BCVA Director Jagdish Patel single handedly organised the event at Wolverhampton Art Gallery on 19th October. It was in 1981 the gallery hosted the first major exhibition by young black artists, ‘Black Art an’ done’ The first National Black Art Convention took place at Wolverhampton Polytechnic a year later. These two events helped to spawn a new wave of black art that reflected the social and political issues experienced by a generation of Black British people whose parents came to Britain in the 1950s & 60s. The City, which is often remembered for Enoch Powell, is not often acknowledged for the role it had in the birth of the new waves of black art.
As Wolverhampton Art Gallery hosts an important exhibtion, ‘Keith Piper: Body Poltics. Work from 1981 - 2007, we joined with artist Keith Piper and Dr Shirin Hirsch, Suresh Grover, Vanley Burke, Kom Achall & Anand Chhabra in this seminar and chaired by Lisa Burke & Ian Sargeant. We explored to great acclaim the interconnections between artists, activism and community politics and their relevance for our present. Heritage Lottery Funded - Jagdish Patel.
Dr Shirin Hirsch & Suresh Grover kick off proceedings at with a histories of Enoch Powell from 50 yrs ago and Black & Asian Activism at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. © Anand Chhabra
Artist Keith Piper pictured with Kom Achall discourses a retrospective of his exhibition and the timeline of Black Arts power to create change. © Anand Chhabra
The audience interacts through Q & A session over each of the two sessions of the seminar. © Anand Chhabra
Arts worker Lisa Harrison discusses the Wolverhampton Welcomes the World ( a refutation of Enoch Powell) as part of the project ‘Many Rivers to Cross’ partnered by BCVA and funded by Heritage Lottery Fund.
Vanley Burke the Godfather of Black British Photography presents on race & black history on his historical photographic work ‘By the Rivers of Birminam’.
BCVA Directors Anand Chhabra and Jagdish Patel summarise the days packed out event at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. -Heritage Lottery Funded
Anand Chhabra with Keith Piper the man behind the Black Art Movement that started in Wolverhampton holds a retrospective exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery Keith Piper : Body Politics