Throughout October 2022, we marked Black History Month (BHM) – an annual celebration of the Black community. The theme for 2022 was ‘Time for Change: Action not Words’ and our Confetti students and staff really did us proud in showing appreciation of the contributions that people of African and Caribbean backgrounds have made to the UK over many generations.
On Tuesday 4 October, we held an open discussion looking at the long term impact of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. The death of George Floyd prompted a heightened awareness of the Black Lives Matter agenda internationally, students discussed whether momentum has been lost or whether the BLM movement has led to positive change.
The following week, we held a screening of the popular Parallel History documentary in our live events venue, Metronome. The documentary focuses on the experiences of the second generation Windrush migrants who have had a profound impact on British culture in modern times. The documentary was produced by our friends at Notts TV and our own Confetti Equality Diversity & Inclusion Tutor, Dennis Davis. The audience was made up of a good cross-section of the community who all had a very positive and uplifting attitude towards the documentary. Following the screening, Dennis (pictured below) led a panel discussion where he spoke on the significance of the annual BHM celebration to members of the Black community here in Nottingham:
“Black History Month for me offers an opportunity to put Black history, culture, achievement, excellence and presence to the forefront and offers great opportunities to learn and experience these aspects of global development.”
Beginning on Tuesday 18 October, Confetti college students delivered two different days of music events which celebrated the significance and influence Music of Black Origin (MOBO) has had throughout history. The MOBO College Collaboration featured students from Level 3 Music Performance, Audio & Music Technology, Technical Events, and Film & TV, with support from our Esports Production degree students. The event was live-streamed from Metronome, and really showcased the fantastic depth of talent we have both in front of and behind the cameras! You can re-watch day one and day two on our Confetti YouTube channel.
Check out some great photos taken during the MOBO College Collaboration below:
On Friday 28 October, our degree-students presented their own cross-collaborative MOBO celebration. The event was pre-recorded in Metronome, Studio 1, with music performed and recorded by our BA (Hons) Music Performance and BSc (Hons) Audio & Music Technology students. We filmed and live streamed the event with the support of our BSc (Hons) Television Production Technology and BSc (Hons) Event Production students, which you can now watch on demand on YouTube.
This MOBO Undergraduate Celebration championed the depth and breadth Black music has blessed us all with and the wealth of talent we have here at Confetti. Check out this great behind the scenes video of our students producing the showcase:
Finally, our Confetti staff weren’t going to miss out on all of the fun. Staff celebrated BHM with a Jamaican Kitchen event, a chance to share in delicious Jamaican food, culture, and music in our Student Café. The final in a series of successful and well received events during Black History Month, the Jamaican Kitchen was put together by our Black staff group whose heritages span across the continent of Africa and the Caribbean. It was a great evening and those who came along really enjoyed the food and company.
Thank you to everyone who has supported and participated in this month’s programme of Black History Month events, we’re looking forward to many more throughout the academic year.
Are you interested in attending events and getting hands on experience as part of your studies? Book onto an Open Day to find out more about all the opportunities on offer here at Confetti.
