Over the last few months films such as Encanto (2021) and the remake of West Side Story (2021) have showcased Latinx talent and stories, achieving significant attention and success. The…
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Pawlet Brookes, the Founder, CEO and Artistic Director of Serendipity – Institute for Black Arts and Heritage, has been awarded an MBE for services to the arts and cultural diversity…
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The last few months have seen life as we know it turned upside down, with the impact of COVID-19 and the renewed urgency of the Black Lives Matter movement. We…
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The last few weeks have presented challenges for everyone. With social distancing and travel restrictions keeping people physically apart (for the best in light of the COVID-19 pandemic) I have…
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In November, I was fortunate to be invited as a delegate at the second edition of the biennial festival of performance art in Martinique, FIAP19. Curated by Annabel Guérédrat and…
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In October, I was fortunate enough to receive a grant from the Heritage Alliance and British Council to attend the Rex Nettleford Conference in Jamaica. Having worked with Rex many…
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Last month I had the opportunity to attend the Afroeuropean conference in Lisbon; Black In/Visibilities Contested. The conference is a platform for transdisciplinary research on racism, Black cultures and identities…
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In June, I was privileged to attend Heritage Dot conference at the University of Lincoln. The premise of the conference was to explore digital horizons in relation to cultural heritage, and I was invited to speak about Archiving the Past, Reflecting the Future, an initiative by Serendipity supported by the Heritage Fund to document and share the cultural contribution of the African and African Caribbean community to the East Midlands.
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(The Jamaican motto Out of Many, One People is the inspiration for this month’s blog title. The Jamaica moto encompasses the diverse heritage of the Caribbean and nods to the Latin…
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Marking the Start of National Homeless awareness week, Serendipity looks back on the Japanese dance troupe, who rose from the streets. Quite literally. Just two years after the legalisation of…
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This year the theme for Black History Month is Seen and Not Heard: Black Women, tying in with 2018 being the year of the women. This theme gives Serendipity the chance to…
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It’s been over a week since the final event of Let’s Dance International Frontiers 2018 and I think we can safely say it was one of the most successful so…
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On Saturday, we were very kindly invited by Adesola Akinleye and Helen Kindred to attend the Narrating the Somatic: Gathering Voices, sharing dance practices symposium at Middlesex University. The symposium…
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In the countdown to Christmas, Serendipity are thrilled to have been nominated to be a part of Starbucks’ Cheer for Good! Which provides us with an opportunity to raise up…
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If you haven’t heard of Cameron McKinney by now, you should have. One of the perks of working with emerging artists is the opportunity to see them grow both personally…
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Developing Your Choreographic Voice 2 finished earlier this week, bringing to a close four days of intensive exercises and techniques. Providing artists with the tools to find their own voice…
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Last week saw the return of Ragamuffin as part of the thirtieth anniversary celebrations of BHM Leicester. Ragamuffin came with the style, swagger and political historical perspective, which is still…
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Lost Legends is calling out to local artists to get involved and showcase their work. A new online directory that highlights local talent and artists from the African and African…
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Serendipity are proud to present and launch the new section of the website focused on Leicester’s Lost Legends, the African and African Caribbean community. 2017 celebrates the 30th anniversary of…
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International Dance Day is celebrated yearly on the 29 April. The intention of the International Dance Day Message is to celebrate dance, revel in the universality of this art form,…
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Ahead of Let’s Dance International Frontiers 2017 I have had the privileged of interviewing Phoebe Driscoll Director of Pharaohs of Memphis. This is Phoebe’s international premier in the UK! What…
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We have some exciting news for you all! Joan Myers Brown founder of Philadanco who we had the pleasure of meeting at Re:Generations conference is coming back to the UK…
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Saturday 1 October was the first Call Out event for the Lost Legends project. The aim of the day was for people involved in the project to meet members of…
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Our volunteer Sophie Machin tells us about her recent trip to the Big Apple. Where to start speaking about my time in New York with De Montfort Dance Society? Well,…
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Leicester has been in the news recently, following the discovery of King Richard III in 2015, and Leicester City Football Club winning the Premier League in May 2016. As a…
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Ahead of her performance on Friday, Leah Caldeira and Jessica Walker interviewed Catherine Dénécy about the inspiration and processes behind her new work. How do you feel about returning to…
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In two weeks’ time, Serendipity will launch the sixth edition of Let’s Dance International Frontiers (LDIF) in an exciting event taking place in the Victorian Gallery at New Walk Museum.…
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For those who don’t know, British Dance Edition, or BDE as it’s affectionately known, is a prestigious biannual festival of British Dance. Pawlet, Ellie and Amy were lucky enough to…
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On Thursday 5 May, A Ballerina’s Tale: Misty Copeland will have it’s UK premiere at Phoenix Cinema, Leicester. It is a documentary featuring the career of African-American ballerina Misty Copeland and her…
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Yesterday evening at Leicester’s Attenborough Arts Centre, dance improvisation collective Quick Shifts performed for the first time this academic year and I was thrilled to see other Serendipity volunteers supporting…
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