Poetic Unity x Kwame Brathwaite
I attended a workshop (Saturday, 18 October) lead by Poetic Unity, programmed as part of the various events happening alongside BFI London Film Festival. There were 8 of us in total, including the two instructors. Our seats arranged in a circle, we warmed up by introducing ourselves and playing a game that involved each creating physical gestures to represent different animals, memorising each other gestures and communicating with one another through them. It was a good start - I laughed and the game made us all really look and see each other, which made the activities to come less daunting for me.
The instructors began the session by leading an open discussion about our feelings regarding Black inclusion and representation today versus how we understand (from various media and books) life to have been for Black people in the UK a few decades ago. I found myself listening through this, sitting with the shared pessimism in light of the rise in far-right sentiments. Thoughts on how it seemed like our elders were more united than we are today, and prepared to gather and stand up to hatred aimed at people like us. Mentions of complacency, but then, complacency isn’t quite the fair framing. When will we have the chance to rest and just live? Is it not a good thing that life now affords more of that now than it did then?
Kwame Brathwaite was an American Photojournalist and activist whose work inspired and popularised the Black is Beautiful movement. The instructors arranged a number of his photographs in the space within our circle. One by one we picked up an image that spoke to us and shared why with the group. I chose an untitled photograph of musicians Miles Davis and Paul Chambers, taken mid performance. I loved the dynamism of the photo and the perspective it was taken from. We discussed what the phrase means to us. I remember thinking and appreciating how ‘Black is Beautiful’ has never felt untrue to me. Rather, over the years, I found it making its way to the forefront of my life. I’ve grown older and more jaded, which has only, somehow, made more space for my love for myself and Blackness. Despite it all.
The final part of the workshop involved writing some poetry, freely without any specific form in mind. Keeping Black is Beautiful as the overarching theme, we were free to use the images as inspiration or not. I chose to write with the image I chose in mind. At the end of the writing sprint, we had the chance to share what we’d written, the first time I’ve ever read anything in front of others.
Shoutout to Poetic Unity for the wonderful experience. They will be at the Southbank Centre this Saturday 25 October delivering a performance at 1.30pm.