London’s unsung cultural heroes will be honoured at a major arts festival launching this week.
More than 50 galleries, studios and venues will offer talks, tours and pop-up exhibitions for the Kensington & Chelsea Art Weekend. The event, which begins on Friday, will feature the work and life stories of local influencers alongside those of artists and celebrities.
A double-decker bus will drop visitors at 16 locations for free while broadcasting Portobello Radio interviews with “heroes” selected by residents. Among them is Sonny Blacks, a musician from Trinidad who has helped organise the Notting Hill carnival since it began in 1966. He was nominated “because he represents unity in the borough and has tirelessly devoted his time to promoting culture in the area”.
He said: “I feel very honoured. I came to England as a young man in a steel band and settled in the Notting Hill area. It is good to know my connection with the area, which was once known as a ghetto of London with difficult conditions, is seen as a positive thing.
Replies
Congratulations to you Sonny Blacks! Hats off to you. I truly commend you for all that you have done and continue to do in the promotion of our cultural art forms and reality especially our steel pan.