The upcoming Black Heritage Voices conference is dedicated to amplifying Black voices, heritage, and scholarship bringing together leading academics, archivists, practitioners, heritage programmers and community leaders.
“The creation of the Black Heritage Voices conference stems from the urgent need to acknowledge and preserve Black historical narratives. For too long, the stories of Black communities have been marginalised or erased from mainstream historical accounts. This conference provides a platform to amplify the voices of Black and Asian professionals in the heritage sector, fostering discussions that explore creativity, digital innovation, and reframing narratives. By broadening perspectives and changing the gaze, we hope to ensure that Black heritage is not only preserved but also celebrated, inspiring future generations to engage with and contribute to this vital work.” – Pawlet Brookes, Artistic Director and CEO of Serendipity
The conference will feature esteemed national and international voices:
-Keynote speaker: Carlos Correa Angulo, Curatorial Researcher at Museo Afro de Colombia
-Michelle Charters, Head of the International Slavery Museum
-Peggy Brunache, Lecturer in the history of Atlantic slavery at the University of Glasgow
-Cheryl Finley, Director of the Atlanta University Centre Art History Curatorial Studies Collective
-Francesca Sobande, Reader in Digital Media Studies at Cardiff University
-Deborah Willis, Professor of Photography and Imaging, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University
-Mark Sealy, Curator, Historian and Executive Director of Autograph ABP
-Angelina Osborne, Historian and co-author of “100 Great Black Britons”
Speaker Highlights:
Francesca Sobande will explore the concept of “Black (living) archives” through her research on memory, music, and digital culture in her presentation B(l)ack in the Archives and Black “Alt” Music Memories. Drawing on examples from punk, emocore, and nu-metal subcultures, she addresses how Black presence is both central and marginal in these music spaces, while questioning who is seen as an archivist and what is considered archive-worthy. Her presentation will also explore the role of digital media, internet humour, and AI in shaping how Blackness is remembered, represented, and reclaimed across subcultural and musical communities. Her work explores Black cultural memory, digital archiving, and the intersections of race, gender, genre, and social media in shaping the archive.
Deborah Willis, in her presentation Reframing the Black Archive, will reflect on the role of photography in shaping and challenging perceptions of the Black body. Drawing from her extensive research and curatorial practice, she will discuss how both historical and more recent images ranging from portraits of Black Americans and contemporary images focusing on self-presentation, serve as acts of resistance, storytelling, and self-definition. Her work invites audiences to rethink the gaze, memory, and representation in visual archives across the African diaspora.
Event Details:
Date & Time: Tuesday 11th November 2025, 8:30am – 7:00pm
Location: Jewry Wall Museum, St Nicholas Circle, LE1 4LB
Tickets: £135
Booking → https://www.serendipity-uk.com/event/black-heritage-voices/
Spaces are limited, and early registration is strongly encouraged to ensure participation in what promises to be a landmark event in the academic calendar. We are pleased to announce we are now offering payment plans. If these are of interest to you please email [email protected].
