Brixton Village, London’s most diverse and vibrant market is delighted to announce ISLAND LIFE – a free all-day family friendly festival in honour of Windrush Day bringing together art, music, and food in celebration of the Windrush generation on Saturday 25 June.
Amongst its exciting programme of events will be a new live audio and visual art installation by BBC Sounds artist in residence Oumou Longley; Caribbean food & drink pop-ups; and an exciting line-up of live music, DJs and artists to celebrate the sounds of the Windrush generation.
Olive Morris: Voices of the Archive
18 – 26 June, 12-8PM, 14E Market Row
Working with The Brixton Project, Brixton Village invited artist Oumou Longley to present Voices of the Archive – a bespoke installation in ode of the life and legacy of Olive Morris – a leading Black british activist who went on to make fierce contributions to the British squatters movements and Black women groups throughout the 60s and 70s. Born in Jamaica in 1952, Olive moved to London aged 9 – here, her legacy is woven together from oral histories found in the Olive Morris Collection at Lambeth Archives, first recorded by the Remembering Olive Collective in 2009.
Playing out from Universal Roots’ historic soundsystem, memories of those who knew Olive present themselves tuning between radio static, original music and immersive sound design. The work is a testament to the vibrant community that speaks Olive back to life. Together, their words generate a layered conversation that resists limiting representations of Blackness. In Voices of the Archive we remember that Black history is living, changing and shared.
A Musical Celebration of the Caribbean Islands
Saturday 25 June, 1-10PM, Brixton Village Courtyard
Proud to continue the musical legacy of the Windrush generation, Brixton Village promises a line-up of live music from all over the Caribbean islands, past to present, from Mento to Soca, to Reggae and further afield.
Visitors can expect performances from leading artists including Anthony Joseph – the award-winning Trinidad-born London based poet, novelist, musician and academic who is set to bring spoken-word and the sounds of Trinidad to the courtyard; DJ sets from Legs Eleven – the all-female sibling sound system following in the footsteps of their father and the music culture they were immersed in; performances from Melvina Moves & Nzinga Dance who have teamed up to showcase traditional Caribbean Kwéyòl (Creole) music with dance and percussion; and Rudies bringing live DJ sets for the best in Caribbean and Black British Caribbean music. What’s more, visitors will be able to enjoy an exciting live performance by The Lifeforce Band led by percussionist and MD Phil Harper, recognised for his work with Black British music luminaries as well as being part of Jazz Jamaica.
Joining some of Brixton Village’s food institutions like Fish Wings & Tings and Eat of Eden, visitors can also expect a line-up of Caribbean food pop-ups and more.
ISLAND LIFE will take place on Saturday 25 June from 12PM-10PM with Voices of the Archive available to view from Saturday 18 until Sunday 26 June, 12pm – 8pm daily – all FREE to attend.
For more programme details, please visit
www.brixtonvillage.com
@brixton.village