Black Culture Conversation 2024
In 2024, Rebel Led engaged extensively with the Southwark community to gather insights on Black culture and experiences. Our efforts included:
Face-to-Face Engagements: Interacting with over 900 individuals through in-person meetings.
Outreach Communications: Contacting more than 200 organisations and individuals via email.
Digital Presence: Attracting over 1,700 unique visits to our website.
Survey Participation: Receiving 229 survey responses over a seven-week period.
Fireside Chats and Conversations: Conducting 120 in-depth discussions over six weeks.
While our initial focus was on Premises and Infrastructure, Skills, Organisational Development and Networking, and Visibility and Celebration Campaigns, the depth of our community engagement revealed additional critical themes. The forthcoming Black Culture Conversation (BCC) 2024 report will explore these areas:
Storytelling and History: Capturing the lived experiences and rich histories of Black residents in Southwark.
Blackness, Community, and Identity: Exploring the multifaceted identities within the Black community and their collective sense of belonging.
Health and Wellbeing: Addressing health disparities and promoting mental and physical wellness within the community.
Children, Family, Aging, and Education: Focusing on intergenerational dynamics, educational opportunities, and family support systems.
Investment and Economic Factors: Assessing economic challenges and opportunities to bolster financial empowerment.
Prejudice and Discrimination: Identifying and combating systemic biases affecting the Black community.
This comprehensive report aims to inform future initiatives and support structures within the borough, ensuring a holistic approach to celebrating and uplifting Black culture in Southwark. Being a black led based Southwark based organisation, Rebel Led are both proud of this report and can’t wait to see the impacts once published.
You can stay up to date by getting in contact or by visiting the Black Culture Conversation website.
Story Telling and History: Southwark want to hear the lived experiences of residents to gain a richer understanding of the various different cultures, languages, faiths and talents that make up the black community across the borough. Let’s talk about what being black in Southwark means to you now and what your hopes are for the future. (Creator: Cate Gillon. Copyright: 2008 Getty Images)
Visibility and Celebration Campaigns: Southwark want to hear how specific public realm projects or themed celebration moments can improve visibility and showcasing opportunities to existing organisations, individuals and communities. Let’s talk about shared identity. How do we elevate black culture and joy. How do we honour our journey so far as a national minority group? (Image Creator: Adeyemi Michael, Entitled, 2018.)
Skills, Organisational Development and Networking: Southwark want to explore how partnership opportunities and collaborative skills development opportunities could benefit networks and the non-building-based cultural infrastructure of the borough’s Black cultural sector. Let’s talk about the ways we connect. What makes our communities strong and who are the people and groups that are holding things together. (Image Creator: Senior Social. Copyright: Senior Social)
Premises and Infrastructure: Southwark want to understand the needs of organisations and buildings that already give a physical home to Black culture in Southwark. Let’s talk about the spaces we have. Who do they serve and how we can this better serve and preserve the black community. (Image Creator: Jonathan Banks. Copyright: Jonathan Banks)