The creativity and collaboration behind Bristol Black History Month magazine

The stories behind the cover stars of this year’s Bristol Black History Month magazine embody the power of legacy, leadership and community.

Amirah Cole, a Labour councillor for Ashley ward, and her son Amari (aka Wish Master) feature on the publication that has been months in the making and celebrates the achievements of Black people in the city, as well as reflecting on the challenges faced, aspirations and lived experiences.

“Black History Month Magazine is quite a pivotal thing because this is really made from the heart and made with a community narrative,” says Sibusiso Tshabalala, the director of Cognitive Paths.

It has been a busy few months for the team behind the publications, which for the first time has seen a number of organisations collaborating, with Black South West Network (BSWN) and Punch Records joining Gary Thompson from Cables & Cameras and Cognitive Paths.

In July, they finally secured a small grant from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) which meant the full project could go ahead. Months of collating, seeking stories, creating, editing and designing ensued to create a magazine that is launching at a big celebration event on Wednesday.

Sibusiso, Michelle, Kat, Munira, Sado, Adan and Mark of The Black South West Network team – photo by Ellie Pipe

“It’s like a centre point of demonstrating the achievements, communicating the challenges and reflecting on the aspirations of the community, and really acting as a voice to show these to different audiences,” explains Sibusiso, who is also BSWN’s business support coordinator.

“Through the process of putting that together, we hope that it’s got more of a lasting impact than just the month. We hope that some of the relationships, some of the discussions can linger in people’s thoughts and minds for longer than that.”

More than just a magazine, the city’s Black History Month project includes films, events, poems, artwork and exhibitions to celebrate Black cultures, communities, businesses, creativity and legacy.

“Our vision is to have this platform active all year round to highlight Black communities, their contributions, their work and to hear Black voices and their lived experiences,” says Kat Garoës-Hill, BSWN’s creative communications officer.

“BSWN decided to collaborate on the Black History Month Magazine as it ties in with their cultural inclusion work and shared vision of tackling racial inequality.

“It’s not about being performative in October, it’s about lived experience and creating empathy within other communities and an understanding about Black culture.

“Some of the articles are really emotive – that’s how I feel when I read it and I hope that translates to other readers.”

Gary Thompson (pictured) has worked alongside Sibusiso on the Black History Month magazine for the last few years – photo by Ellie Pipe

As well as the stories of Amirah and Amari Cole, Black History Month also features an article about Bristol Steppin Sistas, a walking group for women of colour. The magazine focuses on four main areas of heritage, knowledge, talent and education.

What does it mean for Black communities in Bristol to have a publication such as this? “Representation,” says Kat in an immediate one-word answer.

Sibusiso elaborates that in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests in Bristol and international events, it felt more important than ever to create something that truly reflected and showcased the voices of Black communities.

“We see a lot of organisations that have done the tick box exercise and people talking about how they want to support Black Lives Matter but as an organisation that’s actually delivering something on that, the contributions that we’ve seen have been zero. So we thought let’s just do something for the community and showcase our community,” he adds.

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Read more: ‘No justice, no peace’ – Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol 

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Interns Morayo Omogbenigun, Adan Hussien, advert designers Safia and Samira Belhaj and Marta Celio, project and design lead, were among the core team who put Black History Month together.

Adan has worked on the design and promotional side of things. “I found it quite motivational,” he said about the work. “It feels like you’re working for a good purpose and it’s more than just working for a paycheck.”

Amirah Cole and her son, Amari (aka Wish Master), on the cover of Black History Month magazine 2021 – photo by Gary Thompson of Cables & Cameras

Amirah and Amari (aka Wish Master) will also be speaking about their experience at the fundraising event to be held at Strange Brew from 7pm on Wednesday, which will see the official launch of the magazine.

There will be a Caribbean buffet provided by Café Conscious, music by DJ Style & MC J.n.R and an exhibition throughout the night from Black Bristol photographers Rick Thompson and Donavan Jackson. Each ticket includes a copy of the magazine, food, and a donation.

Black History Month magazine has also collaborated with Woodbox Productions to offer musicians of colour an opportunity to enter a competition to win a free live video recording session in a studio.

Find out more and buy tickets via www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/#date=2021-10-20&event_id=67133.

Main photo by Gary Thompson of Cables & Cameras 

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