundu Onuzo. This is a modern day Romeo and Juliet relocated to Lagos, Nigeria, with 17 year old Abike the favoured child of a wealthy family striking up an unlikely romance with a 17 year old ice cream hawker from the slums. This is a FREE event, turn up and discuss.

Wednesday 31^st October

At 5.30pm we have the African Achievers Award Annual Lecture and Press Briefing themed ‘The Future is Africa’ at the Hilton London Metropole, 225 Edgware Road, W2 IJU. The lecture will be chaired by Mr Alistair Soyode (BEN Television), with the Zimbabwe Deputy Prime Minister the Hon. (Ms) Thokozani Khupe as Patron and special guests HE Tesfa-Michael Gerahtu Eritrean Ambassador and Mr Adewale Akinlabi CEO of Planet Image Productions South Africa. The keynote address will be delivered by Justina Mutale, to attend please email

At 6.00pm we have BAME Ladies Talking Law at Eversheds Head Office, 1 Wood Street, St Pauls, EC2V 7WS. This event is for black, Asian or other ethnic minority females who are interested in a law career, so if you want to find out how to apply successfully for internships/placements, review your CV, learn how to get training contracts at places like Eversheds or other Magic Circle law firms. In addition to networking with the partners, solicitors and trainees at Eversheds, there are the following prizes to be won; 5 girls will get a free CV check over by Eversheds HR department and a guided tour of the building and 1 lucky winner will get the opportunity to shadow an Eversheds Associate for the day. Tickets are £8.00 for one person and £10.00 for 2, so grab a friend or colleague and come along book by email or from the website. 

  

At 7.00pm we have the Black British Classical Foundation Gala at St Georges Church, Hanover Square, Mayfair, W1S 1FX, hosted by BBC Arts correspondent Brenda Emmanus, this will be an evening of operatic arias, songs and spirituals performed by some of the UK’s finest operatic singers such as Byron Jackson, Grace Nyandoro, Nadine Mortimer Smith, Ronald Samm and Hyacinth Nicholls. Tickets start from £20.00 from here or by calling the box office on 02084087181, with an allocation of free tickets for youths between 12-20, email for more details.  

At 7.00pm we have Comedy at Cottons, a comedy Show and Caribbean buffet at Cottons Caribbean Restaurant, 70 Exmouth Market, Islington, EC1R 4QP. Admission is FREE before 7.30pm, £5.00 after and the buffet is £8.00.

At 8.00pm we have House of Corrections a new comedy drama from one of our favourite playwrights Bola Agbaje at Studio 2, Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, W6 9RL. Running till 4^th November, this plays tells the story of Rasheed who just a week away from his 50^th birthday sees his son sentenced to 13 years in prison prompting him to try and get his life and family in order with humorous and thought provoking consequences. The play is at 8.00pm every day with a matinee performance on Saturday at 3.00pm and Sundays show at 6.00pm. Tickets are £20.00 (£18.00 concs) from here.

Thursday 1^st November 

At 6.00pm we have the How to successfully launch your move to Ghana workshop which gives an insight into the realities of moving to Ghana, with 6 basic steps fleshed out. This is ideal for anyone be you Ghanaian Ghanaian, British Ghanaian, British or just about anyone planning a move to Ghana who wants to learn the realities of relocating, living and doing business in Ghana. Speakers from The African Foundation for Development (AFFORD) will be discussing their programmes as well as AWOVI Consulting, a small business expert. As a bonus all attendees will receive a free Silk Solutions Moving to Ghana Workbook. The workshop will take place at The Pavilion, 115 New Cavendish Street, W1W 6UW. Admission is £15.00 from here.  

Today we have the first day of Film Africa presented by the Royal African Society and the School of African and Oriental Studies kicks off at different venues, this is the UK’s largest annual African film festival with 10 days of 70 African films, 35 filmmakers and 9 African music nights. The Full listings are available on the Film Africa website. 

 At 3.00pm we have the first screening at the South London Gallery, 65-67 Peckham Road, Camberwell, SE5 8UH, with The Beautiful Game (U) an uplifting and inspirational film about young Africans using football to create change in their communities, this is FREE but RSVP here. There is a Q & A with director Victor Buhler afterwards.  

Friday 2^nd November

The Ariya Expo 2012 will take place from 10.00am to 3.00pm at the London Hilton Kensington Hotel, 179-199 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4UL. This annual Culture and Tourism Expo seeks to highlight tourist attractions and opportunities in Africa. This year’s event is themes ‘A Land of Opportunities’ and is open to trade and public, there will be exhibitors from airlines, tour operators, Ministries of Tourism, cultural groups and many more. This event is FREE RSVP here.

