THE OG | THE ONLINE GATHERING | 9.30AM - 1.30PM, SATURDAY 8 MARCH
This International Women’s Day’s theme is #AccelerateAction...
We offer, instead, a provocation centred on self-care and well-being for everyone... specifically women and especially women of Black heritage.
Register for our FREE online retreat, THE OG | Online Gathering from 9.30am until 1.30pm on Saturday 8 March 2025, for a morning of yoga, mindfulness, somatic movement and sound healing, intersected with moments of reflection, poetry and interviews.
Hosted by Conscious Educator and Poet, Laurie O’Garro, THE OG features:
9.30am | Yoga | Ithalia Johnson | Artist, Yoga Teacher and Coach
10.30am | Mindfulness | Kareen Griffiths | Mindful Change Teacher, Speaker, DJ and Mental Health Advocate
11.30am | Somatic Movement | Lesley Asare | Multidisciplinary Artist and devoted Practitioner of Healing Arts
12.30pm | Sound Healing | Cherelle Sappleton | British-Caribbean interdisciplinary Artist
Honouring women of all heritages and open to all, THE OG is a FREE pre-event warm-up for MELAN8 Festival, which will take place on Saturday 29 March at St. Mary's Guildhall, Coventry.
MELAN8 2025 | FESTIVAL | 11AM - 7PM, SATURDAY 29 MARCH
MELAN8 Festival is a celebration of Black Arts and Culture, focused on the themes and intersections of Common/Unity and Community.
This year, the festival will take place at St Mary's Guildhall on Saturday 29 March 2025 and will celebrate, explore and engage with Black culture and community through articulated thought and artistic expression including panels, keynotes, live music, live singing, dance, poetry and book readings, comedy, Ethiopian Coffee Ceremonies, professional development workshops on creative writing, theatrical direction and publishing, tours and audio tours, children’s arts and crafts, face painting and a few more surprises too!
MELAN8 FESTIVAL | ST. MARY'S GUILDHALL, COVENTRY | 11AM-7PM, SATURDAY 29 MARCH
GREAT HALL: Panels, keynotes, live music, DJs, live singing, dance, group discussions
DRAPERS ROOM: Workshops on Creative Writing (3hrs), Publishing (45mins), Theatrical Direction (45mins) and Kizomba Dance (45mins) (places allocated on a first-come, first-served basis)
UNDERCROFT: Book readings, live music, workshops, food and drink plus an Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
MEDIEVAL KITCHEN: Book Fayre with readings and a children's face painter and glitter tattooist!
FILM ROOM: Award-winning film positively platforming Black artists
MUNIMENT ROOM: Starting point for Site Tours (30mins) or Frederick Douglass Audio Tours (40mins)
MERCERS ROOM: Arts and Crafts for Children (all children must be accompanied by an adult parent or carer)
Tickets from £5, Festival + After-Party Passes and GO CV MEMBER discounts
MELAN8 2025 | AFTER-PARTY | 7.30PM - 12MIDNIGHT, SATURDAY 29 MARCH
The MELAN8 After-Party is a medley of live music, karaoke, comedy, games, prizes and DJ sets; a true mix of Common/Unity and Community.
We want to celebrate the now at the MELAN8 After-Party; an acknowledgement of the fun, joy and laughter that can be created within community.
Join us for music, comedy, karaoke, games and prizes plus Paint N Party; facilitated painting workshops, complete with painting resources, aprons and a drinks package to help you paint more like Picasso! All for a tenner. Then dance the night away in either the Undercroft or the Great Hall, with our DJs playing the best in RNB, Soul, Motown, UK Garage, Drum ‘n’ Bass, Hip Hop, Dancehall, Bashment, Reggae and more!
MELAN8 AFTER-PARTY | ST. MARY'S GUILDHALL, COVENTRY | 7.30PM-12MIDNIGHT, SATURDAY 29 MARCH
GREAT HALL: Comedy, live music, DJs, karaoke, dance, fun competitions
UNDERCROFT: Music, comedy, DJs and Paint N Party (£10; places allocated on a first-come, first-served basis)
Tickets from £5, Festival + After-Party Passes and GO CV MEMBER discounts
