Rock Against Racism Victoria Park 40th Anniversary
October 28, 2018 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
To celebrate Black History Month 2018 and with recent political events significantly shaping modern society, this inspiring event will give you an opportunity to listen to renowned authors Travis Elborough and Daniel Rachel as they share the stories of courage and conviction of thousands of Londoners who took part in the 1978 Rock Against Racism rally, which culminated in ground-breaking gig in Victoria Park, east London.
** Event Update**Mykaell Riley, member of Steel Pulse who were one of the headlining bands at the 1978 rally has confirmed his appearance at the event!.
There will also be an opportunity to share hopes (and concerns) about the social and cultural landscape now and in the future and to explore why the arts are more important than ever.
Daniel Rachel is the author of Isle of Noises and the award-winning Walls Come Tumbling Down: the music and politics of Rock Against Racism, 2 Tone and Red Wedge, a book described by Billy Bragg as ‘…an amazing oral history of a time when pop culture fought against the forces of darkness.’
Travis Elborough was the Chisenhale Gallery Victoria Park Residency artist in 2014-15, his books include The Long-Player Goodbye and A Walk in the Park and he is the editor of Letters to Change the World, a recently published collection of protest letters.
Mykael Riley began his career as a performer with pioneering Reggae outfit Steel Pulse before moving on to found the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been a professional writer/producer/arranger for the last fifteen years, producing music for TV and film and over thirty albums and has worked for artists such as Soul II Soul, Courtney Pine, Baba Maal, and a host of others. A Senior Lecturer in Music Production at the University of Westminster, Mykaell is also Senior Trustee for the Black Music Education Trust, a new initiative borne out of the need to document the history of black music.