Please note that this event has already occured.
Key information
Date: Saturday 07 September 2024
Time: 12:00pm to 6:00pm
Venue: Trafalgar Square, Westminster, London, WC2N 5DN, GB
Cost: Free
Event summary
A wonderful event was had, celebrating Black culture and creativity, at this free event, brought to you by the Mayor of London.
This year’s celebrated and recognised the importance of collectivism within the community, inspiring a sense of togetherness.
A range of Black-owned businesses offered delicious food ranging from the Caribbean, Mauritius, Guyana, Jamaica, Nigeria, Ghana, including plantain bites, fusion fish and chips, ice-creams and West African vegan delights. Stalls also offered a selection of artisan goods ranging from accessories, coats, bags, home décor, candles, art prints, jewellery, headwear and inclusive books for all ages.
Feedback Survey
Thank you for taking part in this short survey for the Black On The Square event you attended. The results will help us understand your experience of the event in more detail.
The research is being carried out by Walnut Unlimited, an independent research company. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes to complete and is open until Monday 16 September 2024.
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As a thank you for your time, everyone had the chance to be entered into a prize draw, with a chance to receive a shopping voucher for Black in Carnaby. The first place winner receives £250, the second place winner £150, and the third place winner £100. The prize will be awarded as a digital Black in Carnaby voucher from My Runway Group.
Note:- Prize draw ended at 23.50hrs on Monday 09 September 2024, winners drawn on Tuesday 10 September 2024 and notified by Thursday 12 September 2024.
Main stage acts, stalls and workshops
Programme
Hosted by Goldie Quaker there was a plethora of music acts throughout the day. Acts included (in alphabetical order);
- Baristars Speciality Coffee
- Caribbean Cuisine
- Every Fish Bar
- Gloria Fast Food
- Jamaica Cold Pressed Juices
- Kaieteur Guyanese Cuisine
- Market House Brixton bar
- Peppy HQ
- Rhythm Kitchen
- The Suya Factory
- TOKS Nigerian Catering
- Yard 2 Yard
- Yum Puff Treats
Culture Tree
Fée Uhssi
Foundervine
Giant Polaroid camera
Grow London Local
My Runway Group
NYGlorious Face Arts
- African Chica
- Alt Africa
- Black Culture Market
- BookLove Carnival
- Cece Finery
- Doria Adouke
- Galè Scents
- Gitas Portal London
- Jamaica National Bank
- Libon
- Sackville Travel
- The Voice
A chance to also register with the Sickle Cell Society and The Black Society on the day.
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Proud partners
Programme development
Creative programmer
Creative Programmer Kobi Prempeh, will be shaping the programme and content for the main stage, screen and other performance and cultural content across the event site, with the support of the Community Advisory Group.
The programme is set to be bold, ambitious, inclusive and exciting!
fynn studio is a London based arts curation and creative direction collective that specialises in producing creative projects focused on celebrating and recognising community. Known for curating a series of rave culture exhibitions fynn studio’s founder, Kobi Prempeh, became the first black curator at Saatchi Gallery in 2019 and has worked with a host of DJs that includes SHERELLE, Fabio And Grooverider, Carl Cox, Pawsa and Seth Troxler.
Community Advisory Group
The GLA Events, Communities & Social Policy and Culture & Creative Industries teams invite a small cohort of advisors to work with them, to help shape and develop this flagship event. The aim of the community advisory group is to contribute knowledge, experience, and support the development of the vision for, and practical delivery of Black On The Square, supporting Black creativity in London.
Josette is the Principal and CEO of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Josette was also the Founder and Director of PUSH, a Black-led Theatre festival with the Young Vic Theatre and served on the board of the Swedish Film Institute, the University of London and Hackney Empire.
Kojo is the founder of My Runway Group, a Community Empowerment Organisation that provides career guidance and creative opportunities for emerging creatives.
Kojo has working with the British Council, British Film Institute and the English National Opera.
Adrian is Inclusion Producer for the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith and is responsible for producing and programming the ‘For the Culture: Celebrations of Blackness Festival’.
Adrian is also Director of the Young Producers Programme at Theatre Peckham giving young Black people, aged 17-25 the skills to produce multidisciplinary events.
Amani is an award-winning filmmaker, entrepreneur and youth coach, who runs the social enterprise ‘AVIARD Inspires’ and is also the Youth Representative for the Global Jamaican Diaspora Council.
Ayan is the Founder and Managing Director of Kayd Somali Arts and Culture, and co-founder of the Hargeisa International Book Festival.
Kayd also hosts the 10-day Somali Week Festival which is the largest Somali-centred festival outside the Horn of Africa.
Hannah is the Artistic Director and CEO of the Bernie Grant Arts Centre.
Hannah also founded the Windrush Festival and the Tottenham Literature Festival in addition to being a journalist for the Guardian.
Kemi was the Culture editor of gal-dem magazine.
Kemi has curated events for the V&A, Manchester International Festival and has written for Vogue, The Guardian and Time Magazine.
Sasha is the Head of Strategy and Operations for the Public Policy Team at Meta, and has over 10 years of policy work centred around Black Justice and Joy.
Sasha oversaw the delivery of community events and programming as a Senior Adviser in the Mayor’s Office and particularly advocated for social policy for Black Londoners.