Out of Many People

Out of many, one people. Culture. Heritage. And authentic narratives. How inspiring it is to witness the birth of Out of Many People ~ founded by the formidable Susan Pitter & Dawn Cameron. Storytelling matters. Representation is vital. Community is everything. Kudos to Arts Council England for supporting. I’m especially looking forward to seeing Candice Brathwaite in conversation at Leeds Playhouse on Nov 11. ⌨️ https://lnkd.in/e5JgbpFs #representation #narratives #talent #resilience #knowledge #rooted #power

🖤💛💚 Jamaica holds a special place in our hearts. 🇯🇲 Our name is inspired by the nation's national motto OUT OF MANY, ONE PEOPLE Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected by #HurricaneMelissa passing in Jamaica and for those in Cuba and Bahamas in the days ahead. It is heartbreaking to see the devastation, the full impact not yet clear. What we do know is that Jamaica needs the help of the global community. Official appeals have been set up. Do check out our friends at Jamaica Society Leeds on IG and FB https://lnkd.in/eAD8Ad8Y #JamaicaInformationService and the #jamaicahighcommision in London for updates on the Government of Jamaica's official response and appeals. https://lnkd.in/emR7yu6a The Jamaica National Group have launched an appeal too - more info over at The Voice Newspaper. What we also know is that Jamaica WILL recover albeit a trying time ahead. Because as the saying goes WI LIKKLE BUT WI TALLAWAH - Jamaica is SMALL BUT MIGHTY. Here's to better days #Jamaica.

What fantastic news that #BookerPrize is launching the children's Booker Prize! All children everywhere deserve the joy and impact that reading brings. That just 1 in 3 (32.7%) of 8-18 year olds responding to the #NationalLiteracyTrust 2025 Annual Literacy Survey said they enjoy reading in their free time is sobering. That's a 36% drop since 2005. Less than 1 in 5 said they read something daily in their free time. Trends are worrying too for children from marginalised communities and boys. This is not just worrying. It's a crisis. Across the UK, lit fests, libraries, and independent book shops are doing fantastic work to bring back the joy of reading for our children - #LeedsStorytellingFestival #BlackBritishBookFestival #AfroriBooks to name a few. We're playing our part too with the #LikkleLitFest festival of Black literature for children coming in February as part of our Arts Council England supported Rooted programme. The Booker Children’s Prize is a welcome and very much needed boost to efforts across the sector, and of course those of parents too. Here's to its impact and success. #Literacy #reading #childrensbooks https://lnkd.in/eZ7ByFPP

What fantastic news that #BookerPrize is launching the children's Booker Prize! All children everywhere deserve the joy and impact that reading brings. That just 1 in 3 (32.7%) of 8-18 year olds responding to the #NationalLiteracyTrust 2025 Annual Literacy Survey said they enjoy reading in their free time is sobering. That's a 36% drop since 2005. Less than 1 in 5 said they read something daily in their free time. Trends are worrying too for children from marginalised communities and boys. This is not just worrying. It's a crisis. Across the UK, lit fests, libraries, and independent book shops are doing fantastic work to bring back the joy of reading for our children - #LeedsStorytellingFestival #BlackBritishBookFestival #AfroriBooks to name a few. We're playing our part too with the #LikkleLitFest festival of Black literature for children coming in February as part of our Arts Council England supported Rooted programme. The Booker Children’s Prize is a welcome and very much needed boost to efforts across the sector, and of course those of parents too. Here's to its impact and success. #Literacy #reading #childrensbooks https://lnkd.in/eZ7ByFPP

