Blackfest is set to return to Liverpool this month.
To celebrate Black History Month this October, the city will host the award-winning community arts and culture festival for the eighth year.
Liverpool has one of the oldest black communities in Europe so events and celebrations during the month are very popular.
The festival is holding 16 different events, from cooking workshops to comedy nights in venues across the city.
The artistic director and CEO of this year’s Blackfest, Jubeda Khatun, said: “Blackfest is a grassroots homegrown blackout festival founded in 2018 and it platforms and develops and supports black creatives and communities.
“My hope is that we have been able to platform new artist, and they’ve reached new audiences.
“We developed them so hopefully they’ve learned some new skills, put themselves out there and grow in confidence really and in their art form.”
Chantelle Hunt, the chairwoman of Liverpool Alliance for racial equality and Knowsley borough’s first black female councillor, spoke about the importance of celebrating Black History Month and attending events that celebrate the community’s rich culture.
She said: “This year’s theme is standing in power and pride, and I think it’s more important than ever to remind people of this region’s history especially the fact that this is a region built not only by migration but also with a significant role in the transatlantic slave economy.
“I think it’s important to remind people about that history.”
Hunt also pointed out the influence the black community in Liverpool has had on the city’s culture.
“There’s a huge Caribbean influence, a huge black American influence because of generations of migration related to wars, related to wind-rush generations,” she added.
“So, there’s the real wealth of history and that has impacted everything from the city’s music scenes, with food scenes, to its cultural scene, to the general vibes.
“Even if we look at bands like The Beatles, their music was significantly influenced by black music and culture, going to blues clubs and hanging around with black artists.”
She believes Blackfest is an opportunity to celebrate some of the best aspects of the community.
She said: “I think it’s a real breath of having a cultural and arts event and I hope a wide range of people from a wide range of communities come to celebrate and share this festival.”
The festival is being held from the 22nd of September to the 30th of October across the city.
