The lives and works of Black British Pioneers are celebrated with two special film nights at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, this month.​

Black British Pioneers: Then (Friday 9 May) delves into the film archives to recover stories from those working within the arts, who shifted culture and created new worlds.

Among the five films screened are 1992’s Gender Bender, which explores the life of "gender illusionist" Winston, the trailblazing MC at Kinky Gerlinky - the seminal West End nightclub frequented by such figures as pop star Boy George and performance artist Leigh Bowery; and The Homecoming: A Short Film About Ajamu which follows leading photographer Ajamu Ikwe-Tyehimba (aka Ajamu X) as he prepares for the opening of his first major exhibition.

Made in 1995, The Homecoming is the first film by Coventry-born Afro-Queer artist/filmmaker Topher Campbell, who went on to co-found Black Queer arts collective rukus! Federation with Ajamu.

Keeping with the photographic theme, the programme also includes a rare screening of the 1990 documentary Sistren In Photography, in which five female Birmingham photographers - Maxine Walker, Claudette Holmes, Balbir Kaur, Vicky Okoosi and Dawn Selman - discuss their work.

Two films set in Liverpool - 1979’s Steel n Skin and 1986’s Ella - are also screened.

In addition to the documentary shorts, pioneering Black British photographer Vanley Burke will also be conversation with Warwick Arts Centre's Director, Doreen Foster.

The following week Black British Pioneers: Now (Thursday 15 May) brings the story up to the present. Featuring six contemporary dramas that explore how Black British experiences are interpreted with movement and music, the programme also demonstrates how the legacy of earlier generations of storytellers has been continued.

Starring BAFTA Rising Star award-winner Bukky Bakray, writer/director Tracey Lopes's coming-of-age The Girls' Room won the Best Screenplay award at BAFTA recognised S.O.U.L Film Festival 2023, while Warda Mohamed's debut narrative short Muna picked up Best Short Film and Best Actress at the British Short Film Awards.

Both Muna and Greg Francis' 1 Up broadly find their young central characters exploring themes around family, identity and heritage in the face of loss, while the African dance-inspired Burn From The Inside documents a visceral performance from Cassa Pancho's acclaimed Ballet Black - a company who've transformed the landscape of British ballet.

Naomi Soneye-Thomas’ Oya, Dance! and interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker Darryl Daley’s Youlogy/ No Ghost complete the second programme.

Black British Pioneers: Then and Now has been curated by Tosin Alapafuja (BFI Assistant Curator Archive Platforms).