Reposted from BBC
The BBC has announced Black And British, a season of programming celebrating the achievements of black people in the UK and exploring the rich culture and history of black Britain.
Running throughout November 2016 and led by programming on BBC Two and Four, with other content across BBC television, radio and online, the Black And British season will feature bold, vibrant and provocative stories, overturning preconceptions and challenging orthodoxies. The season will also cast a fresh light on Black history, examining the contribution and impact of Black people in the UK, as well as interrogating just what it means to be Black and British today.
A major digital campaign, Black British Hero will run across the BBC’s social media accounts this autumn, with celebrities, high-profile talent and major institutions nominating their black heroes via short films and images and encouraging the audience to do the same. There will be other digital content including a guide to researching black history.
The Black And British season has been produced in collaboration with a range of partners: the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic England, The National Archives, Black Cultural Archives and the BFI. All are participating in the BBC’s Black British Hero social media campaign as well as running their own complementary campaigns. The partners are also organising public events, activities and programmes inspired or supported by the season and its content which hope to encourage people across the country to get involved in their own research and leave a lasting legacy.
David Olusoga, presenter and historian, says: “I’m very proud to be a part of this landmark BBC season and hope my series, 'Black And British: A Forgotten History', will provide audiences with a very different, challenging and enlightening view of black British history, a history that I feel is very much part of all of us.”
Patrick Holland, BBC Two Channel Editor, says: “This is a hugely important season of programmes that not only celebrates the enormous contribution that black people have made to the shaping of modern Britain, but also raises challenging questions about how we tell our shared history and what meritocracy means today. As the place to come for strong opinions and authorship, I’m delighted that BBC Two is at the heart of the season with a wide range of stimulating and ambitious programming featuring a brilliant array of talent; from David Olusoga telling a forgotten history of Britain from the perspective of black inhabitants and David Harewood exploring the challenges a black child would face in reaching our country’s top job, to hearing from some of the most influential and best-loved people in the UK telling us what it is like to be black and British today. The season is a challenging, questioning and vibrant celebration of our shared history.”
Tom McDonald, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual, says: “The BBC's Black And British season goes way beyond our rich, varied and provocative television titles on BBC Two and BBC Four. On television, I'm delighted that BBC Three is launching a brand new comedy as part of the season; our radio offer goes across our stations, taking in lively debates and music and our digital content includes short form, interactive content and ways to explore black British history and culture in huge depth.
Our partnerships take the season out into Britain, with screenings, events and activities. Along with the Black History Plaques, these partnerships will provide a lasting legacy and the means for everyone in the UK to get involved. The season would have been impossible without the talent, commitment and passion of all the filmmakers, presenters, partners and producers who have spent the past 18 months putting it together."
To find out more about the content forming the series, watch the trailer above or click here.
