The Africa Centre, London was founded in 1964 at 38 King Street,

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

, where over the years it held many art exhibitions, conferences, lectures, and a variety of cultural events, as well as housing a gallery, meeting halls, restaurant, bar and bookshop. The Africa Centre closed its original venue in 2013, and now has a permanent home at 66 Great Suffolk Street,

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

, south London. It is a registered charity.

History

The Africa Centre was opened in 1964 by

Kenneth Kaunda Kenneth David Kaunda (28 April 1924 – 17 June 2021), also known as KK, was a Zambian politician who served as the first President of Zambia from 1964 to 1991. He was at the forefront of the struggle for independence from British rule. Diss ...

at the

Grade II-listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

38 King Street. The building, which had been a banana warehouse in the 18th century and subsequently an auction house, was "given by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in perpetuity to the people of Africa in 1962".Richard Dowden
"Saving the Africa Centre?"
''African Arguments'', 13 June 2011. The idea for the centre was conceived in 1961 by

Margaret Feeny Margaret Mary Feeny (1917 – 3 January 2012) was the founder and first director of London's Africa Centre charity, from 1964 to 1978. Biography Margaret Feeny was born in 1917, the eleventh of twelve children to a successful businessman. Feen ...

, whose aim (as described by

Lloyd Bradley Lloyd Bradley (born 21 January 1955) is a British music journalist and author. Biography Born in London to recent immigrants from St Kitts, Bradley discovered Jamaican music during his teenage years, while going out in the North London-based s ...

) was "to foster non-governmental relations between newly independent African nations by bringing people together on neutral apolitical ground. It would also maintain informal cultural links between Britain and her former colonies, while offering a friendly meeting place for Africans living in London."Lloyd Bradley
''Sounds Like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital''
Serpent's Tail, 2013, p. 160. Archbishop Desmond Tutu used to meet

Thabo Mbeki Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki KStJ (; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who was the second president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Congress (ANC ...

at the bar, and described it as a home "to all who are Africans, and all those who have a care for the interests of the continent and its people". In the words of

Richard Dowden Richard Dowden (born 20 March 1949 in Surrey, United Kingdom) is a British journalist who has specialised in African issues. Since 1975, he has worked for several British media and for the past eight years he has been the Executive Director of t ...

, "it became The Place for African presidents, freedom fighters, writers and artists to speak and debate. You could find everything African there, from Ghanaian food to fierce debates and fantastic parties. Sometimes all three at the same time on a Saturday night; a High Life or Congolese band playing to a crammed floor of dancers while below in the basement radicals and reactionaries sipped pepper soup and argued about evolutionary versus revolutionary change. During the week there were talks about art, African dance lessons, films and plays." The Association for the Teaching of African and Caribbean Literature (ATCAL) was among the influential organisations that used the Africa Centre's facilities, holding its inaugural conference ("How to teach Caribbean and African literature in schools") there in 1979. The centre held frequent exhibitions. '' Five Black Women'' in 1983, with

Sonia Boyce Sonia Dawn Boyce, (born 1962) is a British Afro-Caribbean artist and educator, living and working in London. She is a Professor of Black Art and Design at University of the Arts London. Boyce's research interests explore art as a social pract ...

Claudette Johnson Claudette Elaine Johnson (born 1959) is a British visual artist. She is known for her large-scale drawings of Black women and involvement with the BLK Art Group. She was described by Modern Art Oxford as "one of the most accomplished figurativ ...

Lubaina Himid Lubaina Himid (born 1954) is a British artist and curator. She is a professor of contemporary art at the University of Central Lancashire.Houria Niati Houria Niati (born 1948) is an Algerian contemporary artist living in London. Niati specializes in mixed media installations that criticize Western representations and objectification of north African and Middle Eastern women. Her installations ...

and

Veronica Ryan Veronica Maudlyn Ryan (born 1956 in Plymouth, Montserrat) is a Montserrat-born British sculptor. She moved to London with her parents when she was an infant and now lives between New York and Bristol. In December 2022, Ryan won the Turner Prize ...

, was the first "widely respected" exhibition featuring black women artists. A large mural by

Malangatana Ngwenya Malangatana Valente Ngwenya (6 June 1936 – 5 January 2011) was a Mozambican painter and poet. He frequently exhibited work under his first name alone, as Malangatana. He died on 5 January 2011 in Matosinhos, Portugal. Life Born in Matalana ...

that decorated the stairwell of the centre's original building in Covent Garden has now been installed in the Africa Centre's new premises in Southwark. The centre has had a long association with music. In 1975, Wala Danga, a Zimbabwean promoter and sound engineer, organised his first club night there. As he told Lloyd Bradley: "The Africa Centre was unique... One of the first places that people from different African countries really used to mix, because for a lot of the African students it was like a home away from home." In the 1970s and 1980s, political movements including the

