Fighting for breath, half-suffocated by lockdowns, struggling to make voices heard against the howling of fake news and the gabbling of corporate media – the past two years have been hard on both artists and their audiences. After another year without Carnival on the road, we all need a breath of fresh air to revive our spirits, and in October we should get the boost we need with a festival celebrating black cultural narratives in poetry, dance and music.
Appropriately, this festival is called ‘A Time to Breathe’, and is curated and produced by award-winning director, producer, choreographer, former dancer and carnivalist Greta Mendez MBE, and co-produced by James Scotland, founder of Khaos theatre company.
Some of the biggest names in dance, music and performance arts are on the bill, and many more are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Amongst the artists confirmed so far are singer-songwriter Carol Leeming MBE FRSA, choreographer and dance educator Dr Carol La Chappelle PhD, singer-songwriter Jordana Mba, and Cleo Lake – artist, activist, choreographer, dance
therapist and former Lord Mayor of Bristol.
The full programme will be announced soon; keep checking the website – www.atimetobreathe.co.uk – and social media for updates.
A Time to Breathe will takes place from 26 to 31 October at The Theatre, Stockwell SW8 2JU. The Theatre is served by bus routes 77, 87, 452 and P5, and is a 10 minute walk from Stockwell Station (Northern Line).
