After two decades of influencing generations of musical artists to aspire to greatness, MOBO has launched 'MOBO Season' – a season of ground-breaking cultural and educational events. In the lead up to the 2015 MOBO Awards and under the banner of ‘Rise With Us’, the MOBO Season aims to celebrate black culture as well as established and future talent from across the creative arts.
MOBO ‘Rise With Us’ Season is jam-packed with an incredible range of events all hand-picked by MOBO from across the creative industries of film, theatre, fashion and art. From a ‘Late at Tate’ event, to the homegrown critically acclaimed cast of ‘The Etienne Sisters’ at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, and the exploration of the golden era of sound systems at the exhibition ‘Rockers, Soulheads & Lovers: Sound Systems Back in Da Day’, at the new Art Exchange in Nottingham, MOBO has curated a programme of the highest quality.
A cornerstone of the MOBO ‘Rise With Us’ Season is a series of curated films within the London Film Festival, including a renovated version of the celebrated Senegalese cinema of ‘Black Girl’ (1966), Hany Abu-Assad’s Palestinian drama film ‘The Idol’ will also be featured as part of ‘MOBO Film’ along with this year’s topical story of desperate refugees ‘Mediterranea’. Also celebrated will be timely Brit documentary ‘The Hard Stop’, which explores the life and death of Mark Duggan and the riots that followed, as well as ‘Fresh Dressed’, a fascinating chronicle of hip-hop and urban fashion, featuring the likes of Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. The selection of these diverse films showcases the fresh talent and established names that MOBO ‘Rise With Us’ will celebrate within the entertainment and artistic genre.
In addition to the abundance of artistic offerings, the MOBO ‘Rise With Us’ Season delivers, there are a number of educational events, including the PRS For Music Panel session for budding music entrepreneurs, The Labels Fashion show highlighting the next generation of designers and ‘Rise With Us’ talks held at the British Library featuring successful entrepreneurs sharing their inspirational stories.
The Season of events will also be underpinned by the MOBO fellowship initiative which will create opportunities for future generations of talent across the creative industries. The MOBO ‘Rise With Us’ Fellowship initiative partners include ITV, Saatchi & Saatchi, Warehouse, the London Theatre, Lida, OMD UK, PRS for Music, The Tate, and AMV BBDO. Each partner has shared MOBO’s vision to support and inspire by creating opportunities within the creative industry or bespoke educational programmes to help develop the next generation.
Kanya King MBE, CEO & founder of the MOBO Organisation said; "We are delighted to be launching this exciting season of initiatives and proud to have the support of so many great organisations such as the CIF, ITV, BFI, Warehouse, The National Theatre, CCSkills, the London College of Fashion and the British Library among many others. The Creative Industries Federation report highlighted how much can be done to address the lack of diversity across the industry and the exciting season and the amazing opportunities created by the fellowships are evidence that the industry is ready to join hands and make positive contributions".
See below for the full calendar, click here for more info and follow @MoboAwards on Twitter to win tickets to exclusive events.
• 28th September: The Creative Diversity Launch Report
In partnership with the Creative Industries Federation, this event celebrates the launch of
the “Rise With Us” campaign by announcing findings around diversity in the creative
industries in a diversity report.
• 30th September: MOBO Awards Nominations Launch
The annual event that announces the nominees for the MOBO Awards. This year we are also introducing a new award in conjunction with ITV2 as part of our MOBO ‘Rise With Us’ Season.
• 1st – 3rd October: Hannah and Hanna play performance at Greenwich Theatre London
A play written in 2001, this story is about the refugee crisis in Kosovo, which is still painfully relevant today. The casting is one of the significant changes to the way the play is usually presented, with the UK Hannah played by a young black actress, enabling us to explore changing ideas of British identity through ethnicity.
• 2nd October: Late at Tate at Tate Britain
Late at Tate kicks off the new Autumn series with exploring the idea of status and power by providing a vibrant mix of music performances, workshops, talks, special guests and DJs. The event will include a performance by The Age of L.U.N.A., a digital commission from innovative interactive media artists Jae Huh and a workshop from East London creative Kojey Radical’s project Push Crayons.
• Until 3rd October: The Etienne Sisters at Stratford East
Featuring MOBO Award winner, Allyson Ava-Brown who won Best UnSung Act in 1998, The Etienne Sisters is a brand new British production set to a contemporary jazz soundtrack that explores what it means to be part of a family today.
• 7th – 18th October: Film Curation at the London Film Festival
MOBO and London Film Festival identified 9 films that reflect the MOBO Season values and represent a breadth of styles, textures and diversity of cultures.
– 7th October: Black Girl screening with Borom Sarret
– 8th October: Cronies
– 10th October: Ayanda
– 12th October: The Idol
– 13th October: They Will Have To Kill Us First: Malian Music in Exile
– 16th October: Necktie Youth
– 16th October: Mediterranea
– 17th October: Fresh Dressed
– 17th October: The Hard Stop
• 8th October onwards: A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes at The Tricycle Theatre
Award-winning playwright Marcus Gardley returns to the Tricycle Theatre following 2014’s critically-acclaimed The House That Will Not Stand. This fresh take on Molière’s Tartuffe, set in a world of fast-food tycoons and megachurches is a wicked new comedy that rocks the foundations of trust, faith and redemption.
