What's On Spring 2024

Advance bookings required for most events

WHAT’S ON Spring 2024 A seasonal programme of FREE events from Brent Libraries, Arts and Heritage

brent.gov.uk/whatson

UNDER 5s BOOKTRUST STORY AND RHYME TIME

EXHIBITIONS

International Mother Language Day Thursday 1 February – Friday 1 March Kingsbury Library Free This infographic display commemorates the UNESCO declared celebration of 21 February, highlighting the importance of mother tongues and showcasing Brent stories.

Exploring grief and loss through Art Wednesday 17 January – Friday 23 February The Library at Willesden Green Willesden Gallery Free Willesden Gallery is proud to present a group exhibition featuring London-based artists, exploring experience of loss and grief in contemporary art practice.

Bringing together 42 artists selected from an open call and showcasing a range of works including paintings, sculpture installation, video and photography, this exhibition explores the art of healing through creative expression.

BOOKING All events are free. Unless stated as drop in, all events require advance booking via the Brent Libraries, Arts and Heritage Eventbrite page. All events take place at library sites unless otherwise stated. Google or scan the QR code for more information and to book.

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Weekly story and rhyme time sessions for children under 5.

The Road to Freedom: Ending slavery in Britain Monday 19 February – Sunday 1 September

The Library at Willesden Green Exhibition Space

Second Floor Free Commemorating the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act and the 190th anniversary of the end of slavery, this exhibition provides insight into resistance and its relevance to modern day slavery.

Kilburn Library Kingsbury Library The Library at Willesden Green Harlesden Library Ealing Road Library Wembley Library

Tuesdays, 11 – 11.30am Wednesdays, 10.45 – 11.15am Wednesdays, 11 – 11.30am Thursdays, 11 – 11.30am Thursdays, 11 – 11.30am Fridays, 11 – 11.30am

Drop in Term time only unless otherwise stated.

SPECIAL BOOKTRUST STORYTIME AND RHYME TIME SESSIONS These sessions will take place on your library’s regular under 5s session day in the week’s beginning:

Monday 29 January National Storytelling Week: Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?

Fairytale and craft session.

World African Heritage Wednesday 1 May – Saturday 1 June Kingsbury Library Free Coinciding with World African Heritage Day, this display of items from the Brent Museum and Archives collection highlights the importance and diversity of African Heritage.

Monday 5 February Lunar New Year Celebrate the Year of the Dragon.

Monday 26 February St David’s Day Celebrate all things Welsh and St David Monday 4 March World Book Day Discover your favourite book character.

Monday 4 March Mother’s Day Make a Mother’s Day card!

Monday 11 March St Patrick’s Day Celebrate Ireland and St Patrick Monday 18 March Easter Storytelling and craft Monday 22 April St George’s Day Make a George and the dragon finger puppet.

Monday 20 May Elmer Day Celebrate by making an elephant mask.

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Ealing Road Library

EXPLORE LEARNING English and mathematics workshops

Celebrating Tamil Heritage Month Saturday 20 January 2.30 – 4.30pm Join the Tamil Reading Group to celebrate Tamil Heritage Month and the Harvest Festival. Refreshments will be provided. Drop in

Tropical Island Creative writing and capturing intrigue English KS2 Year 4 – Year 6 Wednesday 14 February 1 – 2pm A game of consequence to build interest and intrigue in storytelling.

National Storytelling Week and Start for Life: Oh my, what healthy teeth you have!

Thursday 1 February 1 – 2pm Oral health and story session for under 5s.

Ealing Road Coffee Morning Meet Manoj Kerai, author of The Burning Bride Tuesday 12 March 11am – 12 noon Brent-based author, Manoj Kerai will be talking about his novel, The Burning Bride.

Phonics Phonics screener and workshop Year 1 Saturday 30 March 3 – 4pm Investigate rhyming words using phonics.

Fruit Shop Problem-solving, systematic working Year 1 Friday 5 April 4 - 5pm Work systematically to find all possible combinations.

SATs KS2 SATs Exam techniques Year 6 Friday 31 May 4 – 5pm To book email wembley @explorelearning.co.uk

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Please provide the following details: • Dates and events you’d like to attend • Child’s name, • Child’s age • Parent/guardian contact number and email address.

KUMON Mathematics and English Children’s handwriting competitions For age 7+ Learn how to write in beautiful cursive script. Plus, handwriting competition, with prizes to be won!

Spring half term Monday 12 February 10.30am – 12.30pm Saturday 17 February 2pm – 4pm Easter Wednesday 3, Thursday 4 Monday 8 April 10.30am – 12.30pm Saturday 13 April 2pm – 4pm

Summer half term Saturday 1 June 2pm – 4pm

FAMILY GARDENING WORKSHOPS

Fun maths marathon For ages 4+ Join this ‘mathathon’ day for timed challenges and and a times table quiz.

Prizes to be won!

Beginner’s gardening Thursday 15 February 2.30 – 4pm A introduction to the world of plants and gardening with educator and author Michael Holland.

Spring half term Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14 February 10.30am – 12.30pm Easter Friday 5 April 10.30am – 12.30pm Summer half term Wednesday 29 May 10.30am – 12.30pm To book please call 074 2461 8724, or email: gracefulhandwriting @gmail.com Please provide the following details: • Dates and events you’d like to attend • Child’s name • Child’s age • Parent/guardian contact number and email address.

Developing Ealing Road Library’s garden: gardening fun for adults and children!

Make a dancing fire-breathing dragon Wednesday 14 February 2.30 – 3.30pm Celebrate the Lunar New Year with this twirling and mystical craft.

For ages 5-11. Drop in Ealing Road Coffee Morning Getting to know the garden Tuesday 19 March 11am – 12.30pm Discover the art of gardening and take away something to grow at home as well as discovering techniques to help you to save money as you garden. With author and educator Michael Holland.

Spring into the garden Wednesday 3 April 2.30 – 4pm Michael Holland will show you some simple gardening techniques to help Ealing Road Library’s garden grow, plus pot your own plant to take home.

Easter craft Pop-up spring chickens Thursday 4 April 2.30 – 3.30pm Come and create your pop-up character.

Craft activity for ages 5 – 11. Drop in

Spring hopping bunnies Thursday 11 April 2.30 – 3.30pm Create a hopping bunny.

Craft activity for ages 5 – 11. Drop in

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LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS WORKSHOPS For Children aged 5 – 11. Drop in Easter craft Tuesday 2, Wednesday 3, Thursday 4 and Friday 5 April 10.30 – 11.30am and 12 noon – 1pm Create a selection of Easter-themed crafts.

Nature and recycling Monday 8, Tuesday 9, Wednesday 10, Thursday 11 April 10.30 – 11.30am and 12 noon – 1pm Craft activity - preserve nature and protect the environment.

Ealing Road Library

FILM CLUB

Ealing Road Library

STEM CLUB

Wednesdays 4 – 5.30pm Science, technology, engineering and mathematics workshops for children aged 8-11.

Make a Ladybug with flashing eyes 31 January Discover how everything runs on electricity.

Become a star catcher 28 February Build your own astrolabe.

Sutayta 27 March The first Muslim female mathematician.

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Around Europe and Africa Tuesday 28, Wednesday 29, Thursday 30, Friday 31 May 10.30 – 11.30am and 12 noon – 1pm Learn about endangered species and international days in Africa and Europe.

Make your own radio 24 April Discover how electromagnetic waves enable radio communication.

Robots and elephant clocks 29 May Make a clock using only water.

A stroll down sensory lane 26 June Fun activities to explore the senses.

2.30 – 4.30pm Screening of animated films for children aged 5 – 12. Drop in The Little Mermaid Thursday 15 February Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Thursday 11 April Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Thursday 30 May Animal Antics Craft workshop Wednesday 29 May 2.30 – 3.30pm Create interesting and imaginative new animals.

For ages 5 – 11. Drop in

Harlesden Library National Storytelling Week and Start for Life Tuesday 30 January Thursday 1 Feburary 1 – 2pm A fun session of stories, rhymes, and mark making for U5s and their families.

Make a dancing fire-breathing dragon Thursday 15 February 2.30 – 3.30pm Celebrate the Lunar New Year with this twirling and mystical craft. For ages 5 – 11. Drop in Harlesden Coffee Morning Fraud and scams: Don’t miss a trick Tuesday 20 February 11am – 12 noon Join staff from HSBC bank to learn how to protect yourself from fraud and scams.

Easter craft Pop-up spring chickens Thursday 4 April 2.30 – 3.30pm Create your pop-up character. Craft activity for ages 5 – 11. Drop in

Laureate’s Library Tour!

Tuesday 5 March, 5-6pm

Join Poet Laureate Simon Armitage on his 10-year tour as he celebrates libraries across the UK. Harlesden Library is pleased to present Simon with a showcase of Somali folklore and history through poetry plus Qoran dance performance. With special guests Asha-Lul Mohamud Yusuf and Clare Pollard, who will give bilingual readings from The Sea-Migrations: Tahriiib, awarded Poetry Book of the Year by The Sunday Times in 2018. For ages 11+ Harlesden Coffee Morning Managing Personal Finance Tuesday 7 May 11am – 12.30pm Join Brent Start to learn how to budget effectively to help with the cost-of-living crisis.

