'Tapestry of Black Britons' Workshop

Help us design the next panel of the Tapestry of Black Britons and be part of a living history project! Join Creative Director Paula Ogun Hector for a hands-on collage workshop exploring the theme of “Health and Wellbeing.”

The workshop invites you to learn more about Black British health heroes and landmark campaigns with researcher Martha Robinson Rhodes. Together, we’ll explore the histories of Black people’s health and wellbeing in Britain, as well as the vital role they played in the struggle for rights and representation. We’ll also consider who is missing from these narratives today, and how research and creativity can help address those gaps.

Drawing on Inclusive Histories’ ongoing work with the Black Cultural Archives’ collections, the workshop will showcase research from the Young Historians project.

All are welcome.

📷 : Sharron Wallace

More about Tapestry of Black Britons

This 6-metre-long woven artwork aims to elevate Black British history and contribute to a more inclusive British historical narrative, combining the storytelling of the Bayeux tapestry with traditional Akan weaving techniques. On a break from touring, the tapestry is evolving through community workshops, including this one in collaboration with Black Cultural Archives and Royal Holloway, University of London’s Inclusive Histories project.

While the first panel focused on the WWII period, the tapestry will eventually cover the 2000+ year span of Black British history, from Black Roman soldiers to Notting Hill Carnival.

“Tapestry of Black Britons is designed to foster a deeper understanding of our collective past and present. This evolving artwork not only celebrates the African diaspora contributions to British culture, politics and society – it’s designed to show that out of many threads, we are one fabric. " Paula Ogun Hector, Tapestry of Black Britons Creative Director

See more and follow:

https://www.tapestryofblackbritons.com/ https://www.instagram.com/tapestry_of_black_britons/

More about Inclusive Histories

Inclusive Histories is an Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded project based out of Royal Holloway, University of London. The project aims to support the more inclusive teaching of British political history at GCSE, taking AQA exam board’s thematic unit ‘Britain: Power and the people: c1170 to the present day’ as its test case. Working with archives, museums, schools and communities, we are collaboratively researching stories to create over 200 classroom-ready resources which foreground the voice, experience and agency of diverse communities in the struggle for rights and representation.

As part of our process, we are also facilitating a series of community workshops and research bursaries to centre the voices, skills and lived experiences of those whose shared histories we are researching.

Parking: There are no parking facilities, and parking is limited in the local area. We recommend, when possible, travelling via public transport. There are pay-and-display and Blue Badge spaces located on Effra Road and Saltoun Road, adjacent to Black Cultural Archives.