The Hub
Black History Month 2023
The council is currently planning a series of exciting events and activities to celebrate Black History Month 2023 in partnership with local partners and community organisations. We want to celebrate the amazing contributions Black people have made to society whilst celebrating their culture, and creating a shared understanding of Black history across the world, the UK and Waltham Forest.
We are really keen to capture and promote any Black History Month events and activities schools are planning and promote these through council communication channels. If any schools would like to share any events and activities you are planning and have these promoted by the council please contact connectingcommunities@walthamforest.gov.uk.
Below you will find a list of the activities that schools can take part in or book. There are limited places available in some activities, available on a first come, first served basis.
Monday 2 October
Saluting Our Sisters Black History Month Art Competition
Competition Opens: Monday 2 October 2023
Competition Closes: Monday 16 October 2023
Entries Judged by esteemed panel of Judges Tuesday 17 October – Sunday 22 October 2023.
Final Pieces Exhibited: Waltham Forest Town Hall - Monday 23 – Friday 27 October 2023.
Audience: All ages! There will be the following age categories: Junior (Under 10’s), Secondary (10-16), Adult (16 and above), everyone can join in on the fun.
How to get involved:
Choose the format that you will use to create your art. This can be any format, perhaps it’s a song, a proem, a picture, a photo, a textile, a print, it could be modern or traditional, digital or clay. The choice is yours!
Choose your pioneering black woman or subject that relates to the theme ‘Saluting Our Sisters’.
Submit your art! If it’s digital, it can be sent to competition@theskillswithin.co.uk. If it’s a physical piece, email us and we will collect your art
Check www.theskillswithin.com or visit Waltham Forest Town Hall to see the final winner’s piece from each category displayed from Monday 23 October to Friday 27 October.
Friday 6 October
Freedom Walks with Peter Ashan
Leyton: 9.30am-11am.
Leytonstone: 1.30am-3pm.
Audience: Secondary Schools, up to 30 pupils per tour.
Activity description:
Peter Ashan will lead three freedom walks for schools, looking into the Black community within Waltham Forest, presenting alternate stories than those we often hear about in connection with the development of the borough from centuries past to the present day.
Biography Peter Ashan:
Peter Ashan educator grew up in Leyton in the 1970's and 80's his parents migrated to London from Barbados in the early 1960’s .
His Freedom Walks and book began in 2007, aiming to reveal the hidden story of Waltham Forest's multi-ethnic, multi-faith community
16-22 October
Waltham Forest Twinning Association SHEroes Exhibition
After this date, the exhibition will then tour libraries in the borough until mid November.
For Black History Month 2023, the WF Twinning Association will be creating a project to celebrate trailblazing Black women from Waltham Forest, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica who have made incredible contributions to our community. Aligned with this year’s theme of celebrating/saluting our sisters, the WFTA’s project is entitled #BHM23: #WEMATTER WFTA Celebrates Local SHEroes.
Through the medium of art, photography and word, we invite young people across the borough to create artwork inspired by the achievements and contributions of our SHEroes, the artwork will then feature in our touring exhibition in various community spaces boroughwide.
Friday 20 October
Freedom Walks with Peter Ashan
Walthamstow: 9.30am-11am
Audience: Secondary Schools, up to 30 pupils per tour.
Activity description:
Peter Ashan will lead three freedom walks for schools, looking into the Black community within Waltham Forest, presenting alternate stories than those we often hear about in connection with the development of the borough from centuries past to the present day.
Biography Peter Ashan:
Peter Ashan educator grew up in Leyton in the 1970's and 80's his parents migrated to London from Barbados in the early 1960’s .
His Freedom Walks and book began in 2007, aiming to reveal the hidden story of Waltham Forest's multi-ethnic, multi-faith community.
23-31 October
Age UK Waltham Forest 'Unheard Stories' Exhibition
Age UK Waltham Forest presents this exhibition profiling the life stories of 15 Black elders living in Waltham Forest, who either use the Age UK Waltham Forest befriending service, or volunteer as befrienders.
These Unheard Stories were gathered in June 2023, as part of the events to mark 75 years since the arrival of the ship Empire Windrush in London. They are the stories of Black people who came to Britain in the 1960s and 1970s from the Caribbean and other countries of the former British empire.
They are stories of courage, resilience, triumphs, love, family and, above all, lives of hard, hard work. They are stories of facing and overcoming racism and discrimination.