The UK’s only dedicated film club celebrating the folk and working culture of the British Isles is back for their last regular event before they launch into the 2026 OffBeat Folk Film Festival in May, writes Myfanwy Fleming-Jones…
The film club is joined by British Film Institute staff member and freelance curator and researcher, Gabriel Leavey, for two evenings of archive screenings and discussions. Leavey’s latest curation The Land Between Race & Place, explores the rural Black British experience and where this fits within folk culture.
Leavey will be delving into the dialogues and lived experiences of Black Britishness and its association with an ‘Urban’ identity. She will be asking what happens when your roots are suburban or wildly rural and what makes up the definition of being ‘folk’.
Leavey says: “I have always struggled with the general understanding of Black British identity as ‘urban’, because I grew up deep in the countryside. I started digging into the hidden history of Black British people and was amazed to find we’ve been here all along.”
The OffBeat Folk Film Club shares the stories of everyday people and offers an inclusive picture of British culture, with regular screenings and panel discussions of a variety of films and videos frequently taking place across London.
The Land Between Race and Place will be screened next week on the 9th March at Walthamstow Trades Hall from 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM and on the 12th March at SET Social in Peckham.
Tickets to attend cost £10 and can be bought from the OffBeat Folk Film Club ticket tailor website. The screenings will be accompanied by panels, cheap beer, pizza and samosas.
Photo Credit: Gabriel Leavey
