COLD ISLANDERS
About
Cold Islanders is a UK based community initiative that curates events for and with the Caribbean community.
From the beginning, Cold Islanders has been driven by the goal to create, hold and nourish community spaces. This is through our programme of events created to encourage collective learning; such as through the likes of panel talks, creation; art classes, and connection; facilitated wellness spaces and intention setting dinners.
Community
Creativity
Care
Upcoming events
Want to get involved?
If you’re a venue, organisation or individual who would like to get involved in any capacity, drop us a message. We exist because of our community and are eager to connect with more people who can help to support and benefit from Cold Islanders.
Some of our previous events include
Folklore Storytelling
On a surprisingly sunny autumn day we headed to the library for a folklore storytelling sessions, where we read extracts of our favourite stories and explored the history of traditional carnival characters.
Thanks to Sean Reilly, Holborn Library, Stuart Keegan and Bloomsbury Festival for your collaboration!
Intention setting dinner
In the new year Cold Islanders invited Caribbean women to join us at a local restaurant for a dinner party focused around intention setting for the year ahead.
Thanks to No.63, Dalston for hosting us!
Cold Islanders Film Club
Over the summer 2024 Cold Islanders hosted a trio of film clubs where we gathered to watch The Harder They Come, Dancehall Queen and a selection of short films by local Caribbean filmmakers followed by a Q&A.
London’s Screen Archives joined at each screening to share a trailer of their new ‘Undocumented’ project in partnership with The New Black Film Collective. Windrush Justice Clinic also joined Cold Islanders on the final evening to talk about the work they’re doing to help victims of the hostile immigration environment receive the compensation they deserve.
Cold Islanders Film Club has continued with shorts programmes and will be returning for more screenings of Caribbean features throughout 2025.
Thanks to Film London & Girl Dreamer for helping to fund the vision, The Orange Room for hosting us 🍊& Theo Angus for the snaps 📸
Black Adoption: A call to the community panel talk
We gathered with a panel of black adopters, adoptees and social workers to discuss the adoption process and why we need more black adopters.
Thanks to Holy Cross Church St. Pancras, Bernadette, Alison, Tiger-lilly,Christelle and Lou for your support and knowledge!
Community lunch and theatre trip
We partnered with Stratford East for an afternoon of food, domino’s, card games, DJ and free tickets to ‘The Big Life’!
Thanks to @poetic.phot, @djlongers, Nailah Cumberbatch
and @islandvibezkitchen for providing vibes, food and photos.
Threads of the Caribbean
Cold Islanders hosted a series of workshops celebrating cloth and fabric throughout the Caribbean.
We hosted a workshop focused on archiving Caribbean garments and textiles with artist Jasmine Karis, another workshop on creating traditional madras headpieces with Sakafet London and another one on Indigo dyeing with Samantha Russell.
Thanks to Jasmine-Karis, Sakafet London and Samantha Russell for their expertise and kindness. The Vibast Centre for hosting us and Annabelle King for the photography!
This project has been awarded as part of the Imagine Fund which is a participatory grant making scheme supported by the Barbican Centre and City of London Corporation.
Find out more here:
https://www.barbican.org.uk/take-part/communities-neighbourhoods .
"You can see time and care put into this."
"Amazing, especially loved carnival characters and reading list."
"You can see time and care put into this." "Amazing, especially loved carnival characters and reading list."
"The atmosphere is wonderful, with everyone around us enjoying the event."
"I love the community spirit and coming together."
"The atmosphere is wonderful, with everyone around us enjoying the event." "I love the community spirit and coming together."
Follow our journey
