A tribute show to launch the “Black Heroes Foundation” and celebrate the acclaimed show “Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame”
The Tribute Show
In honour of the late Peter Fraser AKA Flip, the creator of Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame. Following his dream and continuing his legacy.
A one night only Tribute Show scheduled to take place in October 2016. A Black History Month Finale.
The Tribute show launches the “Black Heroes Foundation”, and celebrates the show “Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame”.
It features a selection of acts from the musical extravaganza “Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame”. The latter show being a moving tribute to 5,000 years of Black History with drama, dance and celebrities performing their favourite Heroes’ songs. A perfect vehicle to remind the world just how much there is still to accomplish in today’s multicultural society. A cast of actors, singers, dancers and musicians provide a magical explosion of culture and excitement that will motivate, inspire, educate and entertain the whole family.
This Tribute show is of various vignettes, celebrating what has been, shining a light on what needs to be.
Allison Edwards
Claire Jackson
For me Black Heroes evokes edutainment, its educational and entertaining at the same time. It highlights our past and gives us a sense of pride at the achievements of the great men and women who contributed to our history. Black Heroes is a journey of discovery.
Ellen Thomas
From my youth I was keen to know black history so I did my research.
Black Heroes should be brought back as BLACK HISTORY is still not taught in UK schools. Young people black and white need to know the significant contribution Black Hero’s and Sheroes have made to the world as we know it.
Clem Rose
Paterson Joseph
Over twenty-five years ago, I was a first-year drama student at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). My sister, Glenda Joseph, was the make-up designer for Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame at the Hackney Empire. I had never been backstage in a professional production before and this one was massive. Costumes, sets, actors and dancers were stunningly good and incredibly daunting to a fledgling student of the theatre.
Several things come back to me. The professionalism and sense of fun among the cast and crew was an eye-opener. You can have fun and be brilliant, I realised, for the first time. The show itself was inspiring for all the reasons you would expect. Black historical pioneers; a parade of Kings and Queens of African history; forgotten Black inventors; innovative, Black scientists. And the crowning glory, Nelson Mandela being ‘released’ from his stage prison. The feeling of euphoric hope that swept the audience up in its power at that climactic moment remains with me to this day.
The legacy of my first major introduction to Black History, so vividly depicted in Black Heroes, has been my constant desire to give my characters truth with dignity. To make sure that I never denigrate my culture and people for the sake of cheap laughs or to appease a white audience. All these ideas have come out of the dignity and excellence of Black Heroes.
The most important, personal legacy of Flip Fraser’s landmark show was my writing of Sancho – An Act of Remembrance. Writing my monologue about Charles Ignatius Sancho, the first African man to vote in an English Parliamentary election, was a true labour of love. It was surely inspired by Black Heroes. The desire to tell Black British stories from history came out of my immersion both backstage and in the auditorium at the Hackney Empire all those years ago.
I’m so excited by the prospect of seeing the 21st Century incarnation of Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame. I am sure that the next generation of black historians, teachers, performers and writers will be as inspired as I was a quarter of a century ago.
Paterson Joseph, Hackney , July 2016
Hazel
BLACK HEROES IN THE HALL OF FAME was created by the late Flip Fraser in collaboration with JD Douglas and Khareem Jamal, and is a moving tribute to 5000 years of Black History and to more than 75 Black men and women whose contributions are recognized in the creation of freedom, equality and world peace, and whose achievements have made history and created excellence in the world of science, sports and entertainment.
The show was launched in London at the Shaw Theatre in July 1987 with the assistance of a modest grant from Camden Council to celebrate the centenary of Marcus Garvey. After its sell out launch, and driven by the massive demand of the Black community to see it, the show re-opened the doors of the Hackney Empire Theatre (which at the time was operating as a Bingo Hall) – before becoming the first all Black musical to perform in the West End at the Astoria Theatre in 1989.
Since then it has notched up almost 2000 performances in the UK, Jamaica and the USA and has broken box office records and received rave reviews and numerous prestigious awards in Chicago, Washington DC, Cleveland, Miami and Detroit during its USA Black History Month tours in 1992 and 1994.
This charitable organisation will provide creative arts experiences, skills development and entertainment themed around the celebration of Black Heroes. Creative workshops will develop skills within the creative industries such as research, costume and set design, stage management and performance.
The Black Heroes Foundation will foster relationships with universities, theatre groups, schools and supporting corporate entities to provide potential development opportunities for promising individuals.
Performances will include an annual Gala show bringing together the best performances from the workshops giving participants the opportunity to work together on a public performance. The event will also provide entertainment and cultural education for the local community.