The Role of Visual Arts Organisations in the British Black Arts Movement in the Midlands
Lead Research Organisation:
Coventry University
Department Name: Ctr for Arts, Memory and Communities
Abstract
The birth of the British Black Arts Movement (BAM) in the early 1980s was responsible for a paradigm shift in UK art history, bringing to the fore the issues, concerns, practices and aesthetics of marginalised artists. Despite racial bias being recognised and acted upon (e.g., Equality Act 2010), racism is still a reality in British society. The systemic inequality in the representation of Black art history in Britain has come to the fore in the recent months, especially within debates around the killing of George Lloyd in the US, the Black Lives Matter protests, and the fall of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston. However, the history of the BAM and the role of cultural organisations in its development remain understudied. In preparation for the 40th anniversary of The First Black Art Convention in Wolverhampton (1982), this project aims to revisit and promote the region's unique and exceptional legacy in the development of the Black art scene, with a special focus on the role of cultural organisations in supporting artists of colour in the Midlands since the 1980s. The network will disseminate the impact of the BAM in the region, and foster a change of attitudes in the cultural sector towards a more equitable scene by identifying the challenges faced by artists of colour today and proposing recommendations to cultural organisations, policy-makers and advocacy groups.
The network activities will benefit academics in the fields of visual arts, curating and Black studies; and non-academic audience working in the cultural sector and on non-for-profit organisations supporting artists of colour. The network activities include: two workshops 1) the first invites members of the BAM to explore the role of cultural organisations in the movement in the 1980s, providing new insights; 2) the second invites practitioners of colour to identify challenges and opportunities in the field for a more diverse and inclusive approach. The workshops will be followed by a public event to open the finds and recommendations to a wider public. Both workshops and event will be recorded and disseminated via the project blog that will outlive the funded period to continue benefitting scholars and practitioners working in the fields of art history, curating, institutional practices, visual cultures, museum studies, visual arts, and Black studies. Following up on these debates, the network will produce an advocacy document with recommendations for a more equitable art programming, workforce and audience development in the cultural sector, which will be effectively disseminated to funding bodies and policy-makers (Arts Council England; Contemporary Visual Arts Network; Midlands Higher Education Culture Forum). In addition, two papers will be published in peer-reviewed academic journals to benefit other scholars in the field, disseminate new knowledge, and influence related debates.
The project will be led by PI Professor Carolina Rito and Co-I Professor Paul Goodwin. The network also counts upon the participation of academics and art practitioners of colour whose work has strongly contributed to a more equitable and diverse scene and has focused on the BAM (i.e., Agency for Agency, Dr Keith Piper, Dr David Dibosa, Marlene Smith); with Midlands groups promoting inclusion led by people of colour (Maokwo, Nottingham Black Archive); and four contemporary art galleries in the Midlands with relevant experience with the BAM (the Herbert Gallery and Museum, Wolverhampton Gallery, Nottingham Contemporary and New Art Exchange.)
The network activities will benefit academics in the fields of visual arts, curating and Black studies; and non-academic audience working in the cultural sector and on non-for-profit organisations supporting artists of colour. The network activities include: two workshops 1) the first invites members of the BAM to explore the role of cultural organisations in the movement in the 1980s, providing new insights; 2) the second invites practitioners of colour to identify challenges and opportunities in the field for a more diverse and inclusive approach. The workshops will be followed by a public event to open the finds and recommendations to a wider public. Both workshops and event will be recorded and disseminated via the project blog that will outlive the funded period to continue benefitting scholars and practitioners working in the fields of art history, curating, institutional practices, visual cultures, museum studies, visual arts, and Black studies. Following up on these debates, the network will produce an advocacy document with recommendations for a more equitable art programming, workforce and audience development in the cultural sector, which will be effectively disseminated to funding bodies and policy-makers (Arts Council England; Contemporary Visual Arts Network; Midlands Higher Education Culture Forum). In addition, two papers will be published in peer-reviewed academic journals to benefit other scholars in the field, disseminate new knowledge, and influence related debates.
The project will be led by PI Professor Carolina Rito and Co-I Professor Paul Goodwin. The network also counts upon the participation of academics and art practitioners of colour whose work has strongly contributed to a more equitable and diverse scene and has focused on the BAM (i.e., Agency for Agency, Dr Keith Piper, Dr David Dibosa, Marlene Smith); with Midlands groups promoting inclusion led by people of colour (Maokwo, Nottingham Black Archive); and four contemporary art galleries in the Midlands with relevant experience with the BAM (the Herbert Gallery and Museum, Wolverhampton Gallery, Nottingham Contemporary and New Art Exchange.)
People |
ORCID iD |
Carolina Rito (Principal Investigator) | |
Paul Goodwin (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Description | Black Curation AHRC M4C CDA PhD studentship |
Organisation | Herbert Museum and Art Gallery |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | I have devised the PhD proposal and am Director of Studies for this PhD research. |
Collaborator Contribution | The Herbert co-supervise the research and participate in the research design. |
Impact | n/a |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | The Herbert Memorandum of Understanding |
Organisation | Herbert Museum and Art Gallery |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Carolina Rito and the Herbert former director Francis Ranford established a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Centre for Arts, Memory and Communities and the Herbert that formalised and furthered the joint commitment to creating opportunities to build a more equitable cultural and university sectors. Carolina brings to the partnership her experience in EDI in the cultural sector, research in decolonial practices and Black studies. Carolina as co-developed several projects with the partner organisation on the Black Arts Movement in the Midlands and the Herbert's archive. Carolina chairs a steering group with representatives from both organisations, meeting annually to identify and co-develop ambitious projects. |
Collaborator Contribution | The Herbert is committed to creating opportunities to build a more equitable cultural and university sectors, co-develop research projects on equity and the Black Arts Movement in the region. |
Impact | City of Culture Staff Grants - PI Carolina Rito; partner organisations The Herbert and MAOKWO - 2021 AHRC CDA M4C PhD grant - Director of Studies Carolina Rito; partner organisation The Herbert. 2021-2025 |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Workshop Informal Institutional Structures |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Circa 15 professional practitioners attended the event at a cultural organisation and expressed intereste in the project. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Workshop Institutional Change |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | 10 cultural sector professionals attended and working group members of the project, at a cultural organisation. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |