¡VAMOS!

¡VAMOS! is an annual festival promoting Latin and Lusophone cultures in North East of England. ¡VAMOS! is an internationally renowned event, bringing high profile acts to the region, as well as engaging with regional artists and aims to engage the Latin communities in the North East through cultural activities and education. It has also delivered editions in Leeds and Liverpool.

¡VAMOS! Festival’s heritage project ‘Commonality’

In April 2019 ¡VAMOS! Festival received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant for the heritage project “Commonality”, May and September 2019. The Commonality project aimed to document the relationship to UK and personal heritage for some of this BAME and Latin American community in the North East.

During June and July 2019 Yve Anthea Ngoo, Adah Tauriblack, Moises Bedrossian and Nikolas Barrera first recorded a glimpse into the personal stories, reflections, traditions and experiences of some of the BAME and Latin American community in the North East.

A celebratory sharing and exhibition event at Breeze Creatives in central Newcastle in September featured photography, video, live music, dance performance and food. The event included a performance by dancers Juliette and Georgina Lance exploring their heritage experience: 'feeling out of place as they grew up, whilst being welcomed into the Black Newcastle community’. Alongside the dance there was also two live music performances by Peruvian artist Alexis Alfaro, and African food from Nobia Amonobea Baah and Nobias Catering. The exhibition featured personal and honest narratives from nearly 30 interviewees presented as part of a video projection and photography within the gallery. Longer interviews will be presented online as part of a permanent website archive to be launched at a later date.