From 7.30pm to 10.30pm we have African Networking Night hosted by Eddie Kadi at Chapel Bar, 29a Penton Street, Angel, NI 9PX. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to meet network and build your social and professional networks. There will be a drinks and food reception, several invited speakers from the law, media and entertainment, medical, law and business management sectors. RSVP by emailing or buy tickets for £25.00 (or 2 for £40.00) from the website

Film Africa

We start at 10.00am at a sound and art installation Picha House at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, E1 6LA, by Lalibela Cinema Design Collective and Ranti Bamgbala. This FREE space will be open till 10.00pm with installation movies between screenings such as Walking Backward (PG) which is a poetic journey through Ghana exploring beliefs and memories during Ghana’s emerging independence and the Apollo 11 moon landings.

At 6.15pm we have the London premiere of Uhlanga: The Mark (18-South Africa) at The Ritzy Picturehouse, Brixton Oval, Coldharbour Lane, SW2 1JG about Khaba a young man who is bullied and excluded by a superstitious community and then goes on to forge an alliance with a well to do girl with her own dark secrets. With stunning visuals and soundtrack this is followed by a Q&A with the director Ndaba Ka Ngwane and cinematographer Khulekani Zondi, Tickets are £10.50 (£9.50 concs, £8.50 Ritzy members) from here.

Also at 6.15pm but at the Hackney Picturehouse, 270 Mare Street, Hackney, E8 1HE we have Material (PG-South Africa) a comedy that tells the story of a Muslim family torn apart and then brought together when the father learns his son wants to become a comedian, starring stand up comedian Riaad Moosa this is a feel good family film. This is followed by a Q&A with lead actor Vincent Ebrahim and producer Tendeka Matatu. Tickets are £10.00 (£9.00 concs, £8.00 members) from here.

At 7.00pm we have the documentary United States Of Africa (PG- Canada) at the South London Gallery which follows African hip hop pioneer Didier Awadi on his journey through 40 African countries to collaborate with hip hop activist artists, this is a FREE event, book here.

At 8.00pm we have Film Africa Live! with two up and coming London African bands Zong Zing All Stars and Mashasha & Sam at Rich Mix. Mashasha & Sam fuse Zimbabwean traditional music with jazz and groove driven afro funk. Zong Zing All Stars are a Congolese 8 piece band who specialise in cavacha a mix of soukous, makosa and coupe decale. Tickets are £8.00 (£6.00 in advance, £5.00 for those who have attended a film Africa screening).

At 8.45pm we have Call me Kuchu (18-Uganda) at the Ritzy Picturehouse a documentary filmed over several years about a group of people fighting for the rights of Uganda’s lesbian and gay community. Followed by a Q&A with directors Malika Zouhali-Worrall and Katherine Fairfax Wright, tickets are £10.50 (£9.50 concs and £8.50 members) from here. 

At 9.10pm we have Otelo Burning(15-South Africa) at the Hackney Picturehouse. This vibrant coming of age film is set in late 1980’s South Africa, where 3 friends are invited to their friends beach house where they meet an old man who offers to teach them to surf, leading to a tale of teenage male rivalry, love, politics and choices (with surfing). Followed by a Q&A with director Sara Blecher, tickets are £10.00 (£9.00 concs, £8.00 members) from here.

Saturday 3^rd November

From 9.30am to 4.30pm we have the BMITC Annual Black Men’s Event at the Tabernacle, Algernon Road, Lewisham, SE13 7AT. Speakers include David Weaver, Theo Kennedy, Ian Wardle, Greg Morris, Bevan Powell, Gewnton Sloley, Lee Jasper, Stafford Scott, Jonathon Toy, Sheldon Thomas (Gangs Line) and Viv Ahmun (entrepreneur). This event is FREE, RSVP here.

At 10.00am, the Igbo Culture and Support Network (ICSN) continues the Igbo Dance School teaching traditional Igbo dances to males and females, with each lesson building stamina, technique and mastering choreography. The course is £65.00 and takes place at the Islington Arts Factory, 2 Parkhurst Road, Holloway, N7 0SF until 15/12/2012. For more information email Kaosochi 

At 7.00pm we have the Focus BEFFTA Nomination Celebration at Mango Landin’, 40 St Matthews Road, SW2 1NL. The phenomenal events promoter Focus Organisation will be throwing this little shindig to celebrate their nomination as Best Events Promoter at this year’s BEFFTA Awards, there will be live performances by the Ghanaian hi life music duo Paapa J Xperienze as well as Focus DJ’s playing Afrobeats, Azonto, Coupe Decale and kurduro. Admission is £5.00 all night

Film Africa:

From 10.30am to 2.00pm at BFI Southbank, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XT there is a Scriptwriting Workshop with award winning Zambian filmmaker Rungano Nyoni, this is a FREE event.

