Black History Month honours the invaluable contributions and innovations black people have made in the UK and globally. At Morley College London we celebrate Black History Month through art, performance, talks and events.
Download the Black History Month 2024 booklet here.
What’s on?
Morley Gallery ‘Generations Future and Visions’
An intergenerational exhibition of six west London artists of the African Caribbean diaspora, connecting artists, artworks, and life journeys. The youngest in their mid-twenties, the eldest almost 80, they present paintings, prints, photography, video, collage and digital works. At the midpoint, the artists will inhabit two spaces at once, inviting their local community for a talk at the brand new sister gallery in North Kensington. Featuring Armet Francis, Colin Nichols, Junior Tomlin, Ron Best, Sion Sylvester and Tobias Laurent Belson.
Find out more at www.morleygallery.com/2410generations
Penny Lecture: Becoming an author with Joseph Diwakar
One face, two face, blue face? In this lecture, author Joseph Diwakar will explore being mixed race and becoming an author.
Date: 10th October 2024
Time: 6 to 7pm
Location: Waterloo Centre,
Westminster Bridge Road
SE1 7HT
Joseph Diwakar is a young author and historian whose debut novel I SHALL NOT WANT won the 2023 Morley Prize for Unpublished Authors of Colour. Alongside writing, Joseph is the youngest ever member of the Archbishops Council, a governing body of the Church of England. He teaches history at Saint Mellitus College in central London, a specialist centre for training future priests. His novel, I SHALL NOT WANT, tells the story of a queer young Christian, James, who seeks freedom from shame at his unwanted desires. He finds hope in Ian Callaghan, a famous pastor, who promises deliverance through a strict programme of spiritual disciplines. James recounts first hand his mental capture and eventual escape from Ian, as a forbidden love affair leads him to discover that true grace and freedom can be found elsewhere.
Click here to book your place.
Staff profile – Florence Marfo
Florence Marfo, Programme Area Manager Humanities and Languages, is the presenter of the Morley Prize podcast series promoting the Morley Prize For Unpublished Writers of Colour.
The podcast showcases a wide range of writers, not only in terms of the content and form of their work (from memoir to novel) but also their writing journey (from self-taught to professionally trained).
Florence has interviewed influential people such as Adjoa Andoh (aka Bridgerton’s Lady Danbury), Gary Younge (journalist, author and academic) and Dr Janine Bradbury (Senior Lecturer of Contemporary Writing and Culture at the University of York).
“I’m hoping that not only will past winners become household names, but that listeners will be empowered by being more familiar with the various pathways to becoming and sustaining writing careers. Above all, I hope it is a useful resource to listeners who want to be conversant in art by Black creatives.” – Florence said
Listen to the Morley Prize podcast here and keep an eye out for the latest episode coming soon.
Interview with actor Travis Jay on his part in Netflix hit series ‘Supacell’
Morley College London is proud to celebrate alumnus Travis Jay, who has taken a major step in his acting career by landing a part in Netflix’s hit show ‘Supacell’ set in South London. Travis Jay, who attended Morley in 2019, features in the new hit TV series “Supacell”. The sci-fi series follows a group of black individuals who suddenly gain superpowers, exploring the effects on their everyday lives and relationships. A breakout hit, season 1 reached the No. 1 spot in Netflix’s global TV series list and remained in the top 10 for six weeks.
Jay studied the Acting: Intermediate and Acting: Masterclass courses which explore the understanding of acting, techniques and the skills to bring your character to life. Morley was lucky enough to sit down with Travis Jay to speak about his experience at Morley and on the show “Supacell”.
How did you get the opportunity to be on the Netflix show “Supacell”?
“When the audition came through, I was filled with excitement. Reading the brief, I immediately envisioned myself in this type of show. I sent my self-tape through and thankfully got invited back for the recall. The recall was one of the most nerve-racking days of my life, because I just had the feeling that if this goes well my life could change. Fortunately, it went well! I’ve had some good auditions before that I didn’t get, so I didn’t allow myself to get excited but when I got the call, I held a one-man parade in my room!”
What was the most challenging part of being on the show?
“The most challenging part of being on the show, I think I was just super conscious of my acting experience. A lot of the cast members were incredibly experienced, Tosin Cole, Eric Kofi Abrefa and Calvin Demba to name a few. My first trade is stand-up comedy, I wanted to make sure I didn’t stand out for any reason in that company. So, I remember making sure I was super prepared for every single day of shooting. In hindsight this was definitely an internal struggle, because Rapman, Sebastian Thiel and the production crew made me feel incredibly supported throughout. I just wanted to make sure I could hang with everybody else.”
What acting courses did you take at Morley College London and what was your experience like being a student here?
“I took the Acting: Intermediate and Acting: Advanced – I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Morley, it really helped me with my understanding of acting. As a stand-up comic, I wasn’t a stranger to the stage; so I felt it would be easier than it was to adapt. It was a very challenging experience, which required me to grow. I attribute a lot of this to Dominic [Grant], he was a brilliant teacher. Sometimes I hear a note from a director and I have a flashback to something Dominic had said to me. I’m not a kid who grew up attending Rada or Brit School, so I’m glad courses like this exist where you can really put the time in and work on your craft.”
What skills or lessons did you learn from your time on the show?
“I learnt how valuable it is to spend time with the director so you can get a feel for how they work, try and see their vision to help you execute when you’re on set. Rapman and Sebastian both have different directing styles, I was able to get a feel for both styles early on in the process, it helped make shoot days quite smooth.
Morley Radio Black History Month podcasts
To celebrate Black History Month, Morley Radio has curated a rich mix of Morley podcasts and shows from the past years. Tune in this month for a new Morley Prize Podcast and live shows.
