Latest news with #BarkingandDagenhamCollege
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Idris Elba unveils Mobo paving stone at college where he ‘got to dream bigger'
On Friday, Elba, 52, who hails from Hackney, and is most known for his acting roles in BBC drama Luther and US crime series The Wire, returned to Barking and Dagenham College, which he attended as a young person. His stone forms part of the Paving The Way award, issued by the Mobo organisation, which supports talent in music, film and TV and holds an annual awards ceremony celebrating excellence in black music and culture. Idris Elba is joined by Kanya King during a visit to Barking and Dagenham College, London, which he used to attend, to lay a commemorative MOBO 'Paving the Way' stone (Lucy North/PA) The award celebrates cultural pioneers who have made a lasting impact in the arts, with Olympian Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and comedian Sir Lenny Henry among the recipients. The award winners are asked to choose a location for the stone that holds a deep personal meaning, with Elba choosing the college where he studied performing arts. The event, which included a Q&A with the students, took place inside the college's Idris Elba Studio — a professional film and TV facility named in his honour. Asked by a student if he had ever imagined how successful he would become, Elba said: 'I mean, yes, I think to be here in the first place, you're already imagining what the future can be. 'And so I was always thinking about what success might look like. 'I didn't know how to get there, but I could see it. I could see it on the silver screen. I could see it in my idols, Eddie Murphy, I saw it everywhere. A The commemorative Mobo 'Paving the Way' stone (Lucy North/PA) 'But the truth is, what kept me grounded, what kept me focused (as a student) is being in a facility where I get to fall down, get up, fall down, as many times as I want, and I literally found this place, we all did, as a haven, a safe space to actually, not only imagine yourself being a movie star, but try it and fail, and try it, and fail. 'The thing about dreaming is that it happens on a 24-hour cycle. 'So every day I got to come back here, I got to dream bigger. I got to, definitely learn and sharpen how I was going to get there, and that's really important.' Elba unveiled the stone alongside Mobo Awards founder and chief executive Kanya King. It reads: 'Mobo. Paving the way for the next generation. Idris Elba. 'Don't get labelled, labels are for cans'.' Alongside his acting career the film and TV star performs as a DJ and has campaigned against knife crime.
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Idris Elba unveils Mobo paving stone at college where he ‘got to dream bigger'
On Friday, Elba, 52, who hails from Hackney, and is most known for his acting roles in BBC drama Luther and US crime series The Wire, returned to Barking and Dagenham College, which he attended as a young person. His stone forms part of the Paving The Way award, issued by the Mobo organisation, which supports talent in music, film and TV and holds an annual awards ceremony celebrating excellence in black music and culture. Idris Elba is joined by Kanya King during a visit to Barking and Dagenham College, London, which he used to attend, to lay a commemorative MOBO 'Paving the Way' stone (Lucy North/PA) The award celebrates cultural pioneers who have made a lasting impact in the arts, with Olympian Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and comedian Sir Lenny Henry among the recipients. The award winners are asked to choose a location for the stone that holds a deep personal meaning, with Elba choosing the college where he studied performing arts. The event, which included a Q&A with the students, took place inside the college's Idris Elba Studio — a professional film and TV facility named in his honour. Asked by a student if he had ever imagined how successful he would become, Elba said: 'I mean, yes, I think to be here in the first place, you're already imagining what the future can be. 'And so I was always thinking about what success might look like. 'I didn't know how to get there, but I could see it. I could see it on the silver screen. I could see it in my idols, Eddie Murphy, I saw it everywhere. A The commemorative Mobo 'Paving the Way' stone (Lucy North/PA) 'But the truth is, what kept me grounded, what kept me focused (as a student) is being in a facility where I get to fall down, get up, fall down, as many times as I want, and I literally found this place, we all did, as a haven, a safe space to actually, not only imagine yourself being a movie star, but try it and fail, and try it, and fail. 'The thing about dreaming is that it happens on a 24-hour cycle. 'So every day I got to come back here, I got to dream bigger. I got to, definitely learn and sharpen how I was going to get there, and that's really important.' Elba unveiled the stone alongside Mobo Awards founder and chief executive Kanya King. It reads: 'Mobo. Paving the way for the next generation. Idris Elba. 'Don't get labelled, labels are for cans'.' Alongside his acting career the film and TV star performs as a DJ and has campaigned against knife crime.
