Birmingham Museums Trust marks Black History Month this October with a wealth of talks, walks and free craft, storytelling and music activities.

Dr Miranda Kaufman, a leading expert in Black British history, uncovers the stories of enslaved people linked to Aston Hall in her talk Centring Black Lives: The People Enslaved by Lady Sarah Holte on Thursday 12 October. Lady Sarah Holte was mistress of Aston Hall from her marriage in 1755 to her death is 1794. In 1783, she inherited two Barbados plantations, and the 430 enslaved men, women, and children living and labouring on them. Unusually for the time, letters and archaeological evidence have allowed historians to piece together the lives of some of the people Sarah ‘owned’, and this enlightening talk traces the actions and experiences of these enslaved people. Kaufman challenges the traditional narrative of the stories we tell in houses like Aston Hall, giving voices to the people whose stories went unheard for over two hundred years. Tickets are £10 and can be prebooked here.

On Saturday 14 October visitors can take A Taste of Handsworth Walking Tour, beginning at Soho House exploring Georgian delicacies including game pie, gingerbread and pineapple, before heading out into Handsworth to look at the impact of African and African-Caribbean communities on the culinary scene. The tour finishes with a Caribbean-inspired meal at Soho House. Tickets are £25, which includes all food, and can be booked here.

After a sell-out screening in September, Thinktank offers a second chance to see The Tiny Spark on 18 October. This powerful film, which sets the poetry of Benjamin Zephaniah alongside mesmerising artworks by director Pogus Ceasar, reimagines the 1985 Handsworth Riots. The film takes the viewer on a journey that bears witness to those fateful days on the streets of inner-city Birmingham. Tickets are free but should be pre-booked here. 

Each Saturday provides a different drop-in activity. Aston Hall plays host to macramé crafting with textile artist Mahawa Keita on 7 October, whilst drop into Soho House for storytelling from Charles Kousasseu and Miss P on 14 October, and experiences the sounds of West Africa from Sacred Funk 4tet on 21 October.

Meanwhile, take the last opportunity to experience the exhibition Blood & Fire: Our Journey Through Vanley Burke's History. Images from renowned photographer Vanley Burke’s collected take visitors of a journey through the artist’s history and the Black British experience. Blood & Fire is at Soho House, open Thursdays and Fridays until 4 November.

Full details and ticketing information can be found at birminghammuseums.org.uk/black-history-month