Report by Pippa Brooks

On Thursday 4th July Vogue Fabrics Dalston will be showing the first London community screening of Claire Lawrie’s award winning film, BEYOND “There’s always a black issue Dear”, as part of a week of programming leading up to UK Black Pride 2019. This is the first of many screenings, so keep an eye on the website, for news of more showings.

Photographer Claire Lawrie grew up on the London club scene in the Eighties and Nineties, modelling and performing alongside the cast of her film. This brings so much intimacy to her interviews with Andy Polaris, Frank Akinsete, Kenny Campbell, Kenrick Davis (and his fabulous mum!), Lanah P, Les Child, Nicky Green, Robb Scott, Roy Brown and Winn Austin.

These are the black, queer trailblazers who grew up in London in the Sixties and Seventies, children of the Windrush generation, whose voices aren’t celebrated enough in the history of queer culture. Lawrie was shooting a group portrait of the stars of her film, when she had the idea to make her first film.

All the subjects of her film have been hugely influential in the worlds of fashion, art, dance, music; finding their chosen family in the creative hotbed of London clubs. Against the the harsh backdrop of Thatcher’s Britain, multiculturalism and sexual freedom were relatively new, and they all had to be strong to survive and make an impression in a world that was often hostile. Don’t miss this important, moving – at times hilarious – celebration of these legendary London children.