Ronnie Doforo
Liverpool
As a kid I went to the Blackie and
made inflatables, face painting and
how to make clothes. I also learned
how to DJ with Radio Doom. The
place was pure multi racial and the
atmosphere was amazing. These
were life skills I would not have
got anywhere else.
We started to learn the use of video,
via the Blackie Video Workshop. We
videoed the Temptations and Junior
Walker at the Liverpool Empire
Theatre and met them backstage
after the show. You could never
believe how exciting this was for a
14 year old kid from Liverpool.
A group of us went from the Blackie
to see The Jackson 5, also at the
Liverpool Empire. It was their first
tour of Britain. To see The Jackson
5, with the original Michael Jackson,
could only happen with the Blackie.
They provided such a positive
environment for us.
Watching my son, Miguel, develop into
a Dance Teacher/Choreographer. In
2007 he performed on the Britain’s Got
Talent show. He now runs a company
called MD Productions. To me this is a
major achievement which I am so
proud of.
I am proud that I went on to Further
Education in my adult years and got
my City & Guilds and NVQ’s as a
motor vehicle diagnostic technician.
In layman’s terms I was a motor
mechanic. Getting a trade was a
big step in my life.
I have worked and travelled across
Europe in my construction work.
Again my experiences of the Blackie
enabled me to communicate with
people from around the world. I
also helped in the building of an
Adventure playground in Sefton
with the Employment Action Group.