This October, National Museums Liverpool is marking Black History Month with exhibitions, displays and events that explore Black heritage, culture and identity.
Hear from the voices and perspectives too often silenced as the organisation embraces this year’s theme, ‘Reclaiming Narratives’.
The Walker Art Gallery is host to powerful and thought-provoking exhibitions and displays of contemporary art:
- Conversations (19 October – 9 March 2025). Opening during Black History Month this exhibition brings together work by nearly 50 leading Black women and non-binary artists. Featuring paintings, sculpture and video from the last ten years, the exhibition provides a snapshot of the work, ideas and self-expression within Black British art right now. The exhibition is part of a wider research and collecting project through which the Walker aims to acquire new artwork by Black British women and non-binary artists, who are currently underrepresented within its collection.
- Stitching Souls: Threads of Silence (28 Sep 2024—2 Mar 2025). British-Trinidadian artist Karen McLean has been working closely with the Walker since 2023, drawing inspiration directly from the gallery’s internationally renowned collections. This emotive installation, commissioned for the Walker, serves as a memorial to the victims of the tragic Zong Massacre of 1781, while exploring Liverpool’s colonial legacies, and its role as a major UK port during the transatlantic slave trade.
- Now you see me: Chris Day (6 Aug 2024—24 Nov 2024) is a new commission for the Walker, which was made in response to the gallery’s painting, ‘The Card Party’ by Gawen Hamilton (1698-1737), considering the almost hidden figure of an enslaved Black boy. Chris employs materials he uses in his career as a plumber, such as copper piping and wire within his unique glass pieces.
- Carving Out Truths is a community-led research and display project confronting the collections links to slavery, colonialism, and empire. Showcasing several permanent ground-breaking interventions in the Walker’s Sculpture Gallery, this work examines the origins of the collection, focusing on individuals and stories that have previously been excluded.
Sandra Penketh, Executive Director of Collections and Research said:
“This Black History Month we are delighted to bring a wealth of exceptional artists to the Walker Art Gallery. The diverse collection of works on display are a testament to the wonderful art being created by Black British artists and remind us of the power of art to inspire dialogue, questions, reflection and transformation.
“Across National Museums Liverpool ongoing capital projects, research and new displays, involving individuals, communities and other key partners all contribute to making diverse histories more visible.”
This October discover more about National Museums Liverpool’s Waterfront Transformation Project, an initiative to revitalise the area between the Royal Albert Dock and Mann Island.
Central to the project is the major redevelopment of the International Slavery Museum. ‘Where do we go from here?’ is a display that charts the museum’s progress from 1994 to the present day. Exploring the last 30 years of exhibitions at the venue, it offers visitors the opportunity to share their own memories and hopes for the museum’s next chapter. Also at the International Slavery Museum, a series of new interventions of contemporary art among a display of historic objects reframe how certain objects in the collection are perceived and understood.
Sign up for a regular newsletter sharing the latest news from the Waterfront Transformation Project and its plans to promote greater inclusion and diversity in heritage.
Emergence as Empowerment on 25 October is an event co-hosted by National Museums Liverpool and the University of Liverpool.
Join Elliss Eyo-Thompson, Project Facilitator, International Slavery Museum, and storyteller, Kelechi Okafor, at the Tung Auditorium for a screening of ‘Delado: Rising from the Ashes’, a documentary which delves into the tensions of Liverpool 8 following the 1981 Toxteth Uprisings. The event includes a live conversation and Q&A session.
At Museum of Liverpool the focus is Black Scousers and the many achievements and contributions they have brought to the vibrant city of Liverpool. From the recent exciting scenes in Paris when heptathlete, Katarina Johnson-Thompson won an Olympic silver medal, to the influence of bands like The Real Thing, a free tour of the museum’s collections will draw out stories of inspiration and celebration. Inspirational Black Scousers tours are available on 1, 2, 8, 10, 16, 17 and 23 October.
Chris Kerfoot, Participation Programme Manager, said:
“The Museum of Liverpool is bursting with stories of individuals who have achieved great things and made our city proud. We celebrate the contribution of Black Scousers all year round, but it is a joy to throw a special spotlight on their stories during Black History Month in our free gallery tours.”
World Museum has one of the best collections of Nigerian art and architecture in the UK. Rethinking Relationships Discovery Day on Saturday 19th October is an opportunity to take a closer look and even handle objects, usually in storage, and learn more about a new project which will provide opportunities for research and engagement with the collection.
Opportunities for Black History Month celebration and learning extend online, with National Museums Liverpool’s collections, articles, videos and podcasts available all year via its digital hub: www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/black-history
Conversations is supported by Art Fund and the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.
Stitching Souls: Threads of Silence is part of the 20/20 project https://www.arts.ac.uk/ual-decolonising-arts-institute/projects/2020. The project was led by University of the Arts London (UAL) Decolonising Arts Institute and supported by funding from Arts Council England, the Freelands Foundation and UAL.
Now You See Me: Chris Day is presented by the Contemporary Art Society via the Griffin Award.
Carving Out Truths has been supported by Art Fund through a Headley Fellowship and Art Friends Merseyside.
