You are invited to design your own canvas tote bag, using stencils inspired by traditional African designs.  Letters, fabric paints and stencils provided.  Come along and enjoy an interesting journey creating your own Tote bag unique bag.

FREE | Suitable for 16 years and over.  Book a space at this event by contacting the library.

0116 299 5494

Better Together and Leicestershire Music celebrate 75 years of giving to the community.  The showcase will present performances and presentations by Leicester Windrush elders, friends and children from various schools.  Don’t miss this very special occasion!

0116 242 3595

Michael McMillan is an interdisciplinary practitioner of Vincentian migrant heritage, best known for the beloved and much praised installation The Front Room, which is now a permanent installation at the Museum of the Home.  His plays have been widely produced, publications include: Sonic Vibrations and revised edition The Front Room: Diaspora migrant Aesthetics in the Home (Lund Humphries 2023). His recent installation I Miss My Mum’s Cookin’ was nominated for a Brighton Fringe award.  He has the first Arts Doctorate from Middlesex University (2010), and is currently an associate lecturer in Cultural and Historical Studies at London College of Fashion (UAL) and research associate with VIAD at University of Johannesburg. 10

A four-part podcast exploring icons of African History.  Munroe is joined by a special guest from the world of academia, art and activism each week, as they delve into the life and legacies of Eric Williams, Olive Morris, Paul Stephenson and Blake Hannah.

With its home in Coventry, its roots in reggae and its multiracial bands, 2-Tone was a British musical phenomenon. As part of Black History Month, this Your Local Arena special screens Rudies Come Back, the energetic 1980 BBC Arena film made at the moment of 2-Tone’s emergence, capturing its unique blend of 1960s blue beat and ska with 1970s reggae, soul and punk.

After the film, the accompanying panel discussion includes legendary singer Pauline Black, who features in the film and whose band The Selecter was one of the first to develop the 2-Tone sound, Rhoda Dakar, former lead singer of The Bodysnatchers and chaired by music journalist Kevin Le Gendre.  Christian ‘Cubs the Poet’ and Helen Thomas will provide poetic reflections on the evening’s conversation.  It promises to be an unforgettable evening highlighting Black British music history.

Your Local Arena is a unique project featuring iconic films from the archives of BBC TV’s Arena, the pioneering cultural documentary series.  It includes new poems inspired by the Arena films and panel talks to explore the continuing relevance of the Arena archives today. The Your Local Arena concept was developed by Lucy Hannah and Speaking Volumes, with Arena’s award-winning director/editor Anthony Wall as creative consultant and funded by Arts Council England.

Celebrate National Poetry Day with a two-part event.  First bringing poetry to the roads with street pop-up performances across the city centre between 2:00pm – 4:00pm.  Before a takeover of Leicester Central Library from 6:00pm – 8:00pm for an evening of live poetry from the Midlands best writers and poets.   Including performances from The Orator, 9ina and Lekky.

In partnership with Leicester Museum and Leicester Libraries.

FREE

In partnership with Leicester Museum and Art Gallery.

Presented by Leicester City NEU

Please support Leicester City Black Educators fundraise for educational supplies and braille machines for schools in Cuba with a Caribbean Tea Party.  The event recognises the long-term solidarity and exchanges between British and Cuban teachers.  In Cuba, many are affected by an ongoing blockade by the USA, meaning essential resources for schools are difficult to access.

0116 2552928