The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced that he is joining with Black communities and the arts sector across London to create a new annual event in Trafalgar Square to
celebrate Black culture.
The event is being created with a range of community groups and representatives to showcase the ethnic and cultural diversity of Black communities, and champion upcoming talent.
It will be an opportunity for Londoners and visitors to the capital to join together each year in celebration and to enjoy performances from a wide range of talented artists.
The Mayor will announce his plans to create an advisory group to help shape the event at a City Hall event this evening that will showcase a range of talent from the music, fashion, spoken word and dance industries. The event will be hosted by director and actor Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE and feature music by Reprezent Radio DJs and a keynote speech by writer, editor and curator, and Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group chair, Ekow Eshun.
The celebration at Trafalgar Square, which is planned to start in autumn 2023, will deliver the Mayor’s manifesto pledge to create an event to celebrate Black culture and is part of his wider work to support and celebrate the talent within the capital’s Black communities.
This includes a wide range of initiatives and programmes to tackle structural inequalities and support communities, including the Workforce Integration Network which is supporting young Black men aged 16 to 24 years into living wage employment in the construction and digital sectors, working with the Black Cultural Archives to provide masterclasses to help young Londoners pursue their dreams, hosting events to mark the UNESCO International Day for Remembrance of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its Abolition, providing funding to organisations that support Londoners impacted by inequalities, and creating an action plan to improve confidence in the Met.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London’s Black communities have a huge impact on all aspects of life in our capital, but too often the breadth of their cultural and creative contributions have been overlooked and undervalued. I’m working hard to build a better London for everyone and am committed to ensuring that our world class cultural offering acknowledges all aspects of our capital’s diversity. That’s why I’m delighted to be working with London's Black communities and Black creatives to host a celebration in Trafalgar Square that will put exciting and innovative Black artists, musicians, designers and performers on one of the world’s biggest stages.”
Ekow Eshun, writer, editor and curator, and Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group chair, said: “There is an incredible range of talent and diversity across London's Black communities and I’m pleased that the Mayor wants to develop an event that will provide a suitable showcase. Together we can create a true celebration of our communities on one of London’s most famous stages.”
Gillian Jackson, Director of Engagement at homeless House of St Barnabas, and Diversity in the Public Realm Commission Member, said: “I’m delighted that the Mayor is bringing together members of our Black communities and arts sector to create a celebration event in Trafalgar Square. There is so much diversity and talent across our communities, and it will be fantastic to have an event to showcase this to so many people from across London and beyond.” Photo by DAVID HOLT from London, England, Wikimedia commons.