Resources for Change – Serendipity

A Very Brit(ish) Voice

admin — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 10:53:23 +0000

A Very Brit(ish) Voice is an award-winning documentary film that explores the stories of Caribbean people who travelled in the UK between 1948 and 1971 and settled in Leicester.

The film tells these stories through the words of seven otherwise ‘missing voices’ and reflects their experiences in the community.

With contributions from Dennis ‘Sugar’ Christopher, Nelista Cuffy, Elaine Hinds, Robert Lee, Pearl Ricketts, Boston Williams and musical storytelling from Mellow Baku; the film captures the experiences of the Windrush Generation and that of the present generation in their own words.

A Very Brit(ish) Voice was commissioned and produced by Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage as part of Archiving the Past, Reflecting the Future.

Winner of Short Documentary Category at the World Cinema Festival, the film featured as part of programme for the Windrush Caribbean Film Festival 2023.

Directed by Jaha Browne. Jaha is filmmaker and director who uses the camera to enter people’s worlds, giving them a platform for their voices to be heard through intimate portraits. Jaha has been creating documentaries, music videos and digital content, working with a variety of clients from charities to brands to deliver stories from around the world since 2011.

Cinematography by Frances Freeman. Frances is a self-shooting production designer and video editor who has worked in both the UK and abroad for household names including Penguin Books, Twinings Tea, The BBC. She has photographed for The Nuffield Project in the UK, and worked on personal projects abroad, with spreads in both the International Times and the Guardian.

A Very Brit(ish) Voice is available for Serendipity Connect members to view online. For screenings, please email info@serendipity-uk.com for more information and rates.

Black Digital Dance Revolution

Heather Saunders — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 15:06:18 +0000

Black Dance Digital Revolution is a nationally significant project working with regional partners; Serendipity (Leicester), Northern School of Contemporary Dance (Leeds), Dance City (Newcastle), Dance Umbrella (London) and beyond. It draws on the dance heritage of these four cities to develop a programme of digital and physical work including dance films, workshops and artist led residencies. Black Digital Dance Revolution explores how digital technologies can be integrated to push the boundaries of how artistic work is created, documented and shared.

Initiatives include Let’s Dance in the City, a series where dancers responded to the energy of the city to which they are connected. Beginning in Leicester in 2022, the project encourages dancers to take ownership of public spaces, whether they are structures of power, places to gather or historic landmarks. As the project grows Let’s Dance in the City will continue to draw on the dance and location heritage of other cities across the UK.

Interpretations – Siren Calls: To an Illusive Journey premiered in October 2022. The film showcases behind the scenes footage and interviews with the creative team behind the commission. Commissioned by Serendipity and composed by Philip Herbert, the project sought to unpack how two different choreographers, Monique Jonas and Thomas Talawa Prestø, responded to the embodied the experiences of the Caribbean migration in the mid nineteenth century. The documentary showcases both the energy of different choreographers and spaces, but also the personal stories that have shaped each artists’ contribution to this multifaceted commission.

In 2023, Serendipity will present the world premiere of The Silent Beat: A Haptic Conversation. Creative Producer, Pawlet Brookes brings together Antoine Hunter and Soweto Kinch to present an experimental work investigating the ways in which haptic technology can be used to relay music in new ways and the practical applications this might have for Deaf dancers and choreographers.

Education Packs

Heather Saunders — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 13:40:27 +0000

Throughout the year there is the opportunity to recognise key memorial days, festivals and events. These events provide an important reminder of the actions that have shaped our communities and our world, but also the richness of what it means to live in a diverse community where our values, belief and backgrounds are respected and celebrated.

Serendipity has collaborated with the National Education Union on a series of education packs to recognise and explore our diverse histories and presence.