A NOT-FOR-PROFIT arts organisation is hosting events during October, as Reading celebrates the contribution of black people to the community through Black History Month.
Its events include the reggae open mic nights and workshops with RASPO as Reading begins its month-long celebrations of diversity in the community.
Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra is also celebrating 25 years of bringing steel percussion to Reading.
RASPO was founded at the Central Club in 1997, which was a popular venue for the black community and provided regular weekend reggae events, among others.
It was named in honour of the Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra, which was the first steel band to perform live in the UK at the Festival of Britain in 1951.
It has since performed at BBC’s Children in Need, the 2012 London Olympics, the Royal Albert Hall, and Notting Hill Carnival.
The Central Club building still features the Black History Mural, a 36-metre-long installation depicting figures such as Harriet Tubman, Marcus Garvey, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, and Bob Marley.
Mary Genis, artistic director and founder of CultureMix Arts, said that people having access to a range of things to do is important, especially this month.
“We advocate and champion black cultures, mainly through music and the arts every year, but we get a lot more demand for our services during October,
“And we want to make sure that people have got access to a diverse range of events, whether it’s free events, music, art, or film.
“Whoever they are, we want them to be able to identify with the activity or explore a different culture.”
She said that the month is an opportunity to combat race-based exclusion: “It’s really important to acknowledge diversity within communities,
“Especially in places like Reading – I think a lot of people are quite disgruntled about the general feeling of exclusion that there is regarding diversity and that it’s not recognised enough.
“Culture Mix Arts isn’t here necessarily to be revolutionaries on that– we’re more here to showcase and celebrate the richness and the beauty of the culture to everybody regardless of their race, colour, background, age, or religion.”
CultureMix Arts is hosting introductory workshops with Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra as well as an open mic reggae night led by Grammy Award-winning producer and bassist, Don Chandler.
“We’ve been working with Don for many years,” Ms Genis said, “and the Reading Reggae Collective is his brainchild.”
The collective will be taking the lead during the open mic night and is “partly inspired by the work that we were doing, and Don leads that project.”
Mr Chandler also acts as the organisation’s musical director, and set up the collective in 2020.
Ms Genis said he did this in order to: “Help re-invigorate the reggae music scene – and the reggae music industry – in Reading, but around the country.
“But it also provides opportunities for people to work with professionals and ensure that they have those opportunities to be inspired, to be the best they can be,
“And to have had the chance to perform and work with the professionals like Don, too, so he brings his colleagues in, who are of a similar calibre.”
She said that his work with the team: “really enriches the work we do, particularly around Reading.
“He really enhances our portfolio of projects and us working together is a huge, huge privilege.”
Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra will be holding a number of introductory workshops at the CultureMix Arts Centre, which are free to attend for under-18s.
The free children’s steel band workshops take place between 4.30-5.30pm and over-18s workshops take place from 5.30pm-6.30pm every Tuesday.
Reggae Fridays Open Mic Night, led by Don Cheadle and Reading Reggae Collective at the same venue on Friday, October 7 from 7pm-11pm.
RASPO Live, the orchestra’s 25th anniversary event, will take place at the same venue on Friday, October 28, from 7.30pm-10.30pm.
For more information, or to buy tickets, visit www.culturemixarts.co.uk.
