Reel Histories is a bold and compelling film programme for Black History Month 2026 that amplifies the cinematic legacies of Black communities across the globe.  For 2026, the programme explores the theme of Black Classics with a collection of landmark narrative, documentary and short films by pioneering Black film makers such as John Akomfrah, Maureen Blackwood, Isaac Julien and Horace Ové.  Each week centres around a specific topic featuring a short film, main feature and conversation.

Purchase a Reel Histories Pass for access to all the Reel Histories film screenings and a complimentary drink at each screening.  Individual film screenings are £10 | £8 concession.

Reclaiming the Narrative
7 October | 7.00pm
Playing Away
Director: Horace Ové
UK 1987, 1hr 40mins
Genre: Comedy
Certificate: 15

When a West Indian cricket team from Brixton are invited to play a charity game in a small English village, members of both teams have their reservations. A weekend in the country away from the inner city produces unexpected results both on and off the field of play. Playing Away subtly explores and undermines white and Black stereotypes and succeeds in linking two familiar but strange cultures through the simple device of a cricket match.

Black Women Speak
14 October | 7.00pm
The Passion of Remembrance
Directors: Maureen Blackwood and Isaac Julien
UK 1986, 82 minutes
Genre: Drama
Certificate: 15

Shifting between real and mystic landscapes, Blackwood and Julien create a visual mosaic to signify the complexity of the Black British experience and the often-overlooked intersections between race, class, gender and sexuality.

Migration and Myth
21 October | 7.00pm
Young Soul Rebels
Director: Isaac Julien
UK 1991, 105 minutes
Genre: Drama
Certificate: 15

Isaac Julien’s groundbreaking inner-city murder mystery explores London subcultures of the late 1970s. Pirate radio hosts Caz and Chris decide to investigate the death of their friend, who was killed while cruising in a local park. In doing so, they must navigate suspicion from the police and bigotry in their own community.  With characters and soundtracks oscillating between ‘70s soul pirate radio, dancehall culture, National Front skirmishes and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, Julien’s debut feature exploring contemporary British identity has lost none of its power or resonance.

Archive and Intellect
28 October | 7.00pm
The Stuart Hall Project: Revolution, politics, culture and the New Left experience
Director: John Akomfrah
UK 2013, 95 minutes
Genre: Documentary
Certificate: 12

This absorbing documentary from director John Akomfrah presents and intimate and engaging portrait of Stuart Hall, the Jamaican-born public intellectual and co-founder of the New Left Review, whose work in the field of cultural theory has profoundly influenced the academic landscape. Using extensive footage of Hall’s appearances on radio and television, the film explores its themes of memory, race and identity through the juxtaposition of events from Hall’s life and a discourse on the wider social and political events of the second half of the twentieth century, all set against a soundtrack by Hall’s favourite musician, Miles Davis.