Bangor will mark Jamaica’s Emancipation Day, which commemorates the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, and Jamaica’s Independence Day, with a week of events from 1–6 August.
Known collectively as Emancipendence, the celebrations bring together the anniversaries of Emancipation Day on 1 August and Independence Day on 6 August, celebrating Jamaica’s history, heritage and the enduring links between Wales and the Caribbean.
This year’s events will reflect on the exchange visits that have taken place over the past two years between adults and young people from Jamaica and Wales. The visits were organised by Bangor-based Learning Links International and funded through the Welsh Government’s Taith initiative. The final exchange group returned to Wales in May and will share their experiences with members of the North Wales Jamaica Society during a Summer School held on Sunday afternoons at Penrhyn Castle.
The programme begins on Saturday, 1 August, from 10am to 12 noon at the One World Café, Penrhyn Hall, Bangor, where North Wales Jamaica Society researcher Lesley Evans will share remarkable stories emerging from the Penrhyn Papers held at Bangor University Archives. She will explain how the names of enslaved Africans who worked on the Pennant family plantations are being rediscovered through her research.
On Sunday, 2 August, from 2-4 pm, the North Wales Jamaica Society Summer School begins at Y Stablau, Penrhyn Castle. Each Monday evening, the programme will also be repeated on Zoom, allowing participants from Wales and Jamaica to learn and reflect together.
Further events include a Jamaican Quiz and Domino Night hosted by the North Wales Africa Society on Tuesday, 4 August, from 7-9 pm at the Bangor African and Caribbean Centre, 346 High Street, Bangor, where local teams will compete during the evening.
On Wednesday, 5 August, North Wales Jamaica Society members will spend the afternoon, from 2pm to 4pm, exploring more of the Penrhyn Papers at Bangor University Archives.
The celebrations conclude on Thursday, 6 August, at 2 pm with the annual online Jamaica–Wales Alliance Independence Day Celebration on Zoom, bringing together friends and partners from both sides of the Atlantic.
The North Wales Jamaica Society hopes the week will encourage more people across North Wales to discover the historical connections between Wales and Jamaica and consider becoming involved in future community projects. The Society welcomes new members, and membership is free.
For the full programme of events, Summer School registration, membership details and further information, visit www.nwjsonline.com.