Spring hopping bunnies Thursday 11 April 2.30 – 3.30pm Create a hopping bunny.

Craft activity for ages 5 – 11. Drop in

Animal Antics Craft workshop Tuesday 28 May 2.30 – 3.30pm Create interesting and imaginative new animals.

For ages 5 – 11. Drop in Family craft: Make an anti-modern slavery poster Thursday 30 May 2.30 – 4.30pm How did the abolitionists use posters to campaign against slavery? Find out and design your own colourful antislavery poster.

Age 5+ 7

Kilburn Library Kilburn Coffee Morning Fraud and scams: Don’t miss a trick Wednesday 7 February 11am – 12 noon Join staff from HSBC bank to learn how to protect yourself from fraud and scams.

Kingsbury Library Veganuary: Trust your gut!

Tuesday 30 January 11.15am – 12.15pm Learn about prebiotics and probiotics in this session with Brent Start. Plus get hands-on and make some healthy snacks using leftovers.

National Storytelling Week and Start for Life: Once upon a story Wednesday 31 January 1 – 2pm Discover how to support your child’s communication and language development at this 8

fun session. From the Speech and Language Therapy Team.

Make a dancing fire-breathing dragon Tuesday 13 February 2.30 – 3.30pm Celebrate the Lunar New Year with this twirling and mystical craft. For ages 5+.

Drop in Kingsbury Coffee Morning Managing Personal Finance Workshop Tuesday 27 February 11am – 12.30pm Join Brent Start to learn how to budget effectively.

Kingsbury Coffee Morning Kingsbury Works, 1915 to1980 Tuesday 26 March 11am – 12 noon Join Philip Grant, from Wembley History Society, to discover the fascinating story of a factory that helped to produce aircraft for both WWI and WW2.

Easter craft Pop-up spring chickens Tuesday 2 April 2.30 – 3.30pm Come and create your pop-up character.

For ages 5 – 11. Drop in

Easter craft Spring hopping bunnies Tuesday 9 April 2.30 – 3.30pm Create a hopping bunny.

For ages 5 – 11. Drop in Kingsbury Coffee Morning Fraud and scams: Don’t miss a trick Tuesday 30 April 11am – 12 noon Join staff from HSBC bank to learn how to protect yourself from fraud and scams.

Apples and Snake’s flagship SPINE Festival is a biennial pan-London spoken word and arts festival for children and families delivered in libraries across 16 boroughs including Brent, at Kingsbury Library.

Kingsbury Coffee Morning Diet and Health with dietitian Salma Mehar Tuesday 21 May 11am – 12 noon Join consultant dietitian Salma Mehar to learn about the local lifestyle programmes to support people living with or at risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

For 2024 SPINE returns with a lite edition from 21 March – 21 April exploring the theme of magic and imagination. SPINE Festival Lite will feature the launch of the SPIN! anthology edited by Joseph Coelho (SPINE 2023 Ambassador and Waterstones’ Children’s Laureate 2022-24), creative writing workshops designed and delivered by SPINE’s poets-in-residence as well as fun activities from local Brent artists.

Animal Antics Craft workshop Tuesday 28 May 2.30 – 3.30pm Create interesting and imaginative new animals.

For ages 5 – 11. Drop in

SPINE FESTIVAL LITE 2024

Wembley Library National Storytelling Week Saturday 27 January – Sunday 4 February Join us for a celebration of the power of sharing stories. Drop in.

Storytelling with Margaret Bateson-Hill

Saturday 27 January Under 5s: 2 – 2.30pm All ages: 2.45 – 3.45pm Sunday 28 January Under 5s: 1 – 1.30pm All ages: 2 – 3pm Under 5s Five little ducks went out one day, The big wide mouthed frog All ages Rabbit and the wolves

EXPLORE LEARNING English and mathematics workshops Treasure hunt coordinates and reasoning maths KS2

Year 4 – Year 6 Friday 26 January 4 – 5pm Navigate ships through the treacherous sea and around the rocks using 2D grids.

Introduction to 11+ Year 3 – Year 4 Saturday 17 February 3 – 4pm Learn what is required to pass the 11+ exam.

To book email wembley @explorelearning.co.uk Please provide the following details: • Dates and events you’d like to attend • Child’s name, • Child’s age • Parent/guardian contact number and email address.

Getting back into work with Shaw Trust Mondays 12 February, 11 March, 8 April, 13 May 11am – 12 noon Join one of our information sessions to find out how the Shaw Trust can help you join the 13,000 people they have supported back into work so far. Drop in 9

PRINCE RUPERT, COUNT PALATINE ©NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON

The Library at Willesden Green Listen Local Young Writers Tuesday 23 January 5 – 7:30pm Kiln Theatre is recruiting 10 first-time writers aged 18-30 who live, learn or earn in Brent. Join a series of writing workshops and 1:1 tutorials to develop your first play!

