Rekindling Nello James: The Final Gathering

Join us for a powerful and joyful closing moment of the Rekindling Nello James project, a 12-month journey exploring the legacy of the Nello James Centre.

Established in Manchester in the 1970s and named after Caribbean historian and political thinker C. L. R. James, the Centre was a vital community space for African and Caribbean people, a place for learning, organising, creativity, care and connection.

For many, it wasn’t just a building. It was a home, a meeting point, and a foundation for new possibilities.

-------

Over the past year, we have been working closely with the community to reconnect with the Centre’s history, interviewing the people who built it, worked within it, attended it, fought for it, and continue to carry its legacy.

We’ve captured memories, emotions, and reflections that might otherwise have been lost.

Now, we invite you to experience them.

At this Final Gathering, we will premiere a short documentary sharing the faces and voices behind the Nello James Centre, many of whom local Manchester residents will recognise.

This is the first and only public screening.

After this, the film and materials will begin their journey into the first-ever Nello James Centre archive at the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Centre, where they will be preserved, studied and accessed for generations to come.

Before it becomes history, this is your chance to feel it, in the room.

-------

This is a space of celebration as much as reflection, honouring the joy, creativity and community that the Centre held.

Together we will experience:

• 🎬 Premiere screening of the Rekindling Nello James documentary
• 🎭 A never-before-seen visual poem written by Keisha Thompson, featuring young people from Rekindle
• 🖼️ Exhibitions and installations inspired by the Centre’s legacy
• 🎶 Live performances and music from community members
• 🤝 Space to connect, share stories and build new connections

In the spirit of the original Centre, we’ll also take time to eat, talk and be together.

-------

11:00am — Arrival & Welcome Drinks

11:30am — Opening Gathering
Welcome from the project team + documentary screening

12:30pm — Exhibition, Food & Performances

Move through the space and enjoy:

• Live performances from community members and young people
• UBUNTU Space with herbal teas and rotating film screenings
• Exhibition and archival installations
• West African canapés by Gwafu Vegan

The Nello James Centre was built on people, their ideas, their care, their courage and their joy. This Final Gathering is a chance to honour that legacy, together.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Rekindle School - Manchester