Looking back on our first #Rooted headline event just over a week ago - SOUND SYSTEM: MUSIC & POETRY OF THE BLACK ATLANTIC - and what an event it was! To have iconic poet #LintonKwesiJohnson , Brazilian poetry pioneer #ConceiçãoEvaristo and powerhouse #RogerRobinson exploring the impact of sound system culture with chair the amazing Dr Malika Booker (FRSL), whilst the entranced audience - that included Poet Laureate #SimonArmitage - nodded along to dancehall and dub classics was not on our 2025 bingo card! An incredible evening that said everything about the power of poetry, words and music bringing people together. Authentic Black storytelling is what we do. We know it is necessary. We know too that telling our stories and telling them well, no matter who we are, can be heard and appreicated by all. Sound System clearly showed that. We loved Roger's reflection for our recap; “Any thing in the time of AI and the internet that can make actual real social cohesion and get people to start thinking in words as opposed to being told what to do from a poem can feel revolutionary now, it actually feels like a small revolution and I think that’s why the event was important.” For more on what our panel had to say about the evening, head to our recap in the link below; https://lnkd.in/ejG2YbKc Thanks to everyone who came along, to the hard-working teams and volunteers, to a brilliant partnership with National Poetry Centre #FLUP British Council and our venue RoyalArmouries, and to Arts Council England for making Rooted possible. Photo: L-R Malika Booker, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Simon Armitage, Roger Robinson, Conceição Evaristo 📷 David Lindsay photosbydavid.co.uk #ACEsupported #rooted #outofmanypeople #poetry #blackhistorymonth #blackstorytelling

The wait is almost over for! TONIGHT, we welcome 3 poetry greats to Leeds for SOUND SYSTEM MUSIC & POETRY OF THE BLACK ATLANTIC! 🎶 Hear iconic dub poetry and Black British activism pioneer, LINTON KWESI JOHNSON, giant of Brazilian poetry CONCEIÇÃO EVARISTO and internationally acclaimed T S Eliot Award- winner ROGER ROBINSON as they explore sound system culture's global impact on music and poetry. Chaired by two-time Forward Prize-winning poet MALIKA BOOKER. ✨ LAST TICKETS AVAILABLE for this constellation of powerful poetic voices; part of our ROOTED series of events launched in #BlackHistoryMonth. ✊🏾 SOUND SYSTEM: MUSIC & POETRY OF THE BLACK ATLANTIC – Wed 8 Oct | 6:30pm – Royal Armouries, Leeds – Tickets: £15 Find tickets and more details on this evening of poetic excellence: https://ow.ly/SgH650X8jFC A ROOTED event staged in partnership with National Poetry Centre and Flup - A Festa Literária das Periferias with the support of the British Council and our venue partner Royal Armouries Museum. Photos credits Linton Kwesi Johnson (by Glasgow Poetry Club) Conceição Evaristo (by Monica Ramalho) Roger Robinson (by Gavin Wallace) Malika Booker (by Josimar Senior - Black Writers’ Guild) #ACESupported #NationalLottery

The countdown is almost over until LINTON KEWSI JOHNSON appears in our SOUND SYSTEM: MUSIC & POETRY OF THE BLACK ATLANTIC (tomorrow 8 October)! 🥳 The pioneering dub poet and activist has long had an association with #Leeds and #Bradford; did you know: 🇯🇲 He’s appeared in the region many times, including for the Jamaica Society Leeds, Out of Many Festival in 2022. ✊🏾 He was a regular fixture at events in Leeds organised by activists such as Annette Liburd and Violet Hendrickson. 🔥 In 1974 he appeared in a "Grounding" event at Cowper Street School. 🖤 LKJ played a key role in the campaign to free Jamaican-born Bradford man, George Lindo, who was falsely accused of robbery by the police 🔥 In 1978, he recited It Dread Inna Inglan, based on the case, to demonstrators on the steps of a Bradford police station in 1978. 🇳🇬 David Oluwale was a Nigerian man drowned in Leeds in April 1969 after being assaulted by two police officers. LKJ has mentioned David in his poems and has supported the Remember Oluwale campaign Join us for LKJ's return to Leeds; SOUND SYSTEM: MUSIC & POETRY OF THE BLACK ATLANTIC 📆 Wed 8 Oct | 6:30pm 📍 Royal Armouries, Leeds 🎟️ Tickets: £15 Find tickets and more details on this evening of poetic excellence: https://lnkd.in/efDHr9-9 A ROOTED event staged in partnership with National Poetry Centre and Flup - A Festa Literária das Periferias with the support of the British Council and our venue partner Royal Armouries Museum. Photo credits: 1. Penguin - Selected Poems Cover 2. LKJ at the Grounding event in Cowper Street School 3. Bradford Lit Fest 4. Speaking Volumes 2 5. Clinton A Hutton #ACEsupported #OutOfManyPeople

