Black History Month Events
A number of events are taking place across the city which celebrate Black artists and explore topics related to Black history and culture.
Guest traders
Thursdays throughout October, 11.30am to 4pm at the Plaza.
Every Thursday throughout the month there will be stalls from Black business owners including food vendors Mina's cuisine and Caribbean Q'uisine.
Black History Month Exhibition
Throughout October, Level One of the Information Commons.
The student exhibition space on level one of the Information Commons will host an exhibition of Black History throughout October. This will feature poetry, artwork and curated collections, all representing the lived experiences of Black students. The University’s Race Equality Interns have been invited to make submissions. This will be a living exhibition and students are invited to make submissions throughout the month.
Ten True Stories of Dutch Colonial Slavery
11th October - 30th October
Jessop West foyer, 1 Upper Hanover St, Broomhall, S3 7RA
The Faculty of Arts and Humanities invites you to visit our exhibition “Ten True Stories of Dutch Colonial Slavery”, originally developed by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Discover the intimate stories behind slavery, spanning Brazil, Suriname, the Caribbean, South Africa, and Asia. Each narrative is accompanied by an audio recording voiced by individuals connected to the ten featured characters.
Delve deep into the heart of the Dutch Empire's 250-year history, where human lives were reduced to property and entries in accounts. We present ten authentic stories of those involved in slavery, from the enslaved to the slaveholders, the resisters to those brought to the Netherlands.
Our mission is to remind you that colonial slavery is not a distant memory but an integral part of both Dutch and British history, even reaching Sheffield. To bridge this shared history, we've created three additional panels connecting the Netherlands' story to Sheffield's context.
Visit us at the Jessop West foyer before October 30th to experience this thought-provoking exhibition that challenges perceptions, inspires change, and pays tribute to silenced voices.
Spit Out the Myth: Three Sheffield Poets Danae Wellington, Silé Sibanda, Warda Yassin
Friday 27th October, 18:00
Millennium Gallery
In 2021, Désirée Reynolds curated Black Women Write Now for Off the Shelf with an event with Sheffield poets Sile Sibanda, Danae Wellington and Warda Yassin (then Sheffield Poet Laureate). Many people asked for poetry in print by all three poets, and in response, Off the Shelf commissioned an anthology – Spit Out The Myth – with an introduction by Désirée. At this launch, Silé, Warda and Danae (current Sheffield Poet Laureate) will read poems on migration and change, family roots, mythical tales and life in Sheffield. Désirée Reynolds will introduce the event, and Suzannah Evans will talk about the publishing process.
Who We Were; Who We Became – Danae Wellington and Darshan Gajjar
Saturday 28th October, 19:30
Sheffield City Hall, Barker's Pool, Sheffield City Centre, S1 2JA
Poetry commission, Who We Were; Who We Became, is a love song threading together the memories, faith and culture of the Windrush generation. It captures their final moments before embarking on a journey in pursuit of a new life.
Danae Wellington and Darshan Gajjar have made a short poetic film around the piece that forms a window into the Caribbean immigrant story. It details the musical riddims and the joy-making that helped newly arrived West Indians survive brutal racial violence and discrimination in post-war Britain.
Attend the event for poetry, song, film and music marking Windrush 75.
Exhibition: The going towards
Tuesday 31st October - 12th November
Studio I, Site Gallery, Brown Street, Sheffield, S1 2BS
Featuring audiovisual work produced in Calais, France, The going towards amplifies the voices of refugees, volunteers and activists in order to expose processes of marginalisation in the area.
Elisa Larvegoʼs body of work centers around the idea of ʻplaces of limitʼ – areas temporarily occupied due to social revolt or exile. Her sensitive documentary approach highlights the complexity of relationships between people and their surrounding landscapes. At Site Gallery’s Studio I, she exhibits a three-screen video and audio installation focused on the refugee context of Calais.
The going towards is produced and shown with the support of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, the City of Lancy, the Astrapia association, and the University of Sheffield.
Exhibition Opening
Join us for the exhibition opening from 5 – 7pm on Tuesday 31 October. Free entry.