Reimagining Heritage: Examining the visibility and creative expression of African, Asian and Caribbean diaspora artists in the North of England
Abstract
Informed by Stuart Hall’s 1999 keynote speech at the ‘Whose Heritage? The Impact of Cultural Diversity on Britain’s Living Heritage’ conference in Manchester and rooted in the lived experiences of artists, this qualitative study examines the visibility and creative expression of African, Asian and Caribbean diaspora artists in the North of England. It examines the persistence of inequity and inequality in the cultural sector despite decades of diversity initiatives, addresses a gap created by London-centric scholarship, and foregrounds northern perspectives, where artists face the challenges of less population diversity, particularly in rural or suburban locations. Although artists are visible within regional networks, opportunities for national recognition often depend on factors outside of the artists’ control, making Northernness an additional barrier to visibility and success, alongside race, class and gender. Through the use of conversation-as-research and practice-based research methodologies, this study explores how artists navigate and negotiate the cultural sector and highlights their role in shaping and contributing to Britain’s intangible cultural heritage. It challenges the marginalisation of their work in mainstream settings and advocates for systemic change in how cultural organisations engage with artists, moving beyond narrow representation to ensure that future heritage narratives are more inclusive and representative. This study asserts that the narratives created by African, Asian and Caribbean diaspora artists in the North of England are integral to Britain’s past, present and future cultural heritage and identity.
Key themes
Representation and power in British culture
Systemic inequities in the UK arts sector
Black and Asian British cultural identity
Arts and culture outside London
Arts and activism
Outputs
- The Lies (stage play), Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle, May-June 2023
- Whose heritage? Challenging race and identity in Stuart Hall’s post-nation Britain, co-edited with Dr Susan L T Ashley, Routledge, 2022.
- “The Power to Represent” in S. Ashley & D. Stone (eds.) Whose Heritage? Challenging Race and Identity in Stuart Hall’s Post-nation Britain, Routledge, 2022
- Organising team: In the Shadow of Empire? Situating Black British Writing, London Metropolitan Archives, 2023
- Speaker: ACHS, Santiago, 2022
- Speaker: Taking the Mic, London, 2022
Awards
- Northumbria Research Development Fund Studentship
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