Ballet Black, Ingoma, at Sadler’s Wells [Ash]

• For 25 years, Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black has brought bold new ballet to stages across the UK, creating and sharing original stories with dancers from around the world. This landmark double bill features Ingoma (2019), the choreographic debut of former Company dancer Mthuthuzeli November. Inspired by the 1946 South African miners’ strike, a precursor to the anti-apartheid movement, Ingoma evokes the suffering and resilience of Black miners and their communities, bringing rarely told stories to the stage. Alongside it comes all towards hope, a joyful new commission from Hope Boykin, a two-time Bessie Award winner, making her UK choreographic debut. 7.30pm, Oct 14-17. sadlerswells.com/

• A six-musician ensemble from the project Abolition Song and its Legacies (ASaiL) will bring to life rarely heard British anti-slavery art songs from 1787 to c1830, interwoven with readings from 18th-century Black writers. Written mainly by composers engaged with Abolitionist networks, in which women played a vital part, the songs disappeared from public performance after the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, and remain almost entirely unrecorded. ASaiL is recovering this repertoire from scores held at the British Library. The concert will be followed by a moderated discussion with the musicians and audience. 6.30pm, Oct 16, Foundling Museum, WC1N bloomsburyfestival.org.uk

• The Afro Dance Xplosion festival celebrates dance forms from Africa and its diaspora, bringing together homegrown and international artists. Companies include Ballet National de Cote d’Ivoire – Directeur General Georges Momboye, Roots and More, BlakeArts, Artistry Youth Dance and Impact Youth. 7.30pm, Oct 16, theplace.org.uk/

• Stories of love and violence, joy and survival – and what it feels like to come out the other side. Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf returns, 50 years on from its first performance, in a new production directed by Diane Page, with original music by Jammz. Grief becomes chant. Movement becomes prayer. Together, they reach for something beyond. 7pm, To Oct 17, theyardtheatre.co.uk/

• A body of artwork by fine artist Rhia Elise, Femmes De Soleil (Women of the Sun) celebrates the Black body as art, and considers family, sensuality, dandyism, and the strength and softness within the Black experience. 12-3pm, October 17, Conway Hall, WC1R, FREE

• The Music is Black: A British Story celebrates 125 years of Black music-making in Britain. Spanning four continents, this is a story of excellence, struggle, resilience and joy. Travel through time as over 120 tracks from every era play directly through your headset. This immersive sound experience highlights the power and impact of Black British music. To Jan 10, V&A East museum, vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/

Sankofa, Holy Cross Church

• Nicole Acquah’s grand-uncle, Asiedu, was a playwright, who shaped Ghanaian theatre. She also writes, thousands of miles away in London. In Sankofa, Nicole sets out to learn more about her lineage. Touring her own work around Europe, she confronts the significance of her heritage, her Blackness, her art. Is there something connecting her and Asiedu – something stronger than culture, than bloodline even? Before she returns home, Nicole must discover what it means to go back into the past in order to move forward. 7pm, Oct 29-30, Holy Cross Church, WC1H bloomsbury­festival.org.uk/whats-on

• Sunjata The Musical! celebrates West African history through dance, music and storytelling. Learn the history of the great Mali Empire and its founder Sunjata Keita through this performance of African unity, featuring a professional cast accompanied by University of East London students on an exciting adventure all the way to the legendary Mali Empire. The Source, Source Studios, Theatre Square, Stratford E15 1BX, 7.30pm, Oct 30, www.tubadance­theatre.com/blank-1