Learn your roots: history, arts and culture of ancient Africa (5-weeks)

Today we largely think of Africa as poor and underdeveloped, and many people assume it has always been that way. Therefore, there is a need to study and teach others about the importance of Black history before the onset of the Transatlantic slave trade, explaining why it matters and its connection with current dynamics of racial inequity in the world.

This course teaches the pre-enslavement history of Africa with the aim of introducing students to the richness and variety of African cultural practices and philosophies from the ancient period. The course aims to offer an alternative focus on Black history to that presented by the Atlantic slave trade and its consequences and provide personal empowerment in the form of knowledge and facts relating to pre-slavery kingdoms and cultures of Africa.

Over five weeks students will study facts of ancient and medieval African history and gain knowledge which can help them better place Black people and their contribution in the annals of world history. The aim is to help their understanding of the roots of racial inequality in our communities today. The course also focuses on principles of African philosophy that can enhance our lives today.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

· A greater ability to analyse and interpret historical data.

· A clear and precise timeline of the evolution of civilisation in Africa and its contributions to the global world today.

· The ability to identify a range of African Arts from the ancient and mediaeval periods through the variety of crafts practised. Learn of their lasting influence on the world today.

· Gain a definitive summation of the pre-enslavement mediaeval history of the West African regions of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. Showcasing their social, economic, and political achievements.

· To know the African origins of modern day written language. Enhance your knowledge of the range of African writing systems. Know what Africans wrote in the ancient period. What they wrote in the mediaeval period.

· To be able to answer the question "what is African spirituality?". To be able to identify the basic tenets of its philosophy and practice. The ability to identify its presence in modern self-empowerment principles and practices.

The course will be presented in five 2-hour sessions and will take place in North Kensington Library Community Room.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR SPACE IS NOT CONFIRMED UNTIL YOU FILL THE ENROLLMENT FORM WHICH WILL BE SENT TO YOU BY THE TUTOR.

*Eligible: Full UK / London residents aged 19+ (RBKC residents will be given priority)

DATES:

Tuesday 30 September - 5.30 to 7.30pm

Tuesday 07 October - 5.30 to 7.30pm

Tuesday 14 October - 5.30 to 7.30pm

Tuesday 21 October - 5.30 to 7.30pm

Tuesday 28 October - 5.30 to 7.30pm

*Please note the names and email addresses of all who book will be shared with the tutor, who will contact you to send you an enrolment form. You can only have one of these GLA-funded courses free in an academic year.

Contact [email protected] if you have any queries about booking.

Class 1

Introduction and overview of Ancient & Mediaeval Africa

Journey along the timeline of the human evolution of civilisation from Ta-Seti to Ancient Egypt and Nubia. Learn the impact of these civilisations on modern life.

Class 2

The Magnificent Traditions of Ancient & Mediaeval Art in Africa

Explore the Saharan and South African prehistoric rock paintings, the Nok clay Sculptures, Igbo and Yoruba Metallurgy of West Africa, and the exquisite wood carvings of the Luba in Congo.

Class 3

The Afrikan Literary Heritage

Trace the African origins of writing from Pictographs to Syllabaries to Alphabets. Explore the variety of writing systems used in Africa. Read examples of Ancient African and mediaeval literature. Learn of the impact of African & Caribbean culture on British literature. Based on the authors book 'The Afrikan Literary Heritage'.

Class 4

African philosophy and its impact on modern self-empowerment principles. Pt-1

Explore the foundational principles of African philosophy and spirituality. The spiritual systems of Ma'at, Ubuntu, and Tehuti. Identify their impact on the works of self-empowerment gurus Napoleon Hill, James Allen, T. Harv-Ecker, 'The Secret'.

Class 5

African philosophy and its impact on modern self-empowerment principles. Pt-2

A deeper look into the African principles of self-empowerment and wellbeing identified in Part One. How can these principles help you enhance your life today?

All classes will combine visual material with group discussion.

Danny Thompson MRes

Danny Thompson is multi-faceted educator, artist, historian and author. A thirty-year career in the arts as a filmmaker, musician, music teacher and writer equips him well for a tutoring role. Danny is a qualified historian, currently a PhD student having completed his MRes in 'The History of Africa and the African Diaspora'.

Danny is the author of two books on African history: The Afrikan Literary Heritage and Ethiopianism - The Forgotten Movement, about a nineteenth century proto-Pan-African movement. Danny has taught in schools, community groups, mental health institutions. He has devised and delivered Black history workshops for TFL, the Probation Service, The National Fostering Association and others. He ran 'Decolonizing the Curriculum' workshops with four education services in England and Wales. He has also devised and delivered self-empowerment workshops for black men in prisons across the UK.

Danny is a co-director of 'Theblacksecret.co.uk', an online Black history education platform for adults, working as content creator alongside the renowned Robin Walker, better known as ‘the black history man’.

Before starting this latest adventure, they created the 'Everyday Life in an Early West African Empire', a DVD education series telling the histories of Ancient Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.

Danny also conducts tours of African artefacts in the British Museum and the Petrie Museum for schools, international students, and history interest groups.

Home | www.evolvingcreatives.com

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

North Kensington Library, 108 Ladbroke Grove, London, United Kingdom