We’re celebrating Black History Month this October. Join us as we look back at the accomplishments of people of colour, and honour their contributions to the history of Swansea.
Archivists at West Glamorgan Archives Service have been trawling the collection for evidence of black people’s long history in Swansea. From various records, they will shed light on the stories of people of colour that have lived in this area for a long time in a series of posts on their social media channels.
Drawing on the letters of Dylan Thomas, the team at the Dylan Thomas Exhibition will explore the relationship between Swansea’s great poet and Meary James Tambimuttu, the Tamil poet and editor who founded Poetry London. In the exhibition’s series of blogs for Black History Month, they will examine Tambimuttu’s interesting life and work.
Check out the Dylan Thomas Exhibition blog at www.dylanthomas.com/blog and follow on Facebook and Twitter.
For Black History Month, Swansea Museum will be looking back to WW2. A number of Americans were stationed in Swansea and the surrounding area. We will be considering three Black Americans who were in Swansea for just a short period but who would become historically significant.
Authors of colour are writing more and more books as you’ll find by checking out the Black History Month book displays in Swansea Libraries this month, where you’ll also find an increasing range of books, both fiction and non-fiction, written about black people.
To get us reading more about people of colour, Swansea Libraries will also be compiling a list of recommended reads, featuring books in both English and Welsh languages.
They’ll also be reading from Vashti Harrison’s Bold Women in Black History in a series of virtual storytime sessions.
Follow Swansea Libraries on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Visit Glynn Vivian Art Gallery this October, for your last chance to see the current exhibition on display by artist, Anya Paintsil.
Anya Paintsil is a Welsh and Ghanaian artist working primarily with textiles. Currently based in Manchester, she grew up in north Wales with Welsh as her first language. From rug hooking to embroidery, Paintsil laces debates around race and gender into the very fabric of her work.
Anya Paintsil Mair At Cylch Meithrin, 2020. Copyright The Artist
Create your own artworks inspired by Anya Paintsil. Pick up a free family trail when you visit, you’ll find it’s full of fun activities to try in the gallery or at home.
You can also join ‘Threads’ – a new weekly community project exploring the punch-needle process inspired by the beautiful work of Anya Paintsil.
