Celebrate Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela And Malala Yousafzai

Rachel Holdsworth
By Rachel Holdsworth Last edited 128 months ago
Celebrate Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela And Malala Yousafzai

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The Southbank Centre is celebrating three individuals who made huge differences to people's rights.

28 August is the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King delivering the famous I Have a Dream speech. Apples and Snakes has put together a free event that'll take place in front of the Royal Festival Hall – the open air setting reflecting how King made his speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, and just all the better to have a party. Acclaimed US spoken word artists and musicians The Last Poets will make a rare UK appearance alongside Charlie Dark, Salena Godden and Hollie McNish (who you've probably seen making a splash with her YouTube poems about breastfeeding and immigration). There'll be choirs and beats and film, all from 7pm.

Twenty-seven writers, poets, musicians and spoken word artists will celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela on 18 September by performing a piece each in his honour. With the former President of South Africa still critically ill in hospital, this is either spectacularly well or badly timed depending on your point of view; either way, it could turn out to be a beautiful way to mark his achievements. Tickets cost £12 / £10.

Finally, though by absolutely no means least, Malala Yousafzai will talk about her life and campaign for girls' education that resulted in the Taliban trying to kill her. What's good enough for the UN is good enough for London, and you can book to see her talk on 20 October. Tickets are £12 / £10.

Last Updated 25 July 2013