Western Telegraph
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Idris Elba unveils Mobo paving stone at college where he ‘got to dream bigger'
On Friday, Elba, 52, who hails from Hackney, and is most known for his acting roles in BBC drama Luther and US crime series The Wire, returned to Barking and Dagenham College, which he attended as a young person. His stone forms part of the Paving The Way award, issued by the Mobo organisation, which supports talent in music, film and TV and holds an annual awards ceremony celebrating excellence in black music and culture. The award celebrates cultural pioneers who have made a lasting impact in the arts, with Olympian Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and comedian Sir Lenny Henry among the recipients. Idris Elba is joined by Kanya King during a visit to Barking and Dagenham College, London, which he used to attend, to lay a commemorative MOBO 'Paving the Way' stone (Lucy North/PA) The award winners are asked to choose a location for the stone that holds a deep personal meaning, with Elba choosing the college where he studied performing arts. The event, which included a Q&A with the students, took place inside the college's Idris Elba Studio — a professional film and TV facility named in his honour. Asked by a student if he had ever imagined how successful he would become, Elba said: 'I mean, yes, I think to be here in the first place, you're already imagining what the future can be. 'And so I was always thinking about what success might look like. 'I didn't know how to get there, but I could see it. I could see it on the silver screen. I could see it in my idols, Eddie Murphy, I saw it everywhere. 'But the truth is, what kept me grounded, what kept me focused (as a student) is being in a facility where I get to fall down, get up, fall down, as many times as I want, and I literally found this place, we all did, as a haven, a safe space to actually, not only imagine yourself being a movie star, but try it and fail, and try it, and fail. 'The thing about dreaming is that it happens on a 24-hour cycle. 'So every day I got to come back here, I got to dream bigger. I got to, definitely learn and sharpen how I was going to get there, and that's really important.' Elba unveiled the stone alongside Mobo Awards founder and chief executive Kanya King. Alongside his acting career the film and TV star performs as a DJ and has campaigned against knife crime.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Idris Elba in emotional return to old college for MOBO honour
Holllywood star Idris Elba has gone back to Barking and Dagenham College where he started out to receive a special award Actor Idris Elba has made an emotional return to the college where he first studied for a special award. The Hollywood star was the recipient of a MOBO Paving The Way paving stone at Barking & Dagenham College, where the acclaimed actor started out. The award celebrates "cultural pioneers who have made a lasting impact while continuing to uplift and give back to the communities that helped shape them." Others who have been given the awards include Dame Denise Lewis, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Sir Lenny Henry CBE, Nicola Adams, Wiley, and Ms Dynamite. Idris studied for a BTEC in Performing Arts in the early 1990s at the college. And the event took place inside the college's state-of-the-art Idris Elba Studio, which is named in his honour. The paving stone is inscribed with the words: "Don't get labelled — labels are for cans.' The actor spoke to students from Barking & Dagenham College's media and production courses, and talked about his career. He also spoke up about youth violence in the UK including knife crime, which is a subject close to his heart. Idris said: "Coming back to Barking & Dagenham College, the place where I first started to shape my creative voice, and being recognised by MOBO in this way is a full-circle moment. MOBO has always stood for more than just music; it's about visibility, opportunity and pushing culture forward. "To be honoured with a Paving the Way stone here, where my journey began, is deeply meaningful. I hope it stands as a reminder to every student walking through these doors that greatness can come from anywhere." Kanya King CBE, Founder and CEO of MOBO, is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the MOBOs next year. She added: 'Idris is living proof that dreams nurtured in local communities can echo across the world. His journey from this very college to global acclaim shows what's possible when talent meets tenacity. At MOBO, we believe in celebrating those who not only break barriers, but who return to build bridges. Honouring Idris with this Paving the Way stone isn't just about looking back — it's about lighting the path forward for generations to come.'
