Reggae and dancehall are a fundamental part of Black British culture, providing the soundtrack to pivotal social movements across the 1980s and 1990s. But women’s contributions to this history have often been erased or overlooked.
Inspired by reggae icon Sutara Gayle AKA Lorna Gee’s personal archive, Hackney Showroom is collating photographs, memorabilia and oral histories from the artists, photographers and music fans who were at the heart of the scene.
By sharing these women’s lost stories, the project shines a new light on how they navigated male-dominated music culture of the time and played a major role in developing the genres.
The growing collection is being preserved for future generations in an archive at the Museum of Youth Culture and has been brought to life through an exhibition and tour.
Nina Lyndon, co-director of Hackney Showroom, says: "Lorna Gee is a pioneer of the UK dancehall scene and, alongside producing her theatre show The Legends of Them, we are delighted to shine a light on the women that fought to took up space in the male dominated scenes of the 80s and 90s. Working with the Museum of Youth Culture we toured the UK to uncover lost heritage of the women deejays and selectors alongside the women who frequented the shubeens and dances at that time."
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