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We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe

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  • We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe

    • How did they come to Europe? Why were they portrayed? Were they truly all servants and slaves? If the Black faces portrayed in these Renaissance masterpieces could speak, what would they tell us?

    Shot across iconic locations in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, England, the Netherlands, and Brazil, this multilingual documentary masterfully uncovers the overlooked African presence in 15th-16th century Europe. Through the voices of leading art historians, curators, and scholars, combined with gripping historical reenactments and cutting-edge 3D graphics, the film sheds light on a vibrant chapter of history often hidden in plain sight. A visually stunning and deeply insightful exploration, it brings to life the African figures immortalized in renowned artworks, offering a fresh, compelling perspective on Renaissance Europe.

    Free admission.

    A Do The Right Films Production
    Directed by Fred Kuwornu
     
    Followed by a Q&A with the Director

    Learn more on the We Were Here film website

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    We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe

    Wed 15 April

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    ART31

    ART31 takes its name from Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child, which states that ‘Children have the right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities’.

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    The ART31 Youth Board is made up of young people from across Kent aged 13-25 who steer its governance, and influence policy and practice across the county and beyond, challenging the creative sector to examine existing ways of working and integrate young people into the core of their practice.

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