People Dem Collective work with Cohesion Plus and North Kent Caribbean Network to deliver county-wide Black History Month activations

For the first time in Kent, Black History Month saw the partnership of three organisations, with Margate’s People Dem Collective (@peopledemcollective) teaming up with Cohesion Plus (@cohesionplus) and the North Kent Caribbean Network to create a county-wide presence, dissolving geographical borders between the towns.

Cohesion Plus and North Kent Caribbean Network are both north Kent-based, Black- and Brown-led community organisations and, together with PDC, the groups brought a month of celebration, education and awareness.

While the North Kent Caribbean Network’s activations celebrate Caribbean culture and heritage through education, health and social activities, Cohesion Plus produces culturally diverse festivals and performances using art to bring communities together.

Cohesion Plus said: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with People Dem Collective on the Black History Month celebrations.

"We think it is important that diverse-led organisations in Kent work strategically together, as only by working in partnership can we bring about positive and tangible change, bringing communities together, celebrating our shared values and calling out racial injustices where they exist. I strongly believe that there is more that unites us than divides us in the great county of Kent."

Also, for the very first time in Margate, Black History Month celebrations kicked off at The Turner Contemporary for the monthly creative event First Friday Margate (@firstfridaymargate). The evening was filled with amazing performances from Folk Fusion (@folkfusion) from Medway and ridiculously tasty food and drinks from local caterers Soul Chef Catering (@soulchefkitchen) of Deal and Cuyah! Of Margate.

During the event, People Dem Collective also launched The Margate to Minneapolis - ‘Come Stand with Us’ legacy project in collaboration with artist Kate Harrison (@iamkateharrison). This evolving activation will be delivered across the UK, encouraging people to convert blank mini figures and banners into something meaningful and powerful and will become another opportunity for people to stand in solidarity as part of this collaborative installation.

People Dem Collective’s Victoria spoke about the importance of the project:

“I think this project is absolutely needed in a time when we might have to start thinking creatively how we protest and communicate our solidarity.”

Some of the highlights of the Black History Month programme included the exhibition curated by North Kent Caribbean Network at the Blake Gallery, Woodville, Gravesend The Windrush Front Room 1948 - 1971. People were able to experience first-hand a front room and familial space of a typical Windrush migrant family from the Caribbean who would have arrived in the UK on the SSE Windrush in the 1940s.

People Dem Collective’s Kelly Abbott said: “Although it is important to gain and share the Black and Brown history of the entire planet, we have a beautiful timeline of Black history here in the UK that we should be celebrating together - after all, Black history is all of our histories.”

Families got involved in activities across the month, taking part in Jolly Djembe workshops with Mangotree Kids @mangotreekids at Dreamland in Margate. These workshops gave families an opportunity to learn the true art of African drumming and the importance of the drum in ancient times while dressed in cultural superhero Capes.

The final event of the Black History Month programme was held at the Gulbenkian in Canterbury and was an exclusive screening of cult film Babylon, featuring a Q&A panel. This event marked the milestone of 40 years since the film was released.

All three organisations are excited to see how this partnership develops and grows in 2022. Together they believe that learning more about our history and culture enriches us all, giving us scope to understand where we have been, where we are and where we can be together.

Watch this space.