Black British Voices: Black British Collections

For its first large-scale community research project, Cambridge University Library (CUL) has appointed a Community Panel to develop and direct an exhibition and events programme to take place in 2027.

Ten panelists have been drawn from across the UK, and will be supported by a Project Curator to explore the Library’s far-reaching collections, researching sources that range from the personal to the public and the bureaucratic. By connecting historical records with contemporary experiences, the Black British Voices: Black British Collections panel will unearth a nuanced history of Black Britain, building a year-long public programme that will tell stories about community and identity.

The project is anchored by the findings of the Black British Voices Report (2023), the largest study to date on the opinions and attitudes of black people in Britain.

Commencing in 2026, the panel will take part in a number of online meetings. Over ten months, they will design the stories that the 2027 programme will tell through exhibitions, events and artistic responses to the process and uncovered material. They will have the opportunity to join in-person workshops exploring the Library collections, as well forming an online curatorial forum.

Alongside directing the 2027 public exhibition programme, the community panel will also select community groups to receive small grants for local projects that embody the spirit of the project and amplify the stories of Black British experience from all over the country: past, present and future.