Black Ballad celebrates 10 years in business this August by hosting its inaugural event, the Black Ballad Weekender. The two-day lifestyle festival will take place on the 23rd and 24th of August at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, bringing together over 1,000 Black women and non-binary attendees. The event will feature more than 40 panels and workshops centred around key topics including beauty, health, family, and careers.
Founded in 2014 by Tobi Oredein, Black Ballad is a media and membership platform dedicated to amplifying the voices and stories of Black British women. Reflecting on the journey, Oredein expressed her excitement at reaching this milestone, stating, “It’s going to be a lot of fun, with around 1,000 Black women attending each day. It’s going to be an amazing experience for us all.”
A Celebration of Black Womanhood
The Black Ballad Weekender promises a packed schedule with keynote speeches and interviews from nearly 100 prominent Black women and non-binary people, including Candice Brathwaite, Reni Eddo-Lodge, and Jamelia Donaldson. With sponsorship from major brands like Penguin Random House, Garnier, and Coppafeel, the event aims to provide a platform for discussions on beauty, identity, and career progression, along with practical workshops for personal and professional development.
A key feature of the festival is its focus on Black-owned businesses. Attendees will have the opportunity to shop at a range of stalls showcasing Black-owned products, while free hair and beauty services will be offered throughout the weekend. Sponsors such as Just Eat will support a Black-owned food court, and NHS Blood & Transplant will provide blood type checks. There will also be book signings with Black authors, courtesy of Penguin Random House.
Challenging Industry Norms
Oredein’s journey into media wasn’t without its challenges. Her dream of becoming a lifestyle journalist was met with obstacles due to the stark lack of diversity in the industry. “When I started out, I had no ambition of becoming an entrepreneur,” she explained. “But as a Black journalist, you quickly realise that doors close on you faster.”
This realisation inspired Oredein to create Black Ballad, a platform dedicated to telling the diverse stories of Black women in the UK. Over the past decade, Black Ballad has published thousands of articles, with over 500 Black female and non-binary writers contributing their voices.
Despite its success, Oredein highlights the difficulties many Black-owned businesses face. “Access to capital has been one of our biggest challenges,” she noted. “We’ve had to rely on paid memberships and brand partnerships to fund ourselves.”
Looking Forward
As Black Ballad celebrates its 10-year anniversary, Oredein reflects on the platform’s growth and its community impact. “We’ve had two crowdfunds, and each time the community of Black women has stepped up and said, ‘This is ours!’”
Looking ahead, Oredein is eager to make the Black Ballad Weekender a defining moment in the company’s history. “This two-day event will be the ultimate celebration of Black womanhood,” she said. “It’s our way of saying thank you to our audience, and we’re excited to help Black women live their best lives.”
