An extract of Jeanefer Jean-Charles's Black Victorians will air on BBC Four and BBC Two Wales at 8pm this Sunday (3rd November) as part of Dance Passion Swansea.

Inspired by 19th century photographs of pre-Windrush Britain, Black Victorians calls attention to previously hidden figures and has inspired tens of thousands of audiences since it was commissioned by Festival.org and premiered at Greenwich+Docklands Festival (GDIF) in 2019.

Black Victorians is produced and co-commissioned by FESTIVAL.ORG, Brighton Festival, Hatfair and Without Walls and is currently touring across the UK.

For more information and bookings, please visit the Black Victorians page.

Black Victorians is back for its 4th year of touring thanks to the support of producer FESTIVAL.ORG.

Inspired by nineteenth-century studio photographs of black men, women and children, Black Victorians explores a complex and often forgotten Black presence in pre-Windrush Britain.

★★★★ THE STAGE

2024 TOUR DATES

SUN 2 JUN, 1.30PM - Taliesin Dance Days Festival (Swansea)
SAT 13 JUL, 2.15PM - National Theatre River Stage part of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (London)
FRI 26 JUL - Latitude Festival (Suffolk) - Time to be confirmed

To find out more, visit the Black Victorians show page.

Two performances of Black Victorians will be take place at the British Museum on 4 November 2023, one at 1:30pm to 2:05pm and another at 3:30pm to 4:05pm.

Black Victorians by Creative Director and Producer Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE is inspired by nineteenth century studio photographs of black men, women and children.

Exploring a complex, but often forgotten black presence in pre-Windrush Britain, this performance calls attention to previously hidden figures and challenges historical and contemporary perceptions.

Picture dancers dressed in restrictive Victorian costumes, shedding them in rebellion as they dance in African, contemporary and hip-hop styles re-imagining a moment in history.

This is an opportunity to experience history as told through choreography.

Creative Director and Producer Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE is a globally respected creative artist. Since starting her journey as Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Bullies Ballerinas Jazz Dance Company, her work has taken her to over 21 countries and has gone down in the Guinness Book of Records. Her unique creative process aims to bring to life the talents, strengths and shared stories of local communities and artists in inspiring and unforgettable ways.

Two performances of Black Victorians will be take place at the British Museum on 4 November 2023, one at 1:30pm to 2:05pm and another at 3:30pm to 4:05pm.

Black Victorians is back for its 3rd year of touring this summer thanks to the support of FESTIVAL.ORG. And this year, as well as some UK dates, we have some International dates in Aveiro (Portugal) and Antwerp (Belgium).

We are thrilled to be extending the cast of Black Victorians in Summer 2023 with new dancers Rudzani Moleya and Stefano Addea who will join the original cast on some of the Tour Dates.

2023 TOUR DATES

FRI 14 JUL - SUN 16 JUL - Festival Dos Canais (Portugal) 
THURS 27 JUL - SUN 30 JUL – Gratis Festival (Antwerp)
SAT 12 AUG – Kensington + Chelsea Festival (Kensington, London)
FRI 29 SEPT – SUN 1 OCT – Bournemouth Arts By The Sea Festival Bournemouth, Dorset) - More info to come, please check the website.

Watch This Space For More Dates Coming Soon.

  • FESTIVAL.ORG is one of the UK’s leading outdoor arts producing organisations. Collaborating with artists and arts organisations around the world to create extraordinary productions, they commission, re-imagine, produce and showcase a growing repertory of work that brings public spaces to life and is engaging and inspiring large, diverse audiences.
  • Beyond the flagship Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, FESTIVAL.ORG’s year-round programme encompasses Global Streets, a national touring programme that through a distinctive free programme of international outdoor arts is transforming communities in 10 English towns and cities in some of the least-arts engaged areas the country. FESTIVAL.ORG is also a founding member of the Without Walls and Stomping Ground commissioning consortia.

Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE is bringing her show Black Victorians to Derby Festé on Saturday, 24 September as part of a national tour.

The dance performances at 12.45pm and 3.30pm will form part of day 2 of Derby Festé, which will feature music, dance, performance and large-scale installation.

Exploring a complex, but often forgotten black presence in pre-Windrush Britain, this performance calls attention to previously hidden figures and challenges historical and contemporary perceptions.

Black Victorians is inspired by nineteenth century studio photographs of black men, women and children.

“Inspired by formal portrait photography of black Victorian Britons, Jeanefer Jean-Charles’s sensual dance work restores life and humanity to its forgotten subjects.”

The Guardian,

Sanjoy Roy

Derby Festé: The Line Up

To download a PDF copy of the programme please CLICK HERE

Click here to view this years line up.

#Festé22

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