What's On

Black Power Desk An Original Musical.

1970s London.
The streets awash with a fever of political unrest, the rhythm of the sound system culture is birthing a new era of soulful lover’s rock, fusing RnB and reggae, amidst the covert Black Power Desk operations of New Scotland Yard. As tensions rise, the community rallies together to stand against injustices and racial divide.

“The day you were born Black was the day politics was made your thing… politics is personal when you look like us” JARVIS

BLACK POWER DESK is a powerful reimagining and exploration of what it means to love and fight for freedom. In an often male-dominated world, two sisters, Celia and Dina – both rooted in self-empowerment and fiercely committed to their community, both loyal and motivated by love – are divided by grief and radical politics.

“This is a war, that’s not a place for a woman… her revolution isn’t one for us, but for her kind.” COLIN

A moving story of sisters who need to reconnect for the sake of their community. But will the fight for their community be worth the damage to their sisterhood?

“I thought I was choosing my dreams but it turns out I was choosing a lie.” CELIA

Inspired by the historic Mangrove Nine Trial and brought to life by an original score performed by a live three-piece band, BLACK POWER DESK is a musical soundtrack charting a fiercely emotive and politically charged era of often overlooked British history for today’s generation. At a time of the rise of Black-British Panthers, the onset of the Immigration Act 1971, the emergence of Black business ownership and the hails of a generation living through the racial tensions of Great Britain.

“Don’t let it be for nothing so breathe and don’t ask permission.” DINA

BLACK POWER DESK transports you back to the 1970s, premiering at Brixton House, London this Autumn 2025. Written by the critically acclaimed team of Urielle Klein-Mekongo, Renell Shaw and Gerel Falconer, directed by Gbolahan Obisesan.

BLACK POWER DESK is generously supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, Axis and L&Q.

Development supported by Birmingham Hippodrome, Brixton House, China Plate, Genesis Foundation, Hackney Empire, Mercury Musical Developments, Musical Theatre Network, Old Vic 12, PlayWell Productions, Stage One Bursary Scheme for New Producers, 1927, and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Dates: Wed 01, Thu 02, Fri 03 Booking and More Information

Brixton House Community Choir [Winter 25] Ever wanted to become a part of a choir? Learn to sing different musical styles with Brixton House Community Choir, from fresh re-workings of soul, jazz, gospel, pop, folk, and reggae with opportunities for the choir to perform throughout the year.

Brixton House Community Choir is led by singer and songwriter, Rachel Huggins who specialises in gospel, soul, and jazz. She has been two-time finalist in the BBC’s Gospel Choir of the Year competition. Rachel leads the choir with Abdul Shyllon who is a singer, songwriter, and composer, with his field spanning across, music, film, and theatre. Abdul has worked with artists like Kano, Omar, Matt Bianco, Mark de Clive Lowe, DJ Spinna, Stereophonics, Crystal Fighters, Noisettes, Arthur Beatrice, Larry Gaaga & Patto Rankin, Lilys Kitchen, Ballymore, Gap, Evesleep, Goldsmiths University, WAC Art’s, Apples & Snakes, BAC, CK Gospel Choir, City Academy, Rose Bruford, Magic Radio, BBC, and Kiln Theatre.

The choir requires a full ten-week term commitment where you will be working towards an end of term sharing therefore you will need to book a term pass. If the full term payment would be a barrier to joining the choir, please contact [email protected] where a member of our team will be able to offer weekly payments across the full term.

Please note, the final date to join is Monday 03 November 2025.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about the choir email: [email protected]. Dates: Mon 06, Mon 13 Booking and More Information

Frantic Ignition 2025 The Ignition Intensive

Experience two original devised shows created over five days by the next generation of theatre makers.

Ignition is Frantic Assembly’s free, nationwide talent development programme for young people aged 16-24, celebrating creativity across the UK.

In collaboration with Frantic’s UK wide partners, the programme seeks out under-represented talent in unexpected places, showing young people that the arts can be for them. Ignition has been discovering and nurturing talent for the last 15 years and has worked with over 10,000 young people. Ignition Graduates have gone onto successful careers within the creative industries, working with Frantic Assembly and other companies around the world. Dates: Thu 30, Fri 31 Booking and More Information

Kromanti: Dominoes + Plantain Rum We’re Back - Now at Brixton House! Join us every last Thursday of the month as we bring the heat to the heart of Brixton - dominoes, community, and culture, just the way we like it. Our kickoff event lands on 26th June, and this month, we’re raising a glass to our Windrush elders, honouring their legacy with good vibes and even better company. So bring your nan, uncle, next door neighbour. On the menu? Our signature Vanilla Plantain Daiquiri—if you haven’t tasted it yet, this is your moment. Dates: Thu 30 Booking and More Information

October Half Term Activities [2025] Lighten up your October half term with free, creative workshops for local families, led by local artists.

