Organisations 

Autograph

We believe that visual representation is a powerful force for change. Autograph creates ground-breaking exhibitions, sharing the work of artists who use photography and film to highlight issues of identity, representation, human rights and social justice. We’ve been doing this since 1988.[Auotograph website]

INIVA (Institute of International Visual Arts)

Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts) is an evolving, radical visual arts organisation dedicated to developing an artistic programme that reflects on the social and political impact of globalisation. With the Stuart Hall Library acting as a critical and creative hub for our work, we collaborate with artists, curators, researchers and cultural producers to challenge conventional notions of diversity and difference. We engage a wide audience, particularly young people, in discourse and debate on issues surrounding the politics of race, class and gender. [Iniva website]

Black Cultural Archives

Black Cultural Archives is the only national heritage centre dedicated to collecting, preserving and celebrating the histories of African and Caribbean people in Britain.

October Gallery

October Gallery has been instrumental in bringing to worldwide attention many of the world’s leading international artists, including El Anatsui, Rachid Koraïchi, Romuald Hazoumè, Nnenna Okore, Laila Shawa and Kenji Yoshida. The Gallery promotes the Transvangarde, the very best in contemporary art from around the planet, as well as maintaining a cultural hub in central London for poets, writers, intellectuals and artists, and hosts talks, performances and seminars, see www.octobergallery.co.uk/events

The Black Curriculum

The Black Curriculum is a social enterprise founded in 2019 by young people to address the lack of Black British history in the UK Curriculum. We believe that by delivering arts focused Black history programmes, providing teacher training and campaigning through mobilising young people, we can facilitate social change. Our programmes are for all young people aged 8-16 and aims to equip young people with a sense of identity, and the tools for a diverse landscape. We are working towards changing the national curriculum and building a sense of identity in every young person in the UK.

Runnymede Trust

Runnymede is the UK's leading independent race equality think tank. We generate intelligence to challenge race inequality in Britain through research, network building, leading debate, and policy engagement. Runnymede is working to build a Britain in which all citizens and communities feel valued, enjoy equal opportunities, lead fulfilling lives, and share a common sense of belonging. In order to effectively overcome racial inequality in our society, we believe that our democratic dialogue, policy, and practice, should all be based on reliable evidence from rigorous research and thorough analysis. Our authoritative research-based interventions in social policy and practice, and our public engagement with decision makers, will assist policy-makers, practitioners, and citizens, to reduce the risk of our society being blighted by racism and discrimination to the detriment of us all.

Diversify Photo

'Diversify is a verb. It is an action-an intentional movement to break with the predominantly colonial and patriarchal eye through  which history and the mass media has seen and recorded the images of our time. Diversify was born out of a recognition that calling for more diversity in the photo industry is not enough.  To diversify photo, we need to  equip our art buyers, creative directors, and photo directors with resources to discover photographers of colour available for assignments and commissions.'

UK Black Female Photographers

The UKBFTOG community was created to help black women find other black women in the photography industry. The Photography industry is dominated by men, so it was extremely difficult to find other individuals like ourselves, who can relate to our experiences as black women. Being the only black female photographer in a room of your peers can feel very lonely and intimidating but we no longer have to feel like this because of the UKBFTOG community.

Tiwani Contemporary

Founded in 2011 by Maria Varnava, Tiwani Contemporary exhibits and represents international contemporary artists, focussing on Africa and its diaspora. Since its establishment, the gallery continues to showcase new and established talent – mounting landmark and critically-acclaimed exhibitions in a series of firsts. Artists such as Njideka Akunyili-Crosby, Emeka Ogboh, Simone Leigh and Kapwani Kiwanga showed at Tiwani Contemporary in the early stages of their career. In 2019,  the gallery presented the first international solo exhibition of American post-minimalist Maren Hassinger. 

200+ Black Creators

Many other lists and resources promoting black and bipoc excellence in the fields of design have been compiled over the years. Below is a running bibliography of those Two Hundred Black Creators is a little passion project initially featured as a form of counter-programming on social media. This list consists of Black Architects, Landscape Architects, Interior Designers, Historians, Urban Planners, Artists, Furniture, Industrial, and Product Designers, Design Advocates, and Creative Entrepreneurs. It is entirely, imperfect and not yet exhausted. Still, hopefully, it can be a resource, and inspire others to amplify the voices of black designers, artists, and intellectuals who continue to make a meaningful impact in our built environment and cultural landscape.

Black British Female Artist Collective

'Borne out of a lack of representation

Black Blossoms

Black Blossoms was founded by curator and educator Bolanle Tajudeen in 2015 and has been supporting and highlighting Black women artists through an interactive public program featuring exhibitions, panels and screenings throughout the UK. In 2020 Black Blossoms established Black Blossoms School of Art & Culture to expand critical and diverse thought that will decolonise and disrupt euro-centric art and creative education.