Coventry City Council: Beach Inna Bondage (Black History Month Screening and Panel Discussion)

🎥 🇯🇲 🇬🇧 As part of 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹’𝘀 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲, join us on 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟰 𝗮𝘁 𝟰𝗽𝗺 (UK time) for a 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 of 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗴𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 at the 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 in 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆, followed by a 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 exploring beach access, colonial legacies, land ownership and community rights. This event will be 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱, allowing audiences to watch both the film and the discussion online. 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁! 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 🙏🏿🖤✊🏿

𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹: 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗴𝗲 (𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻)
Date: Saturday October 24, 2026
Time: 4-6pm (UK time)
Venue: Priory Visitor Centre (Undercrofts)
Address: 1 Hill Top, Coventry CV1 5AB 🇬🇧
Title: 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗴𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲
Director: 𝗘𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 & 𝗘𝗹𝘀𝗶𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗲𝗿 in collaboration with 𝗝𝗮𝗕𝗕𝗘𝗠 & 𝗞𝗲𝘇𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗱𝗶
Year: 2026
Duration: 30′
Extra: Followed by a 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 with Beach Inna Bondage director 𝗘𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀, JaBBEM attorney 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲, and activist filmmaker 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗮𝘀𝘁, facilitated by 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀, exploring beach access, colonial legacies, land ownership, and community rights
Extra: 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱, allowing audiences to watch both the film and the discussion online!
Tickets: 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, but please register here: www.coventry.gov.uk/blackhistorymonth

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗴𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲
𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗴𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 (2026) is a new documentary by Kingston-based filmmaking duo 𝗘𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 and 𝗘𝗹𝘀𝗶𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗲𝗿 in collaboration with 𝗝𝗮𝗕𝗕𝗘𝗠 and 𝗞𝗲𝘇𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗱𝗶 exploring the growing struggle for beach access in Jamaica. Since the 1950s, public access to the island’s beaches has steadily declined, leaving less than one percent of the coastline publicly accessible for Jamaicans. Over the decades, most of Jamaica’s beaches have been captured by private and tourist interests, and particularly since the 2000s large-scale hotel developments have limited beach access for Jamaicans.

This film follows the grassroots movement resisting the privatization of Jamaican beaches by zooming in on three frontline struggles: Bob Marley Beach near Kingston, the Blue Lagoon in the parish of Portland, and Mammee Bay Beach on the island’s North Coast. The interviewees, all Jamaicans, reveal how the 1956 Beach Control Act, which is still in effect today, vests ownership of the foreshore in the Jamaican state (and actually the British Crown) and traces how this colonial-era law, combined with the island’s all-inclusive tourism model, has displaced communities, disrupted livelihoods, and degraded environments. Interwoven with archival footage, news clips, and recordings of protest rallies and court cases, the interviewees situate today’s beach access struggles within Jamaica’s troubled history of land ownership following emancipation and independence. They argue that the island’s tourism industry replicates plantation logic by monopolizing land, concentrating wealth, exporting profits, and, ultimately, marginalizing the people.

𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗴𝗲 shows that beach access, which is not only an issue in Jamaica but across the Caribbean and beyond, is an urgent matter of historical, economic, social, cultural and environmental justice, raising the question of who the tropical paradise of sun, sand, and sea truly serves, and at what cost…

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗝𝗮𝗕𝗕𝗘𝗠
JaBBEM (Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement) is a grassroots movement dedicated to protecting Jamaica’s coastal ecosystems while affirming the inherent right of all people to access, enjoy, and steward the island’s beaches. Rooted in the belief that Jamaica’s shores are part of a shared cultural and ecological inheritance, JaBBEM advocates against land privatization, tourism development, environmental degradation, and exclusionary practices that limit public access to coastal spaces. The movement brings together community members, environmental activists, cultural practitioners, and youth to promote sustainable coastal management, climate resilience, and environmental justice. Through beach cleanups, public education campaigns, policy advocacy, and cultural events, JaBBEM highlights the interconnectedness of ecological preservation and social equity. JaBBEM considers beaches not just as natural resources, but as vital spaces of history, identity, and community life – places where heritage, livelihood, and environmental responsibility meet. By mobilizing local voices and fostering collective action, the movement seeks to ensure that Jamaica’s beaches remain protected, accessible, and thriving for present and future generations. For more information, visit www.jabbem.org.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆
Caribbean Creativity is a Kingston- and Amsterdam-based non-profit organization that is, since 2008, committed to the programming and promotion of Caribbean and Caribbean-themed cinema. Over the years, Caribbean Creativity has hosted over 350 screenings in film theatres and at film festivals, including numerous premieres. In 2020, they launched YardVibes, a streaming platform featuring content from independent Caribbean and African filmmakers. YardVibes currently offers over 100 titles, including feature films, web series, documentaries, and short films, with new content added monthly. This year, they are based in Kingston, working on several film projects and film events, including this screening. For more information, visit www.caribbeancreativity.nl.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹
Coventry City Council is the local government authority responsible for administering the city of Coventry in the West Midlands, England. The council provides a wide range of public services, including education, housing, social care, urban planning, environmental management, and cultural development. It also supports community engagement, diversity and inclusion, and cultural initiatives that celebrate Coventry’s rich history and multicultural population. Through partnerships with local organizations, artists, and community groups, Coventry City Council contributes to the city’s cultural life and promotes opportunities for residents to participate in arts, heritage, and community activities.