A Time To Breathe festival marks Black History Month with music, dance and more

A new festival marking Black History Month with Batuke, contemporary dance, Calypso, choreo-poem, Lover’s Rock and more is in full swing in Lambeth.

Curated by Greta Mendez, new cross-genre festival A Time To Breathe the festival is sharing songs, dance, laughter and memories.

The festival is brought together by a host of history-makers and children of the Windrush generation who have made a massive contribution to the arts and culture in the UK.

In a celebration of the end of lockdown, A Time To Breathe performances will take place in-person at the venue formerly known as Stockwell Playhouse.

The multidisciplinary programme will include live performances from the likes of Queen of Bantu, Jordana Mba with Bantu & Mba which combines Flamenco, Afro-beat, soul and Latin rhythm.

Acclaimed dancer and choreographer Gerrard Martin’s duet, A Journey to Love, will reflect the journey to self-love and seeks to uncover the vulnerability and intimacy of male romantic love.

Elsewhere, classical ballet, contemporary and African dance are fused in Ballet Soul’s electric We born – we breathe – we die.

Akeim Toussaint Buck’s Sib Y Osis is a dance theatre performance encapsulating a journey of contentment, play, fear, rage and joy, exploring an emotive journey shared by siblings.

Alongside live performance, talks from the likes of Dr Carol La Chapelle will shine a spotlight on carnival performance from the evolution of traditional characters to the emergence of the Dancing Mobile as a neo-Caribbean performance genre.

The phenomena of the Dance Styles of Lovers Rock will be explored by speakers Yasmin V Foster and Sheba Montserrat from the position of sonic embodiment and collective consciousness.

Curator Greta Mendez is choreographer, former dancer and carnivalist who has shaped contemporary British performance for over 40 years.

More information can be found at www.atimetobreathe.co.uk