JAM (Jashn, Aashor, Mehfil) - A Celebration of Brown Solidarity
Bought to you by The House of Spice Collective this event is aimed at centring the rich history of brown solidarity. Located in the museum's South Asia Gallery, JAM will explore how brown* communities have connected with each other for centuries and break the myth that Western colonialism brought our populations together for the first time.
By celebrating our diverse pasts, we will look to a future of interconnected hope. The evening will feature historical talks, performances, personal reflections, activities, open time for mingling and connecting, and the opportunity to explore the South Asia Gallery in a community-oriented setting. We encourage attendees to speak with each other, find items in the Gallery that connect with their experiences, and think consciously about how to build solidarity and community today. We would love it if this could be the start of meaningful and exciting connections for everyone involved. Please note that, while the event is situated in the South Asia Gallery and is about brown solidarity, we look forward to welcoming attendees from all backgrounds.
The House of Spice are a Manchester based global brown performance house. The House was formed in late 2021 to platform queer brown talent in all its rich diversity. With members from various diasporic backgrounds, the collective always aims to show brown queerness in its full, complex glory. They are regular performers in Manchester as well as having done events in London, Birmingham and Chester.
*When we say "brown", we recognise both the historical connection with regions including South Asia, the Middle East, indigenous America, Polynesia, Latin America, and the need to avoid a rigidity of definition. For some people, brownness may be tied in with very specific aspects of their identity, such as nationality or ethnicity. For others, it may be more fluid. This event will situate some of that context in history and, hopefully, create a space for nuanced understandings of the term in all its complexity.
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Photo credit: Josh Cadogan
