Some things that made me smile… in August

Including therapeutic sounds, 1990’s nostalgia and well-observed comedy

If you’re a regular here, welcome back! If you’re new, this is my round up of some of the things that have made me smile over the past month. Please feel free to share in the comments anything that’s brought you joy too, whether big or small! Are you currently a free subscriber but would like to upgrade? You can do that here.

How’s your August been? 

I’ve been tuning into the seasonal shift here in London. I’ve noticed a change in my energy levels in line with the energy of Late Summer. With this in mind, I’m gearing up for Savasana September again (more on this and how to get involved, if you’d like to, in future posts).

As we sit on the cusp of Autumn, here’s a few things I’ve enjoyed over the past month. 

Therapeutic sounds at Yoga Reclaimed

Earlier this month we had a wonderful Mindwalk Yoga team get together. It’s always special when we can gather in-person and this time we kicked-off our meet up with a sublime sound bath with Irad Timberlake at independent studio Yoga Reclaimed in Dalston.

I really enjoyed the incorporation of tarot into our session too. I came away feeling soothed, replenished and reminded of how therapeutic sound can be.

If you’re visiting East London, check out Yoga Reclaimed, a social enterprise delivering community focussed yoga and movement in Dalston here.

Find out more about Irad here.

Join Mindwalk Yoga in collaboration with Yogamatters for free online classes through September. Get info and book tickets here.

Heritage and nostalgia at the Black Cultural Archives

When a client cancellation gave me an unexpected morning off, I took myself out for breakfast at IRENE (I wrote about their Brixton opening here) followed by a visit to the Black Cultural Archives. I’d been planning to visit their Over A Barrel exhibition before it closes in September, and I’m so glad I did. 

Bonus one: on my arrival, before even entering the building I was greeted by Yvadney Davis’s beautiful Proverbs of the Windrush Child portraits. (Stunning portrait of Mr. Francis, above.)

Bonus two: I was also able to see photographer and documentarian Tee Max’s The Ascension Years exhibition. This brought back some fond music memories of the 1990’s.

Back to Over A Barrel: Windrush Children, Tragedy and Triumph. I found this incredibly poignant and some of what featured overlapped with the walking tour I went on last month.

This exhibition centres the stories, voices and experiences of Barrel Children and children born in Britain to Windrush parents. As described on the BCA website:

“Multi award-winning journalist Nadine White, in collaboration with Black Cultural Archives, has captured the memories of children left behind and sometimes reunited through photographs, film, ephemera, and personal recollections. The term "barrel children" was coined by Jamaican academic Dr Claudette Crawford-Brown, to describe children whose only connection with their parents was through remittances from abroad. The barrel had powerful resonance in many Caribbean homes, as its presence in the corner symbolised transatlantic connections. An empty barrel often indicated the intention to migrate at some point, whilst a barrel filled with goods became synonymous with life in the UK.”

Over A Barrel is on until 10^th September 2023 – £5 entry

The Ascension Years is on until 3^rd September 2023 – Free entry. Also, on Friday 1^st September 6.30-8.30pm there is a Q&A with Tee Max at the BCA, Hidden in Plain Sight: A (re) introduction to Tee Max – details here.

Proverbs of the Windrush Child is on until 10^th September 2023 – Free 

Visit blackculturalarchives.org for details of all of the above.

Dreaming Whilst Black 

Making me chuckle this month, is this sitcom on BBC Three (on Showtime in the USA).

Dreaming Whilst Black began as a web series and is now a six-part comedy (whose pilot won a BAFTA).  

Co-written by and starring Adjani Salmon, Dreaming Whilst Black follows working-class Kwabena (Salmon) who dreams of becoming a filmmaker, but he’s broke and stuck in a less-than-fulfilling recruitment job. When an opportunity make a change comes along, can Kwabena take the leap to make his dream a reality?

I found Kwabena easy to empathise with and I loved the characters around him as well. This show has warmth and heart and I laughed in recognition a number of times too.

All episodes of Dreaming Whilst Black are available on iPlayer now. 

The series will be streaming on Showtime from 8^th September.

Last but not least is this month’s kitchen dance track. I’ve been listening to Glory by Gabriels on repeat. If you caught Elton John’s farewell Glastonbury set you might recognise Gabriels lead singer, Jacob Lusk from his guest appearance on the Pyramid Stage:

Over to you: What's been making you smile this month? Share in the comments below.