Brixton Brewery has joined forces with Darco Recordings to celebrate both brands’ affiliation with Brixton’s heritage, culture, and community with a powerful pop-up exhibition, “Darchives”, at Brixton Brewery’s taproom from the 18th to 23rd of April. This Record Store Day – Saturday 23rd of April will see special intimate performances. by SOLOMON and ZION BATTLES.

Entry is free for all events and all sales of the beer go directly to the BRIXTON SOUP KITCHEN. Secure your free tickets HERE.

The “Darchives” exhibition will present personal collections and archive photography that tell influential stories of both the musical and civil rights legacies deeply rooted in Brixton and beyond – specifically honouring activist Darcus Howe and the history of Railton Road in the process.

The event will be commemorated by a LTD EDN Brixton Brewery x Darco Recordings beer called Railton Lager inspired by the Brixton home of Darcus’ father (available at the pop-up and via Brixton Brewery’s website, while stocks last). There are three can designs, each featuring legendary protest pictures of Darcus Howe and Beese, mixed in with the classic iconography of Brixton Brewery, alongside the striking yellow of DARCO recordings.

Other key features include 9 stripes commemorating the mangrove 9, DARCO’s manifesto ‘for the people, all the people’ and a QR code allowing people to access the exclusive Darco playlist made for this special series of events.

Founder of DARCO Recordings Darcus Beese is responsible for the careers of some of the UK’s biggest artists from Amy Winehouse, Sugababes, Mumford & Sons, Disclosure and Florence & The Machine. Darcus’s life will forever be intrinsically linked to Brixton and the history it holds.

He was born into a life of meaningful protest through his father, the fiercely intelligent and revolutionary figure Darcus Howe, exposing him to the power of free speech and the importance of individuality in the modern world through his activism as editor of The Race Today, leading rallies like the Black People’s Day of Action, and connections with the wider African and Asian diaspora. As well as protests, his father helped people in these communities stand up for their rights.

His actions had such an impact that he was rewarded with a blue plaque on Railton Road in Brixton. The Brixton Brewery Taproom exhibition will invite people to see images from across Darcus’s life and his musical heritage, through access to his own personal DARCHIVE. 

Get involved, secure your free tickets HERE.