At 12.00pm at Rich Mix we have 3 films on a similar theme of discrimination and exclusion in Africa;  Waited For (15-South Africa) a documentary about 3 lesbian couples in South African adopting children across racial lines. In conjunction with the above is Difficult Love (15-South Africa) which delves into the lives and loves of lesbians in modern day South Africa, finally There is Cane/ Cain (18-South Africa) set during the 2008 xenophobic attacks in South Africa where an Indian storeowner rescues a Pakistani vendor and nurses him back to health. These are followed by a Q&A with director Jordache Ellapen, tickets are £9.00 (£6.50 concs) from here.

If you missed it there is another screening at 1.30pm we have another screening of Otelo Burning (15-South Africa) at  the Everyman, Screen on the Green, 83 Upper Street, Islington, N1 0NP. Tickets are £10.00 (£9.00 concs and £8.00 members)

At 3.30pm, 5.00pm and 6.30pm we have Gems from the Diaspora, 7 short films Yellow Fever (Kenya/ UK- 7 minutes), Native Sun (Ghana/ USA-21 minutes), 6 (UK-4 minutes), Thula (UK-10 minutes), The Three Furies (UK/ Netherlands-10 minutes) and Whiteys on the Moon (UK-3 minutes). This is FREE event is at Picha House, Rich Mix.

At 4.00pm we have The Children of Troumaron (18-Mauritius) at The Ritzy Picturehouse, set in the improvished ghetto of Port-Lousi Mauritius with 4 youngsters dreaming to escape from the confines of their poverty, this is a poetic adaptation of Ananda Devi’s novel. This is followed by a Q&A with director Harrikrisna Anenden and Ananda Devi. Tickets are £ from here.

At 4.30pm at Hackney Picturehouse we have Inside Story (18-SouthAfrica) a drama about an aspiring Kenyan footballer trying to the rise to the top of the game while battling HIV. The film uses CGI as well as dramatic storytelling to educate the audience about the science of HIV. Tickets are £7.00 (£5.50 concs, £5.00 members, £5.00 children) from here 

At 6.30pm we have Grey Matter (18-Rwanda) at The Ritzy Picturehouse about Balthazar a young filmmaker looking for funds to direct his first film The Cycle of the Cockroach. After rehearsing a scene, reality bleeds into fiction and the cycle plays out on screen. This is a poetic allegory of the Rwandan genocide (although it is never mentioned), with poetic cinematography and an ensemble cast. Followed by a Q&A with director Kivu Ruhorahoza. Tickets are £10.50 (£9.50 concs, £8.50 members)

Also at 6.30pm at the Hackney Picturehouse we have Umbilical Cords (PG12-South Africa) a documentary that examines the bonds and binds of mother-daughter relationships by following 6 characters stories from South Africa, Argentina, Lesotho and the UK. Followed by a Q&A with director Sarah Ping Nie Jones, tickets are £10.00 (£9.00 concs and £8.00 members) from here.

At 8.00pm at The Ritzy Picturehouse we have Juju a 7 piece Senegalese blues outfit which has elements of the Fula and Mandika cultures playing original compositions, mixed with mbalax,, rumba and Afro Latin, led by singe, guitarist and composer Abdoulaye Samb, tickets are £6.00 (£5.00 concs, £4.00 members and FREE for The Children of Troumaron and Grey Matter ticket holders).

Final film of the evening is Man on Ground (18-South Africa)at 8.30pm at the Hackney Picturehouse about a Nigerin political activist who is on the run from imprisonment in Johannesburg just as xenophobic tensions erupt in South Africa’s townships, as he goes missing his brother a banker in London comes to look for him, in this noir thriller. This is followed by a Q&A with director Akin Omotoso, tickets are £10.00 (£9.00 conc. £8.00 members) from here.

Sunday 4^th November

From 11.00am to 7.00pm we have the 3^rd installation of Natural November at Hammersmith Town Hall, King Street, Hammersmith, W6 9JT. This cultural, hair, health, wealth and beauty event will consist of a selection of seminars, services and market stalls, with special guests Alim Kamara, Bashiyra, Black History Studies, Black History Walks and the Greenelight Academy of Healing. Tickets are £10.00 in advance and £15.00 on the door, the 1^st 100 tickets purchased online get a free goody bag, entry for under 16’s and OAP’s are FREE (ID required) from here http://www.naturalnovember.co.uk/#!tickets

At 5.30pm we have Another Level Open Mic at The Soul, 300 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17 3JA, where local and emerging artists get to perform and get recognition. Performers can email their audio/ video clips, admission is £5.00.

