The Tapestry of Black Britons is a series of two-metre-long textile artworks recording Black British heritage from the Romans to the present day. The tapestries are touring exhibition spaces around the UK to share stories that have often been under-served by museums, schools and public collections.
With our funding, the project is adding two new woven pieces to the growing collection. The tapestries will be inspired by the themes of ‘Plant Knowledge’ and ‘Uprisings’ and will mark the 80th anniversaries of Windrush and the NHS in 2028.
Community members will lead research and co-create the new pieces, helping to shape the stories they tell.
The project is also expanding its touring programme, bringing Black British histories to more audiences and venues. As the tapestries make their way across England, Scotland and Wales, the project is:
- holding schools workshops and piloting augmented reality interpretation of the Second World War tapestry with pupils
- delivering craft workshops to preserve and pass on African Caribbean textile legacies and traditional skills
- running a programme of community engagement and heritage learning events
- producing oral histories, film documentation and digital resources to record stories of Black Britons for future generations
Paula Ogun Hector, Founder of Tapestry of Black Britons, said: "We're weaving Black British stories into the fabric of our national story and taking them to communities across the UK. From African Romans to Windrush, these are not side stories, they're British history. We want people to walk into the exhibition and recognise themselves, their neighbours and their place in our shared past."