Scan QR code to book.

National Storytelling Week Saturday 27 January – Sunday 4 February Join us for a celebration of the power of sharing stories. Drop in.

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Storytelling with Margaret Bateson-Hill

Saturday 27 January Under 5s: 10.45 – 11.15am All ages: 11.30am – 12.30pm Under 5s Five little ducks went out one day, The big wide mouthed frog All ages Rabbit and the wolves.

National Storytelling Week and Start for Life: Oh my, what healthy teeth you have!

Wednesday 31 January 1 – 2pm Oral health and story session for under 5s.

Getting back into work with Shaw Trust Thursdays 1 February, 7 March, 4 April, 2 May 11am – 12 noon Join one of our information sessions to find out how the Shaw Trust can help you join the 13,000 people they have supported back into work so far. Drop in

Willesden Green Coffee Morning Vietnamese silk painting: Lunar New Year art workshop Tuesday 6 February 11am – 12.30pm To celebrate Lunar New Year, join Art Responders’ Daryl Stenvoll-Wells for an art workshop exploring Vietnamese silk painting.

Liam MacCarthy and Sam Maguire: The forgotten sons of Ireland and their links to London Thursday 14 March 6.30 – 7.30pm Join historian Marcus Howard to find out more about sportsmen Sam Maguire and Liam MacCarthy, the most well-known, yet unknown men in Irish history.

Brent Museum and Archives LGBTQI+ Collecting Day Tuesday 13 February 2.30 – 4.30pm.

Do you have a history to share about your LGBTQI+ experiences in Brent? Join us to discover archival resources about LGBTQI+ people and communities in Brent and record your memories and experiences. There will be a fun colourful craft activity for ages 3+ and a warm welcome, plus refreshments.

Drop in

Autism-friendly morning Tuesday 2 April 9.30 – 10.30am An early opening of the library for ages 3 – 15, siblings, parents and carers. Join us for craft activities and to enjoy the museum and exhibitions.

Make a dancing fire-breathing dragon Wednesday 14 February 2.30 – 3.30pm Celebrate the Lunar New Year with this twirling and mystical craft. Craft activity for ages 5 – 11. Drop in.

All bookings will receive a visual story in advance.

The building opens to the public at 10.30am.

Easter craft Pop-up spring chickens Wednesday 3 April 2.30 – 3.30pm Come and create your pop-up character.

For ages 5 – 11. Drop in

Easter craft Spring hopping bunnies Tuesday 9 April 2.30 – 3.30pm Create a hopping bunny.

For ages 5 – 11. Drop in The legacy of musicians of Nigerian descent in the UK’s music eco-system Thursday 25 April 6.30-7.30pm Juwon Ogungbe’s audiovisual presentation traces the story of the symbiotic musical relationship between Nigeria and the UK. London Slave Owners Tuesday 14 May 6.30-7.30pm Discover the stories of the Londoners involved in the slave trade as plantation owners at this digital presentation.

Hair as heritage Thursday 23 May 6.30 – 7.30pm Lekia Lee discusses the impact of hair on cultural expression and heritage with emphasis on Nigeria. This event and The legacy of musicians of Nigerian descent in the UK’s music eco-system event are part of IROKO’s ‘Home from Home’ project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

OLAUDAH EQUIANO ©NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON

Family craft: Paper silhouettes inspired by the work of artist Kara Walker Tuesday 28 May 10.30am – 12.30pm Create a slavery themed character or story. Kara Elizabeth Walker is an American Artist, and professor who explores race, and identity. For ages 5+ Drop in Family craft: Make a portrait of an abolitionist Tuesday 28 May 2.30 – 4.30pm For ages 5+ Drop in Animal Antics Craft workshop Wednesday 29 May 2.30 – 3.30pm Create interesting and imaginative new animals.

For ages 5 – 11. Drop in Legacies of British Slave-Ownership with UCL Tuesday 4 June 6.30 – 7.30pm The UCL Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery has developed an open access digital database containing the identities of those slave-owners in the British colonies at the time slavery ended. Discover more about this work at this session.

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E-library Join Brent Libraries to access e-audio and e-books, e-newspapers, magazines, comics, reference and study materials on your device.

Libby Borrowbox uLibrary Pressreader

Contact Email: libraries@brent.gov.uk Telephone: 020 8937 3400 @WeLoveBrentLibraries @BrentLibraries @BrentCultureService

If you would like to request this information in a different language or format, such as accessible PDF, large print, easy read, BSL, audio recording or braille, email design@brent.gov.uk or call 020 8937 1234.