The Blessing: Power of Community
Join us for a spectacular celebration marking Windrush Day and Refugee Week 2025 that will bring together musicians, artists and our local community.
About This Event
A partnership between Hackney Empire, Counterpoints Arts, and Rising Tide, The Blessing will be guided by conversations and creative collaboration between young people and their elders. We will celebrate the superpowers of Community and Welcome, pay tribute to the contributions and experiences of refugee and Windrush generations, and fill the theatre with rhythm and joy.
During The Blessing we will be presenting a theatricalised version of traditional Afrocuban music for the ancestors. We will be playing batá drum rhythms for the ancestors and singing praise songs for Oduduwa, the mythological founding figure of the Yoruba nation. We will be taking simple musical elements that come from sacred practices and respectfully weaving them into a contemporary theatrical presentation.
Funded by the Windrush Day Grant Scheme, supported by Ministry of Housing Community and Local Government administered by Near Neighbours.
This is a fee paying event. Tickets will cost £10 - £30. (plus £1.20 per ticket online, £1.40 per ticket over the phone) Generations Together Tickets are available:
Young people can bring someone from an older generation for free – and vice versa. Whether it's a grandparent and grandchild, a mentor and mentee, or just two friends from different eras, The Blessing is all about sharing experiences across generations. This offer is valid on up to 4 tickets per person.
- • Young Person – Under 25
- • Middle Generation – 25-59
- • Older Generation – 60+
You can book by visiting: https://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/events/the-blessing
Accessibility Information
This performance will contains the use of haze, frequently changing lighting states and performers in the auditorium. Hackney Empire is wheelchair accessible. For further information, please call 02085104500
