Hello, it’s Bianca here, Project Manager for Rekindling Nello James. I’m excited to welcome you to the very first post on our blog!
This space will act as a living journal of our 12-month heritage project, celebrating the legacy of the Nello James Centre and writer, activist and intellectual C.L.R. James. Each month, you’ll hear from different voices across the project — team members, community partners, and local residents. Together, these entries will capture our journey, reflections, and the memories being shared and created along the way.
By the end of the year, this blog will hold a collective archive: a reminder of the people and perspectives that shaped our Rekindling Nello James project.
Our Beginning
On Saturday 13 September 2025, we launched the project with our community at the Kath Locke Centre. It felt important to begin by hearing directly from the past – through rare first-hand film footage of the Nello James Centre. In collaboration with broadcaster Karen Gabay, filmmakers Martin Lightening and John Crumpton, and the North West Film Archive, we curated the launch around two powerful screenings.
The event opened with words from Ruth Ibegbuna, our Rekindle Founder and CEO, who spoke about how Rekindle came to life and why this project matters. I then shared an introduction to Rekindling Nello James and what lies ahead. We then began the screening with a special extract from the BBC Arena documentary Upon Westminster Bridge, featuring an extraordinary exchange between C.L.R. James and dub poets Michael Smith and Linton Kwesi Johnson.
From there, we moved into the newly restored Nello James Documentary. Originally filmed in the late 1970s and early 80s, the footage was lost for more than 40 years before being painstakingly restored by the filmmakers and digitised by the North West Film Archive. The updated version also includes more recent material, tracing the Centre’s development into a hub of Black community activism and an invaluable resource for Whalley Range and beyond.
Hearing from Karen, the filmmakers, and Julian Sharp (also known as JR the documentary’s original narrator) made the past feel present. Even more powerful were the moments when community members, including nurses, teachers, and activists who had shaped the Centre, stood to share their own stories. For some, it was a moving return to memories; for others, it was an introduction to a history unfolding on their doorstep.
“Seeing CLR James speaking about literature and politics felt empowering in today’s climate.”
“It’s about the memories and the history of what we have done.”
“Such an exciting project… this day celebrated us.”
We closed the day with Caribbean food from ARMR Store, leaving with full bellies and even fuller hearts.
Looking Ahead
For me, this first gathering was a powerful reminder: Rekindling Nello James is not just about preserving history – it’s about honouring the people who lived it, ensuring their legacy continues, and creating space for the next generation to be inspired.
I’m looking forward to sharing more updates with you here, alongside the many voices that will guide this project over the next year.
— Written by Bianca Danielle
Rekindling Nello James is funded by Heritage Lottery and supported by Contact Theatre and the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust.
Some pictures from the day:
