A special set of films, poetry, paintings and music will honour the people of Butetown and observe the centenary of the 1919 Race Riots
As part of a nationwide Museums at Night initiative, Museum of Cardiff are launching a People of Butetown event on 1 November, running from 6pm through till 9pm.
Alison Tallontire, the exhibition officer of the museum, says the evening opening gives people more of a chance to visit. “We always hope for a good turnout”, she added.
New works by Cardiff artists Ali Goolyad, Kyle Legall, Ziad Djerdi and Anthony Ward will be on display from 1 to 28 November. The works, including film, poetry and music, are to tell the stories of prejudice and racism experienced by the people of Butetown, but to also champion the community spirit of Butetown and diversity of Cardiff.
This display comes after Black History Month. Black History Month Wales (BHMW) has overseen an array of events across the country in October, from launch events to film screenings and performances.
2019 is an important year for the experience of ethnic minorities in Cardiff, being the centenary of the 1919 race riots, where three men were killed.
Artist Kyle Legall, from Butetown, told alt.cardiff the riots still resonate within the community, “As a young person, I was reminded that it was dangerous for me to travel into town by myself.” He says it’s important to commemorate the people of Butetown as it’s been a part of Welsh history for years, but has never been recognised as such. “I feel there is a huge gap between the rest of the city and ourselves”, he added.
The People of Butetown project is spearheaded by filmmaker and theatre-maker Gavin Porter. Gavin is “interested in the themes of voice and representation, especially the question of whose voice gets heard.” He says he is extremely excited to be working on the People of Butetown project with other artists from the area.
The event is free, and there is no need to book. More details can be found here.
