Following on from the success of ANTHEMS Women and ANTHEMS Pride; ANTHEMS Black will be a collection of 31 original manifestos, speeches, stories, poems and rallying cries written and read by vibrant, unique and exceptional UK Black voices. Featured contributors include; Internet sensation and comedian Munya Chawawa, Journalist, Broadcaster, Lawyer & Afua Hirsch, Poet and Educator Raymond Antrobus and Poet, Actor & Writer Jade Anouka.
Each bite size episode begins with a “word of the day” introduced by each of the individuals that encapsulates the theme of their piece, leaving the listeners with something to carry forward into the day after they’ve heard the work. Each episode is released every other day from the 1st of September and throughout UK Black History Month in October; the series will underpin the rich and diverse cultural and social impact that Black communities have made in the UK. ANTHEMS was created as both a celebration and call to arms – an album of stirring pieces and words that embody rage, power, joy, beauty, love, loss and everything in between. Words that inspire not only courage and comfort but also action in a world that sometimes relies on the inaction of the many to uphold the power of the few.
“As a Black person running a company in an extremely White industry, it has always been a priority to help platform the voices of minorities. Black people, speaking their truths, authentically, is one of the main reasons we are so proud and honoured to be making ANTHEMS Black. Black Lives Matter, that’s a fact, we are not a monolith, we are not one thing and we deserve to be heard. We added Anthems Black to our slate of productions, back in January, there was no way to know how this year would play out but one thing that was clear and has always been clear to us, is that Black voices deserve to be heard, celebrated and amplified. We are in the midst of a revolution and at Broccoli Content, a black owned company, this isn’t a gimmick, this isn’t us jumping on the Black Lives Matter bandwagon, this is something that is at the core of our business and why we exist.” – Renay Richardson