The wait is almost over until giant of Brazilian poetry and winner of the Prêmio Jabuti (Tortoise Prize), Conceição Evaristo graces the stage for SOUND SYSTEM: MUSIC & POETRY OF THE BLACK ATLANTIC, part of our #ROOTED programme centred in Black storytelling. ✨ Conceição regarded as the Mother of Brazilian poetry, will be joined by iconic dub poet and activist LINTON KWESI JOHNSON and T S Eliot Prize-winner ROGER ROBINSON, for this unmissable event chaired by award-winning poet MALIKA BOOKER. Join us as this constellation of powerful poetic voices explore sound system culture's global impact on music and poetry. 🔥 SOUND SYSTEM: MUSIC & POETRY OF THE BLACK ATLANTIC – Wednesday 8 October – 6:30pm – Royal Armouries, Leeds Tickets: £15 HERE - https://ow.ly/Juua50X7cYs A ROOTED event staged in partnership with National Poetry Centre and Flup - A Festa Literária das Periferias, with the support of the British Council and our venue partner Royal Armouries Museum. Photo credit: Mônica Ramalho #ACEsupported #OutOfManyPeople

ROOTED SPOTLIGHT! LARA ROSE JUST ADDED TO OUR SOUND SYSTEM: MUSIC & POETRY OF THE BLACK ATLANTIC LINE UP! Who better to perform at our epic SOUND SYSTEM: MUSIC OF THE BLACK ATLANTIC event than poet, author, singer, and songwriter LARA ROSE whose work is beautifully rooted in Yoruba culture? SOUND SYSTEM sees powerful poetic voices taking us on a global journey of the roots and culture of sound system music and poetry across the African continent, Black Britain, the Caribbean and Brazil. Iconic dub poetry and Black British activism pioneer, LINTON KWESI JOHNSON of Brazilian poetry CONCEIÇÃO EVARISTO and internationally acclaimed T S Eliot Award-winner ROGER ROBINSON headline the event on Wednesday October 8 at Royal Armouries. Two-time Forward Prize-winning writer, poet and artist MALIKA BOOKER chairs this not-to-be-missed evening of poetic excellence. DID YOU KNOW: 🖤 Dr Lara Rose created the first life-size sculpture of a Black woman in Leeds, that of Dr Geraldine Connor ✍🏽 Her poetry is published in Weighted Words, & Sanctuary by @Peepal Tree Press 🫆 She explores identity, heritage & the fusion of cultural narratives Tickets: £15 https://ow.ly/YLG350X4SHY A ROOTED event staged in partnership with National Poetry Centre and Flup - A Festa Literária das Periferias, with the support of the British Council and our venue partner Royal Armouries Museum. #ACEsupported #NationalLottery #OutofManyPeople

Calling poets and budding spoken word artists! If you don't already know, this is acclaimed two-time Forward Prize-winning poet Dr Malika Booker (FRSL). She’s going to be leading our FREE #ROOTED event: ✨ PERFECTING POETRY PERFORMANCE WITH MALIKA BOOKER ✨ Join this free online workshop to hone your poetry delivery and performance skills. Learn pointers on: – Projecting your voice – Scripting your poem for stage – How to bring your words to life for audiences. Don't miss out on this chance to level up your poetry performances with one of the best in the game! 🎟️ Free by registration here: https://lnkd.in/ekkNV8VD Wed 15 Oct | 6:30–8:30PM Online Tip: Great prep for our MIC CHECK! Open mic event on October 29th at Leeds Central Library from 6pm. FREE by registration only: https://lnkd.in/edsjZBmq #OutOfManyPeople #ACEsupported #StayRooted