Seeing Ourselves: Representation in Heritage and Arts Careers, is a Black Cultural Archives workforce development project that creates and contributes to a diverse, and representative, healthy, UK arts and heritage sector. Building on the work of our BCA Pathways: Arts & Heritage career events, with funding from Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, the Seeing Ourselves project looks at the career journey from primary school to being established in your career and wanting to move into board level positions.

Poetic Unity is a registered charity that serves to teach young people alternative ways of learning through poetry and provides safe and friendly environments for young people to perform and unite with their peers. They host a regular event at BCA where people can enjoy poetry and spoken word performed by some of the UK’s best up-and-coming poets.

Decolonising the Archive exists to ensure that #blackarchives are defined and disseminated by people of African heritage. Through their radio project, DTA.LIVE RADIO, they are collaborating with the Black Cultural Archives to explore a whole new way to connect to our history and shape our future.

The Melba Wilson collection spans over 40 years of Melba Wilson’s work in national and regional mental health programmes, policy units and services, including grassroots and community activism alongside formal policy work and leadership. As part of the project we are creating digital outputs, delving further into the stories and legacies of Black mental health initiatives in the UK.