Your Local Arena is a unique project featuring iconic films from the archives of BBC TV’s Arena, the pioneering cultural documentary series. It includes new poems inspired by the Arena films and panel talks to explore the continuing relevance of the Arena archives today. The Your Local Arena concept was developed by Lucy Hannah and Speaking Volumes, with Arena’s award-winning director/editor Anthony Wall as creative consultant, and funded by Arts Council England.
Watch our trailer below for the project to see a bit of what took place during the last YLA, and what to expect this time around.
In 2020-21, Your Local Arena materialised as a year-long series of online presentations, necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic (the archive of which you can explore here). Over the next year, we are excited to be producing a new live series of YLA events which you can discover more about on our partner, Lucy Hannah’s, website. Find a Your Local Arena event taking place near you at lhannah.com
Upcoming Your Local Arena events
Thursday 25 July 2024 – Rudies Come Back in London with Rhoda Dakar, Charlie Higson, Jeff Perks and Helen Thomas, chaired by Daniel Rachel. Presented with the British Library as part of Beyond the Bassline – book your place here
Previous Your Local Arena events
Black History Month 2023:
Wednesday 4 October – Rudies Come Back in Leicester with Pauline Black, Rhoda Dakar, Kevin Le Gendre, Cubs the Poet and Helen Thomas. Presented with Serendipity Arts at the Phoenix Cinema – more information here
Thursday 5 October – Upon Westminster Bridge with Linton Kwesi Johnson, Hannah Lowe, Helen Thomas and Anthony Wall. Presented with the George Padmore Institute and the 198 Gallery at 198 Gallery, Herne Hill, London – more information here
Thursday 19 October – From Brixton to Barbados with Colin Grant, Dorothea Smartt, Helen Thomas and Anthony Wall. Presented with WritersMosaic at the Nightingale, Brighton – more information here
And beyond:
Saturday 25 November 2023 – Hair with Nadine Aisha Jassat, Khadijah Ibrahim, Joanna Bourke and Francesca Beard, chaired by Hannah McGill at Push the Boat Out, Edinburgh – more information here
Wednesday 18 April 2024 – Caribbean Nights: Poetry with Rishi Dastidar, Anthony Joseph and Helen Thomas, chaired by Madhu Krishnan at Lyra Poetry Festival, Bristol – more information here
Thursday 16 May 2024 – George Orwell (Part IV) – 1984 with Dolan Cummings, Daniel Gorman, Sara Wyatt and Francesca Beard at Writing on the Wall Festival, Liverpool – more information here
Saturday 8 June 2024 – Caroline 199: A Pirate’s Tale with Rhoda Dhakar, Shazea Quraishi, Anthony Wall and Belinda Zhawi, chaired by Jo Loosemore – more information here
More events will be added – check back soon
Your Local Arena is a Lucy Hannah & Speaking Volumes co-production featuring BBC Arena’s film archive. Funded by Arts Council England.