• 10th October: The Labels Fashion Show at The Royal Over-Sea League
An annual independent platform for designers to showcase their work to potential clients and professionals within the fashion & entertainment industry. Its aim is to inspire budding designers by helping them build a brand and a network within the industry, paving a way for their talent and skills to be seen by other creative individuals.
• 10th October: New Art Exchange Exhibition in Nottingham (Rockers, Soulheads & Lovers Sound)
The launch of a new exhibition at New Art Exchange called Rockers, Soulheads & Lovers: Sound Systems Back in Da Day which explores the golden era of sound system culture from the late 1960s to the early 1980s.
• 10th October: 10th Annual Huntley Conference at Guildhall Art Gallery (No Colour Bar Exhibit)
FHALMA (Friends of the Huntley Archives at the London Metropolitan Archives) are proud to present 'Mountain High_Archive Deep', the 10th Anniversary edition of the Annual Huntley conference. Artists, poets, musicians and storytellers unite to deliver a live celebration of black British identity and the importance of Black British art.
• 10th October: Africa On The Square in Trafalgar Square
Launched in 2014, this new festival celebrates the best of African culture from noon-6pm with a talent show, fashion show and food market along with live music, DJs, dancing and lots of activities for kids.
• 12th October: London Film Festival Sonic Gala at ODEON Leicester Square
As part of the London Film Festival and in partnership with MOBO, this red carpet event will be the UK premiere of The Idol which tells the incredible true story of Mohamad Assaf, winner of ‘Arab Idol’. Both Mohammed and the two-time Oscar nominated director Hanny Abu Assad are expected to attend.
• 13th October: Miguel Concert at O2 Academy in Brixton
Following his recent sold out London show, Grammy Award winning recording artist Miguel has announced a UK headline tour for October 2015.
• 14th October: The Women of Kampala at Greenwich Theatre
A one-night concert called The Women Of Kampala, presenting an evening of East African music by 5 Ugandan singers backed by a 7 piece band.
• 14th – 17th October: Frieze London
An annual art fair featuring over 160 of the world’s most exciting galleries. View and buy art from over 1,000 of today’s leading artists, and experience the fair’s critically acclaimed Frieze Projects and Frieze Talks programmes.
• 14th – 18th October: Frieze Masters
An annual art fair that brings together several thousand years of art in a unique, contemporary context.
• 15th – 18th October: Stylist Live
A four-day festival of cocktails, culture, catwalks and conversation hosted by Edith Bowman and Dawn O’Porter.
• 15th October: Miguel Concert at O2 Academy in Birmingham
Following his recent sold out London show, Grammy Award winning recording artist Miguel has announced a UK headline tour for October 2015.
• Until 17th October: Our Country’s Good at The National Theatre
A profoundly humane piece of theatre, steeped in suffering yet charged with hope, Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good (based on a true story) celebrates the redemptive power of art.
• 17th October: A$AP Rocky & Wiz Khalifa Concert at the O2 Arena
A$AP Rocky & Wiz Khalifa bring their talent to the O2 Arena for a night of great music.
• 18th October: Miguel Concert at O2 Academy in Manchester
Following his recent sold out London show, Grammy Award winning recording artist Miguel has announced a UK headline tour for October 2015.
• 20th October: The Black British Business Awards
An awards programme that recognises, rewards and celebrates exceptional performance and outstanding achievements of black people in businesses operating in Great Britain.
• 23rd October: Otello Opera Show at St. James’s Theatre
Produced by Nadine Benjamin via her company Everybody Can Opera!, this performance of Otello mix opera and jazz to encourage other cultures to join for the evening to celebrate opera and understand it is not just for the upper classes. At the moment, it will involve Nadine, Ronald Samm and Denver Smith.
• 26th Oct. – 1st Nov: ‘Past, Present, Future: An Ode to Black British Artistry’ Exhibit
S|SPACE° will host an exhibition showcasing a range of young Black British artists. The exhibition is titled ‘Past, Present, Future: An Ode to Black British Artistry’ and will attract various creative industry professionals, as well as educational institutions and general art enthusiasts.
• 27th October: “Rise with Us” Inspiring Entrepreneurs the British Library
Four inspiring entrepreneurs will discuss their ground-breaking stories of achievement during a panel discussion as part of the British Library’s “Inspiring Entrepreneurs” event series to celebrate the contributions of British entrepreneurs and creative talent in the UK today. The event will also be complimented by a drinks reception and private view of the upcoming West Africa: Word, Symbol, Song exhibition.
• 28th October: Warehouse Fashion Showcase at Flagship Store
For the first time ever, Warehouse is handing over the Oxford Street mezzanine space to 3 MOBO fashion designers to showcase their clothing and will host an evening networking event where they invite their network of fashion insiders.
• 29th October: Safe Gorton Concert in Manchester
After winning a competition with Island records, members from the Safe Gorton music scheme perform covers of Jessie J’s songs to a crowd of over 250 people.
• 2nd November: PRS Panel Sessions in Leeds
As part of a nationwide road show, PRS for Music is hosting an industry panel event featuring a Q&A with key industry speakers followed by networking event as part of the reception..
• 4th November – The 2015 MOBO Awards ceremony in Leeds