Drop in anytime between 12pm-4pm on Tuesday 28 October and Wednesday 29 October for family activities exploring the theme of [INFO NEEDED], for all ages.

Important info

Register for free online or on the door.
Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Families are welcome to bring a packed lunch.
Quiet space is available. Dates: Tue 28, Wed 29 Booking and More Information

The Drum Package (for up to 4 people) The Drum Package £30 (for up to 4 people)

Named after Black Power Desk’s legendary community hub, The Drum, this package is all about connection. Gather your crew — up to six people — with a reserved table for up to 60 minutes before the show. Share a bottle of prosecco or a pitcher of House rum punch, plus your choice of two tasty snacks (chin chin, plantain chips, or retro sweets).

Table reservations available, tables are reserved from 2 hours before the performance starts — perfect for fuelling up, vibing out, and stepping straight into the world of Black Power Desk.

*Non-alcoholic options available
** Options to purchase food from local vendors will also be available Dates: Wed 01, Thu 02, Fri 03 Booking and More Information

The Power Package The Power Package - £15

Step into the energy of Black Power Desk with our ultimate pre-show experience. Sip on a signature cocktail — the bold Dina (Tequila based) or soulful Celia (Rum-based)
— created in honour of the show’s leading sisters. Snack on chin chin, plantain chips or a retro sweet pack, and take home an exclusive Black Power Desk tote bag.
A taste of culture, a toast to history, and a keepsake of the movement.

*non-alcoholic options available
** Options to purchase food from local vendors will also be available Dates: Wed 01, Thu 02, Fri 03 Booking and More Information

Unity Market - Celebrating Black Businesses Join us this Black History Month for a day of culture, community & celebration!
We’re bringing together Black businesses, entertainment & good vibes all under one roof.

✨ **What’s On**:
🛍 Market stalls with unique products
🎶 DJ
🍹 Rum & Mocktails
💃 Party vibes all day long!
Dates: Sat 25 Booking and More Information

UPRISING: Assata Taught Me (Revival) - Rehearsed Reading 'A wall is just a wall & nothing more. It can be broken down- Assata Shakur'

Assata Taught Me (Revival) — originally directed by Lynette Linton and first performed at The Gate Theatre to sold-out audiences, with Adjoa Andoh in the lead role. The play is a political thriller set in 2016 Cuba, exploring themes of exile, loyalty, and liberation against the backdrop of Obama’s visit and Trump’s election.
For this revival, Adjoa Andoh returns for a rehearsed reading alongside actor Kenneth Omole, with Lynette Linton directing once more.

Fanuco doesn’t know he’s taking English lessons from the FBI’s most wanted woman.
She is the only American he knows, and he’s a Cuban teenager desperate to live the American Dream. When will he realise his mentor is Assata Shakur, a former Black Panther, a convicted felon and has a million dollars on her head? The world premiere of Ssebandeke’s gripping and tense play explores the black struggle across generations and genders.
Dates: Wed 15 Booking and More Information

UPRISING: Brixton House Takeover "Brixton House Takeover is a bold celebration of movement, community and perseverance, presented in new collaboration between Dance Umbrella, Brixton House and CASA, Brixton House’s Associate company.
Honouring the spirit of resistance and unity that defines Brixton, this day of dance brings people of all ages together to move, create and connect. Experience energising events and workshops from groundbreaking artists, transforming Brixton House into a living, breathing space of joy and expression.

Whether you’re stepping on the floor for the first time or a seasoned dancer, this takeover is a call to come together — to honour the past, embrace the present and move into the future as Brixton House marks the 40th Anniversary of the 85 uprising." Dates: Sat 04 Booking and More Information

UPRISING: House of Pearl The Kiki House Maison Laveaux, led by Mother Bambi Laveaux, Princess Amani, Isaac, and Eli Laveaux, will take over Brixton House to host the On The Block Kiki Ball, closing out the Uprising Festival and celebrating 40 years of resistance in the community.
This powerful event will honor the legendary Brixton icon Pearl Alcock, along with other queer figures, icons and movements of resistance throughout Black British history, whose legacies have shaped and continue to shape the fabric of Brixton.

The ball will celebrate the resilience of queer spaces and the unbreakable spirit of Brixton, while offering workshops on voguing categories to educate, empower, and inspire. With a focus on both performance and legacy, the event ensures that the transformative power of voguing and the ongoing fight for freedom and expression live on for generations to come. Dates: Sat 25 Booking and More Information

UPRISING: No Car Day Dates: Sat 11 Booking and More Information

UPRISING: Search Party Award-winning poet and playwright Inua Ellams (Barber Shop Chronicles, The Half-God of Rainfall) brings his chaotic, audience-led poetry event to Brixton.

