Your handy guide to what’s happening in Brixton this month
Wednesday 25 May @ Black Cultural Archives
#BCAFilmFest returns to present Beyond Belle, the first in its series of salon conversations for 2016. Join us for a screening of the acclaimed 2013 film BELLE, directed by BAFTA-winning British director Amma Asante. The film will be followed by a salon conversation exploring how Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate mixed-race daughter of 18th-century naval captain Sir John Lindsay and enslaved woman Maria Belle, came to be a leading aristocrat at a time when women of colour occupied such low status in British society. £7. 7pm to 9.30pm.
Wednesday 25 @ Brixton Library
African Wealth: fact, fiction and analysis is an evening of readings and discussion of African wealth and economy as represented in fiction, non-fiction and academia. Run in conjunction with British diversity – focused publishing house Jacaranda Books, the event will welcome readings from authors Jess de Boer of Kenya, whose memoir The Elephant and the Bee published in April, and British-Ghanaian Frances Mensah Williams, author of the popular romance novels From Pasta to Pigfoot and From Pasta to Pigfoot: Second Helpings. They will be joined in discussion by Guyanese economist, Dr. Rex McKenzie. To book your free place email Jazzmine Breary at jazzmine@jacarandabooksartmusic.co.uk with subject “African Wealth”. 7pm to 9pm.
Thursday 26 @ The Tabernacle
Heading out of Brixton, Alastair Stewart hosts “An evening with James Bowen and Streetcat Bob” in aid of Brixton’s Ebony Horse Club at The Tabernacle, Notting Hill. ITN’s Alastair Stewart will take you on a voyage of discovery on how meeting a stray cat changed Bowen’s life and resulted in them busking around Covent Garden and selling the Big Issue together. The evening will include a book signing, raffle and auction with some terrific prizes to raise funds for Ebony Horse Club. £30+£3(S/C). Doors 6.30pm.
Friday 27 @ Prince of Wales
POW hosts Roots #3: A roof party with BBQ, tiki bar and music from Bodhi, Pedestrian & Casino Times. From £5. 6pm to 4am.
Friday 27 @ London Beer Lab
The King & Co, London Beer Lab and We Brought Beer are joining forces for the May Bank Holiday weekend (Friday 27th to Monday 30th May inclusive) to host the Route 37 Beer Festival, a four-day craft beer trail along the No. 37 bus route between Clapham and Brixton. The trail takes in a bespoke IPA “festival brew” called Route 37 which will be made by London Beer Lab and sold in keg there, in cask at The King & Co, and in bottles at We Brought Beer. Each venue has chosen 12 world craft beers as their “top picks for Summer 2016” to be enjoyed across the weekend, to encourage beer lovers and artisan brew fiends to come and try new beers and find out more about the world of craft beer. The festival will launch at 5:30pm on Friday 27th May at London Beer Lab in Brixton, with the first official taste of the festival brew.
Saturday 28 @ Brixton Jamm
Jungle Splash takes over Jamm with jungle and garage and a line-up of Uncle Dugs (Rinse FM), Nicky Blackmarket, Kenny Ken, Digital Niyabinghi, Devious D and loads more. £8 to £10. 10pm to 6am.
Saturday 28 @ Dogstar
Crafty Fox will be bringing its mixture of creative craft, art, fashion and accessory stalls to the Dogstar. The mix of over 100 traders across the weekend can be found online with different sellers each day. As always the Crafty Fox will be holding trader led workshops so visitors can try their hand at crafts too.
Saturday 28 @ Rush Common
Diversity on the Green (part 3) invites the community to enjoy food, entertainment and workshops provided by local people, businesses and community groups to celebrate diversity. The “alternative festival event” will have a farmer’s market, a multi-cultural food court, arts and crafts, live music, African dancers and drummers and children’s entertainment over the weekend. 12pm to 7pm.
Saturday 28 @ Minet Library
Support your local library with gardening, cakes & fun at 52 Knatchbull Rd, London. 2pm to 4pm.
Saturday 28 @ Prince of Wales
Lost Dawn presents Carnival at the Prince of Wales Brixton. Expect a diverse range of DJ’s, live bands and experiential acts on the famous sun-drenched roof terrace and then, as the sun sets, delve into the decor transformed club rooms at night. The headline acts for this epic bank holiday all dayer, include the legendary Judge Jules, who will be supported by Son of 8 – and then as the moon rises the eclectic sounds of James Lavelle will illuminate the main room. £9 to £20. 4pm to 4am.
Saturday 28 @ Pop Brixton
Made for those with budding ideas and an interest in starting a business, StartUp Brixton will be a day of workshops, panel discussions, entrepreneurial speakers, and dedicated one-to-one business surgeries that will act as a stepping-stone to starting-up or growing an existing business. Speakers currently include entrepreneurs and Hatch alumni Lee Denny (Lee Fest/ Wildfire), Solomon & Hashi (Brixton Soup Kitchen), Cemal Ezel (Change Please), and Leo Chan (Equally Possible), Rich Pleeth (SUP App) as well as Ben Warren (Big Society Capital), and Constance Laisné (Alt Gen). Attendees will also have the opportunity to pitch their (social) startup to a panel of judges and have the chance to win seed funding from the brand new Hatch Fund, which will be launched at the event. To register for the event visit www.startupbrixton.co.uk. 10am to 5pm.
Sunday 29 @ Blues Kitchen
For the second bank holiday Sunday, head to Blues Kitchen for music from Grammy nominated James Hunter Six plus the Atlantic Soul Orchestra and DJs. From £4. 10pm to 4am.
Sunday 29 @ The Windmill
Retrospectacular goes back 20 years to revisit the best music (and some of the worst) form 1996. Plus karaoke and a free BBQ. From £6. 5pm onwards.
Monday 30 @ Effra Social
Comedy/Improv collective Duck Duck Goose host their improv jams in the Churchill Lounge every Monday from 7.30pm onwards. Everyone welcome.
