Second screening at Thinktank for Handsworth Riots film
Due to the overwhelming success of The Tiny Spark premiere in early September, which was a sell-out screening, Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, has announced they will be able to offer another viewing in October.
Through powerful poems and rare archive photography, The Tiny Spark tells the story of one the most traumatic events in post-war Britain – the 1985 Handsworth Riots.
The free-to-attend September premiere at Thinktank was fully booked within days and its second screening, on Wednesday 18 October, which is also free to attend, is expected to sell out just as quickly.
The Tiny Spark is an immersive 17-minute premiere, utilising the poetry of Benjamin Zephaniah and mesmerising artworks from the film’s director, Pogus Caesar.
The Tiny Spark reimagines the 1985 Handsworth Riots and takes the viewer on a journey that bears witness to those fateful days on the streets of inner-city Birmingham.
Haunting and emotive performances come from spoken word artists Juice Aleem, Chauntelle Madondo and Samiir Saunders. The film features a specially composed soundscape by the eclectic underground artist TaberCayon. The immersive element prior to the screening will include, multi projectors, media coverage of the riots pinned together by a soundtrack of Jamaican Dub music.
The Thinktank screening on 18 October will also feature a Q&A discussion featuring the artists who appear in the film and gives guests the chance to share their recollections of Handsworth in 1985.
Caesar is a conceptual artist utilising multiple media. He was born in St Kitts, West Indies, and grew up in Birmingham. In 2018 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Birmingham City University for his outstanding contribution to the visual arts.
He has documented prominent figures and historical events such as the Handsworth Riots in 1985, a significant period of social unrest. He often reworks 35mm negatives into new forms, challenging the notion of religion, sex, history and identity from a Black British perspective.
In 2004, he established OOM Gallery Archive in Birmingham, which represents his photographic archive worldwide.
Pogus Caesar, director ofThe Tiny Spark, said: “The premiere of The Tiny Spark was such an overwhelming experience, with audiences from Birmingham and beyond supporting the film in a positive way.
“The public have requested an additional screening date and I’m also pleased The Tiny Spark received its London premiere as part of the Late, at Somerset House with the Courtauld yesterday as part of ‘The Morgan Stanley Exhibition: The Missing Thread’.
“As the film is shown at different venues, my aim is a simple one, for The Tiny Spark to unearth hidden histories, inspire discussion and provide cultural stimulation for those seeking an understanding of what really happened. This film does not in any way provide definitive answers, only questions!”
The Tiny Spark is produced and directed by Pogus Caesar and supported by Birmingham Museums Trust, Windrush Productions and OOM Gallery Archive.
It is being hosted as Birmingham Museums Trust marks Black History Month in October with a wealth of talks, walks and free craft, storytelling and music activities across the city’s historic properties.
