Collaboration, Collectives, and Building Community a Panel Discussion

Faggamuffin Bloc Party presents Black History Season Workshops! These workshops are a first look and invitation for Queer people to explore the history, practice and play of Carnival and Soundsystem practices.

Final Workshop #5 will be a Panel Discussion on Collaboration, Collectives, and Building Community

Soundsystems have always been the product of strong creative collaboration. Everyone has a part to play. From providing community safe havens and mutual aid, to cultivating technical expertise, collective action is the backbone of building and sustaining a long-running soundsystem. Through the practice of care, what begins as a chosen community becomes a place of solace, solidarity, and learning.

At Carnival, soundsystems are more than entertainment. They are places of memory, spiritual restitution, and celebration. A ritual that unfolds over entire days, anchoring Carnival and giving meaning and modality to the celebration of our heritage. It’s a tradition that transcends generations and leaves a legacy felt across the globe.

As new generations of Carnival custodians stake their claim in this tradition, we must ask: how do we keep evolving? How do we hold onto our roots while navigating a shifting socio-economic landscape that continues to put pressure on soundsystem culture? And how do politics shape our collective cohesion and our ability to get things done?

In this panel, we’ll explore collective practice as a form of resistance, self-definition, and autonomous community. We’ve brought together an intergenerational group of artists, soundsystem practitioners, and Carnival organisers who have been working in their fields from the 80s to today. The panel aims to give a first-hand exploration of the challenges and triumphs of building a soundsystem collective.

The panel will run for 1 hour, and there will be a max 30 minute Q&A after.

Beverages, and light snacks will be provided.

About the Panelists:

Information about panelists to be announced…

About Faggamuffin and the Workshops:

Faggamuffin was founded in Hackney by a collective of QTBIPOC thinkers, activists, artists, and community leaders to address the lack of queer representation in Carnival spaces. Our aim was to create a platform centring the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people of African and Caribbean heritage, and in 2018 we did just that, debuting the UK’s first openly Queer stage at Hackney Carnival.

That first stage drew 2,000 people and proved the hunger for such a space. By 2019, it had become one of the Carnival’s biggest stages, with over 4,000 people filling Bohemia Place for a radical homecoming where QTBIPOC Pride, Carnival, and sound system culture collided.

Since then, Faggamuffin has continued to champion our community by hosting digital programs during lockdown, and appearing on stages at Southbank Centre, Somerset House, Village Underground, and even Notting Hill Carnival. At heart, we remain true to Carnival’s legacy while bringing our own flair of queer culture.

This Black History Season we want to celebrate the legacy of Faggamuffin Bloc Party by launching a short educational program that teaches and shares the traditions of Carnival culture, while exploring the history, practice, and play that shape UK Carnivals and Soundsystems.

The program highlights the role Queer people can play in sustaining and shaping their own Carnival legacy. We would like to invite our community to get involved, connect with Carnival custodians, meet like-minded people, and feel empowered to build our own futures and cultural lineages.

Who are these workshops for:

These workshops are aimed for LGBTQ+ individuals who are of African and Caribbean heritage who have an interest in learning about Carnival practices. If you are an ally and wish to attend, please contact us ahead of booking as we will have limited spaces for allies.

These spaces are about learning together, communing and practicing mutual respect.

We have zero tolerance to sexual harassment, cultural appropriation, unwanted touching, stalking and all forms of abuse or discrimination based on race, gender, disability, sexuality, religion or age. Don’t come here with that energy, or you will be removed and barred.

Please note these workshops are Funded as part of Hackney Council's Black History Season. For more information visit lovehackney.uk/black-history!

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