Film Africa: 

From 12.00pm to 2.00pm we have Master class with Akin Omotoso at BFI Southbank. The South African based Nigerian actor, producer and director will focus on the universality of stories in cinema using examples across genres and cultures. This is a FREE event, although spaces are limited

At 12.00pm we have Veejays in Dar Es Salaam (PG12-Tanzania) at Rich Mix a documentary about the hugely popular film culture of video jockeying (VJing), i.e. translating Hollywood, Bollywood or kung fu blockbusters into local languages, with VJ’s often becoming celebrities in their own right due to their commentaries and insights. Tickets are £9.00 (£6.50 concs) from here.

 From 2.00pm to 4.45pm there is an afternoon of family activities at Hackney Picturehouse, with Storytelling with Helen McDonald, Mask making with Tonie Grelet and Africa Drumming and song

At 3.00pm there is a Practitioners Panel Discussion on Filming Sensitive Issues at BFI Southbank an opportunity to hear from award winning feature an documentary filmmakers approach sensitive issues in and about Africa. Panellists include Kivu Ruhorahoza (Rwanda-Grey Matter), Malika Zouhali-Worrall and Kathrine Fairfaz Wright (Call me Kuchu), Karen Boswall (From the Ashes/Dancing on the Edge. This is a FREE event but space might be limited.

At 3.00pm there is Soul Boy (PG-Germany) at The Ritzy this is a fantasy tale of a young boy in Nairobi’s Kibera slum who has to save his ill father by recovering his fathers soul by completing 7 tasks, this family friendly film is followed by a Q&A with director Hawa Essuman. Tickets are £7.50 (£6.50 concs, £5.50 for member and children)

At 3.50pm we have Life, Above All (PG-South Africa/ Germany) at Hackney Picturehouse is about 12 year old Chanda confronting a communities prejudices against HIV. Tickets £7.00 (£5.50 conc, £5.00 members) from here

At 4.00pm at the Hackney Picturehouse is an African Drumming Workshop, £5.00 (£3.00 for Film Africa ticket holders)

At 4.30pm we have the first musical in Pidgin English by the amazing Ghanaian duo FOKN Bois (M3nsa the Magnificent and Wanlov Kubuolor) Coz Ov Moni (12-Ghana) at Rich Mix. Starring Wanlov and M3nsa as two friends who wake up and plan to go clubbing in the evening with some lady friends but their crazy walk through town gets them more than they bargained for. This is a genuinely innovative and funny piece with excellent Afrobeat all the way through, there are FREE screenings at 4.30pm, 6.00pm and 7.30pm.

At 5.30pm there is Nairobi Half Life (15-Kenya) at the Ritzy Picturehouse, about an aspiring actor who moves from his home village to Nairobi to try and make it but finds himself drawn into the world of petty criminals and small time crooks. Tickets are £10.50 (£9.50 concs, £8.50 members) and is followed by a Q&A with director David Tosh Gitonga book from here.

An African Election (PG-Switzerland/ USA/Ghana) features at 6.00pm at the Hackney Picturehouse, this documentary about the 2008 Ghana election features the politics, personalities and processes of the period, this is followed a Q&A with director Jarreth Merz. Tickets are £10.00 (£9.00 concs and £8.00 members) from here.

From 6.00pm to 8.00pm we have Open Screen for Short Films, the cinematic equivalent of an open mic, i.e. you book a slot and show your short film, organised by Joseph Adesunloye of DreamCoat Productions. This event is FREE to attend, register interest by email, indicating the title, length, format of screening, theme and language of your film 

At 7.30pm we have Carmen Souza at the Hackney Picturehouse, the Cape Verdean singer-songwriter will be performing with her long time collaborator Theo Pas’cal channelling her culture with songs from her many albums. Admission is £5.00 (FREE for Film Africa Sum ticket holders)

 At 8.45pm at Hackney Picturehouse, we have The Assassins Practice (18-Nigeria), which tells the story of a failed stock investor who hires and assassin to stage an attempted armed robbery in order to claim the life insurance; unfortunately the deal brings more than he bargained for. A unique debut by UK/ Nigerian director Andrew Ukoko who will be holding a Q&A after the screening. Tickets are £10.00 (£9.00 concs) from here