Join BlackFest at Mary Seacole House as we celebrate International Mother Language Day and announce the winners of our campaign.
International Mother Language Day, on 21 February, is a day to celebrate and protect all the languages of the world.
In honour of many moments at BlackFest where we have discussed language in great depth and how important the role language has on politics, colonialism, culture, relationships and identity we would mark and celebrate International Mother Language Day declared by UNESCO and observed on the 21st February 2021 on 17th November,1999.
We are happy to be partnering with Mary Seacole House – Liverpool’s leading Mental Health charity for multicultural communities. Supporting people to improve their Health & Wellbeing. It is a place where people with diverse social and cultural backgrounds can come together in a safe and welcoming environment. We promote a culture of inclusion and belonging.
The organisation endeavours to address the needs of communities facing racial inequalities within the Liverpool area, along with providing community-based services which supports and encourages people to challenge inappropriate practices and treatment within the mental health system. Mary Seacole House engage people with over 27 languages in the community. This will be a way to celebrate the diversity in the Liverpool City Region.
The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh. It was approved at the 1999 UNESCO General Conference and has been observed throughout the world since 2000.
UNESCO believes in the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity for sustainable societies. It is within its mandate for peace that it works to preserve the differences in cultures and languages that foster tolerance and respect for others.
Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.
We will be sharing and discussing many language pieces and experiences on the day with a world wide buffet and donations can be made where possible.
-We are accepting submissions in all froms of creative writing
-Poetry
– Prose
-Storytelling
-Folklore
-Short/Flash Fiction
-You can submit an existing piece or create one for the competition.
-You can submit your pieces in any language, can be a mixture bi-lingual and/or what your relationship with your mother tongue is even in yearning, loving or in nuanced ways we want to hear from you.
Submit to: info@blackfest.co.uk
Deadline: 19th February
Winners will be revealed on the day
3 Cash prizes to be won with a £100 top prize
There will be a buffet available of cuisines around the world
We are accepting donations where possible
