Documentary

To celebrate 25 years since its inception, Claud and Paula are making a Black Angel documentary to ensure the experiences of Black and Asian LBT women aren’t lost to time. The Black Angel documentary will premiere in 2023.

Black Angel: Feel Free To Be

Black Angel: Feel Free To Be tells the story of why two young lesbians of Caribbean descent, Claud and Paula, felt the need to create what became a trailblazing club night.

Growing up Black and queer in the 70s & 80s, Claud and Paula felt isolated and painfully aware of the lack of Black LBT representation. Homophobia was a given in everyday life, culminating in section 28 which prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” by local authorities. Everything queer was negative, even more so within the black community.

When they came out it was not the utopia either of them had imagined on making this epic emotional journey. They found the Manchester scene to be white and male dominated. Once again there was little to identify with and women, especially black and brown women, felt excluded.

Black Angel was born out of the need to hear the music Claud and Paula wanted to dance to, to see people who looked like them, to not be in a minority, to provide a safe space where Black and Asian women (be they trans, lesbian, bisexual or non-binary) could feel safe and express themselves. All were welcome as long as they respected where they were.

The Documentary

A Safe Space For Queer Black And Asian Women

In 2023 it will be 25 years since Black Angel’s inception. This story needs to be told to mark the anniversary, to ensure that the voices of Black and Asian LBT women are heard, that our stories aren’t lost to time and to inspire the next generation of Black and Asian LBT women.

Black Angel: Feel free to be will delve into how and why Claud and Paula started Black Angel and its significance to the other women who attended. It will tell the story of what it meant to finally be in a place where they belonged, where they felt safe, and where they could feel free to be.

The story will be told predominantly through personal testimonies, accompanied by archival imagery and footage from our 25^th Anniversary party.

Gallery

Support Black Angel

This year Black Angel is bringing Black and Asian LBT women to the fore again with a documentary about the history of Black Angel, accompanied by a powerful touring exhibition of archive images taken over 25 years of groundbreaking events.

You can support this project by buying tickets to the Black Angel 25 club night, donation to our upcoming crowdfunding campaign, or buying some of our merchandise.

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