Pick a word, any word. Prompted by audience suggestions, Inua Ellams will search through his extensive archive of work and perform a reactive and spontaneous selection. Each show is unique and special. Dates: Tue 21, Wed 22 Booking and More Information

UPRISING: Skin Deep X In A New Light Skin Deep is a London-based, globally-focused arts and culture organisation producing and supporting creative work in service of racial justice. Since 2014, they have produced eleven print magazines, published countless online stories, and gathered thousands of people together for live performances, discussions, workshops, dances, meals, protests, and screenings.

A part-performance, part-discussion centring the ways in which young Black Brits today can see themselves through the writings of Black British women from decades past.

Guests and more to be announced... Dates: Thu 02 Booking and More Information

UPRISING: THEM ONES PRESENTS - SONICS OF REBELLION ON FILM THEM ONES PRESENTS: SONICS OF REBELLION ON FILM
8 - 12 October 2025

Them Ones is a creative production company founded by BAFTA-winning producer, Tobi Kyeremateng.

From the reggae-filled culture of 90s Harlesden to the political influence of jazz via Congo, passing through the heartbeat of Brixton and the defiant communities within the occupied West Bank, these 6 films and events celebrate the sonics of rebellion through global cinema.

Tuesday 7 October 2025
DAILIES: Sonics of Rebellion on Film

Founded by filmmaker Tomisin Adepeju, DAILIES curates spaces for film lovers to foster connections, inspire conversations, and spark creativity. DAILIES presents a screening of short films from some of the UK's most exciting filmmakers.

Tomisin Adepeju is a British-Nigerian filmmaker, writer and curator. His award-winning shorts have screened at over 150 film festivals, including Sundance, BFI London Film Festival and London Short Film Festival. His new short, Journey Mercies, is currently screening in competition at SXSW London. He is developing his debut feature, The Light of the Living, with Ken Loach’s Sixteen Films and BFI. Tomisin's writings have appeared on MUBI, Sight and Sound and several other publications. He is the founder of DAILIES, a screening and development programme where he regularly curates films, workshops and masterclasses. He has programmed sold out events at BFI Southbank, Rio Cinema, Rich Mix and other spaces.

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Wednesday 8 October 2025
No Other Land (92 minutes)
Directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor

For half a decade, Basel Adra, a Palestinian activist, films his community of Masafer Yatta being destroyed by Israel's occupation, as he builds an unlikely alliance with an Israeli journalist who wants to join his fight. No Other Land is an unflinching account of a community's mass expulsion and acts as a creative resistance to Apartheid and a search for a path towards equality and justice.
Q&A and reading hosted by Tasneim Zyada with guests to be announced.

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Thursday 9 October 2025
Soundtrack To A Coup d'Etat (150 minutes)
Directed by Johan Grimonprez

Jazz and decolonisation are entwined in this historical rollercoaster that rewrites the Cold War episode that led musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach to crash the U.N. Security Council in protest against the murder of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba. Crackling with energy and verve, this masterful film takes history and creates an audacious musical documentary.

From the producer of I Am Not Your Negro, the documentary features Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Dizzy Gillepsie and Malcolm X.

Post-screening discussion hosted by Habiba Katsha with guests to be announced.

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Friday 10 October 2025
Living Room Session by Shaquille Shaniqua Joy

Living Room Session is a recurring live program set in a metaphorical living room, where different forms of art come together in an intimate, welcoming environment. Curated and presented by Shaquille Shaniqua Joy, the session brings together mediums such as film, art, music, and conversation. Artists are invited to reflect on a central subject, offering layered perspectives through their chosen forms of expression.

The subjects explored are always deeply personal and at the same time, universal—inviting connection through shared experience. Previous editions have focused on subjects like memory, dreaming, home, and growth, with each session shaped by the artists’ unique practices and reflections.

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Saturday 11 October 2025
Babymother (82 minutes)
Directed by Julian Henriques

Widely considered to be the first Black British musical, Babymother follows Anita (Anjela Lauren Smith), who has an ambition to become a local Dancehall star.

Post-screening discussion hosted by Skin Deep with director Julian Henriques and producer Parminder Vir.

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Sunday 12 October 2025
Small Axe: Alex Wheatle (64 minutes) + Free Books Social

The true story of award-winning writer Alex Wheatle. Having spent his childhood in a mostly white institutional care home with no love or family, he finally finds a sense of community for the first time in Brixton, where he develops a passion for music and DJing. When he is thrown in prison during the Brixton uprising of 1981, he confronts his past and sees a path to healing.

Free Books Social hosted by Free Books Campaign, featuring DJs, games, and free books to take away. Dates: Tue 07, Wed 08, Thu 09, Fri 10, Sat 11, Sun 12 Booking and More Information