Art and soul
SIR LENNY HENRY AND A HOST OF FAMOUS FACES CANDIDLY REFLECT ON BRITISH-CARIBBEAN LIFE…
An enlightening documentary explores how Britain has absorbed Caribbean culture, as Sir Lenny Henry and special guests – including Dame Floella Benjamin, Andi Oliver, David Harewood, Judi Love and Trevor Nelson – share their personal stories.
“I have so many brilliant memories of growing up in a very Caribbean household,” shares Sir Lenny, born in the UK after his parents emigrated from Jamaica during the 50s. “But there was a specific moment I remember very clearly: Mum lined up all the siblings and said, you have to integrate. You must go among the people in Dudley [where Sir Lenny grew up] and talk like them, talk to them, mingle with them, eat their food, try not to box them down. Integrate – otherwise you won’t fit in.”
The first episode of this fascinating two-parter focuses on how those arriving in the UK from the Caribbean in the post-war period sparked a creative explosion within the world of music, theatre, and art – and reflects on the way in which activism, enterprise and resilience eventually paved the way for a new generation.
“In the Caribbean people come from slavery – and when the time came to be set free from that, they came to Britain thinking, this is my big chance, I’m not going to throw away my shot,” reflects Sir Lenny. “My mum survived it all because she’s strong and tough and she wasn’t going to run back to Jamaica. She was going to make something of herself for the family.
“But as I’ve got older, I’ve tried to think: what does integration actually mean? Does it mean that we as a Caribbean people have to sacrifice our culture? How much of my culture has Britain absorbed? That’s what I’m here to find out…”
HOW MUCH OF MY CULTURE HAS BRITAIN ABSORBED?”
Showing us how to make the most of yet more unloved outdoor spaces as the series continues, the team’s task tonight is to get Lancashire school pupils into gardening by creating an interactive space that will be used for generations to come.