Anti-Apartheid Movement The Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM), was a British organisation that was at the centre of the international movement opposing the South African apartheid system and supporting South Africa's non-White population who were persecuted by the policie ...

would also provide the backdrop for concerts at the centre. In October 1981, South African UK-based

Angelique Rockas Angelique Rockas is an actress, producer and activist. Rockas founded the theatre company Internationalist Theatre in the UK with her patron Athol Fugard. The theatre featured multi-racial casts in classical plays. Early life Rockas was born a ...

premiered a performance of the anti-junta, anti-fascist drama ''El Campo'' ( The Camp) by Griselda Gambaro. In 1983, the first clubnight was held at the centre – the "Limpopo Club", which would host artists such as

Youssou N'Dour Youssou N'Dour (, wo, Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine describe ...

Angélique Kidjo Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo (; born July 14, 1960), known as Angélique Kidjo, is a Beninese singer-songwriter, actress, and activist who is noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. ...

, and

Salif Keita Salif Keïta () (born 25 August 1949) is a Malian singer-songwriter, referred to as the "Golden Voice of Africa". He is a member of the Keita royal family of Mali. Biography Early life Salif Keita was born a traditional prince in the village o ...

. From 1985 to 1989, Jazzie B would bring to the centre his

Soul II Soul Soul II Soul are a British musical collective formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their two major hits; 1989's UK number five and US number eleven " Keep On Movin'", and its follow-up, the UK number one and US number four " Back to ...

sound system, which would acquire "legendary status". In 2005, the ''London Art and Artists Guide'' described it as a "very lively arts centre" that held classes in dance, movement, and literature, and hosted meetings in the evenings; and The Calabash, London's first African restaurant, was considered "well worth a visit". The bookshop sold books published only in Africa, as well as "excellent handicrafts and sculpture". In August 2012, the building at King Street was sold to the property developer. This was despite a concerted campaign to save the Africa Centre at its original premises, supported by Desmond Tutu,

Wole Soyinka Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Yoruba: ''Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé Ṣóyíinká''; born 13 July 1934), known as Wole Soyinka (), is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded t ...

Ngugi Wa Thiong'o Ngugi or Ngũgĩ is a name of Kikuyu origin that may refer to: *Ngugi wa Mirii (1951–2008), Kenyan playwright * Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (born 1938), Kenyan writer *David Mwaniki Ngugi, Kenyan politician and member of the National Assembly of Kenya * ...

Yinka Shonibare Yinka Shonibare (born 9 August 1962), is a British-Nigerian artist living in the United Kingdom. His work explores cultural identity, colonialism and post-colonialism within the contemporary context of globalisation. A hallmark of his art is t ...

Bonnie Greer Bonnie Greer, OBE FRSL (born 16 November 1948) is an American-British playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster, who has lived in the UK since 1986. She has appeared as a panellist on television programmes such as ''Newsnight Review'' and ''Q ...

Sokari Douglas Camp Sokari Douglas Camp CBE (born 1958 in Nigeria) is a London-based artist who has had exhibitions all over the world and was the recipient of a bursary from the Henry Moore Foundation. She was honoured as a Commander of the Order of the British ...

and others.William Wallis
"Battle for London’s African heart"
''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...

'', 15 July 2011. The centre moved to Great Suffolk Street in

, where it now resides permanently. In 2018, Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp was appointed as director of the Africa Centre, holding the position until a management restructure in 2020. The Africa Centre maintains a link with Covent Garden by having an annual Summer Festival in August on the

Piazza A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...

, since 2013. The Africa Centre launched its refurbished new headquarters at 66 Great Suffolk Street in Southwark in June 2022.

Centre directors

(1964–1978) *

Alastair Niven Alastair Neil Robertson Niven Hon FRSL (born 25 February 1944) is an English literary scholar and author. He has written books on D. H. Lawrence, Raja Rao, and Mulk Raj Anand, and has been Director General of The Africa Centre, Director of L ...

(1978–1984)Tom Craigmyle
"Margaret Mary Feeny, MBE"
Bath, 18 January 2012."Alastair Niven LVO OBE"
Council for Education in the Commonwealth, 31 March 2016. *Nigel Watt (1984–1991) *Adotey Bing (1992–2006) * Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp (2018–2020)

References

External links

* * Niven, Alastair
"The Africa Centre in London"
''Research in African Literatures'', Vol. 10, No. 2, Special Issue on African Song (Autumn 1979), pp. 274–276. Published by Indiana University Press. * Jason Okundaye
"The Africa Centre is back. Now will Britain finally embrace all of its cultural heritage?"
''The Guardian'', 1 July 2022. {{coord, 51.50298, N, 0.10153, W, type:landmark_region:GB-SWK, display=title 1964 establishments in England Black British culture in London Black British history Cultural organisations based in London African culture