Black Creatives Hub: one year on – reflecting, celebrating and looking ahead
- Written byStudent Communications
- Published date 23 May 2025
This month marks 1 year since the launch of our Black Creatives Hub - an innovative digital space dedicated to showcasing and celebrating the exceptional talents, achievements and contributions of the University’s Black creative community.
Inspired by feedback from our students and staff, the Black Creatives Hub was shaped by a shared desire for spaces to amplify the voices of Black staff and students, creating an environment that celebrates, supports and empowers the Black community.
The Black Creatives Hub responds to the underrepresentation of the Black community across creative industries – existing alongside the University’s wider anti-racism strategy and ongoing efforts to dismantle systemic racism within the arts.
Join us at our 1 year celebration
To mark the 1 year anniversary of the Hub, we’re hosting an evening on Wednesday 28 May at LCF, East Bank that brings together Black creatives and allies for an inspiring evening of provocative conversations, shared experiences and a chance to connect.
The event will feature a panel of prominent speakers from across the arts exploring the role of Black creatives in shaping contemporary arts and culture, including Lanre Bakare, arts and culture correspondent at The Guardian; Jade Pearl, multidisciplinary artist; Yolanthe Fawehinmi, Senior Lifestyle Reporter at PA Media and host of Black Prose podcast; Ayo Ojo, fashion commentator and content creator known as ‘Fashion Roadman’ and Ken Nwadiogbu, multidisciplinary visual artist. Each will share their experiences navigating the industry as Black creatives, while exploring the wider role that Black artists play in shaping contemporary arts and culture.
Chairing the panel are 2 leading voices championing equity and innovation in the arts. Professor Paul Goodwin, Director at Research Centre for Transnational Art, Identity and Nation (TrAIN) and Chair of Contemporary Arts and Urbanism and Maureen Salmon, Associate Dean of Knowledge Exchange at LCC.
This event is open to UAL students, staff, alumni and external guests with an interest in the arts.
Book your place and find out more about our talented panel
'The Black Creatives Hub is a powerful testament to what happens when we invest in Black talent, not just with words, but with action. As Chancellor and someone who knows first-hand the barriers our community faces, I’m proud to see UAL becoming a space where Black creativity is nurtured, amplified and celebrated. This is just the beginning and I can’t wait to see where we take it.'
Clive Myrie, UAL Chancellor
A year of impact: highlights so far
Since its launch in 2024, the Black Creatives Hub has continued to growin visibility and impact. Here’s a look at what we’ve achieved in our first year:
April 2024
- Soft launch of the Hub with an event exploring access to the arts for Black Creatives where we had a panel of creative experts discussing their experiences in the creative industry.
- Debut of our introductory video to the Hub, which was warmly received and featured some familiar faces
May 2024
- Official Hub launch following user testing with staff and students
- Launch of the Celebrating Black Creatives Showcase Collection, a vibrant collection of student and alumni work curated by Bunmi Ekundayo, who coordinated the development of the Black Creatives Hub
July 2024
- Features in The Art Newspaper and London Post
October 2024
- Digital exhibition of the Showcase Collection hosted at London College of Communication, giving physical form to the digital celebration during Black History Month
February 2025
- Launch of Black Creatives Current Opportunities webpage showcasing internal and external opportunities for Black Creatives
- Presentation of the Hub’s progress at the Black Leaders in Higher Education meeting, sharing UAL’s pioneering work with other institutions
Looking ahead: our vision for the future
As we look to the future, our goal is to build on the work that has been done already and grow the Black Creatives Hub into a stronger platform that brings people together, celebrates creativity and drives real change.
What’s next
- Bringing the Black Creatives Hub into physical spaces across UAL
- Launching an annual programme of events including talks and panel conversations
- Establishing mentoring initiatives for emerging creatives
- Expanding collaboration with industry and community partners
- Hosting exhibitions, competitions and creating more opportunities
- Securing designated funding for planned initiatives and future growth
- Strengthening governance and leadership
- Building long-tern stability and sustainability
- Growing networks of Black creatives locally and globally
- Introducing awards and bursaries to support creative development
'Since its launch, the Black Creative Hub has been hugely impactful in putting a spotlight on Black creatives, their significant contributions at UAL as well as the arts and cultural industry landscape. The Hub is a culturally safe and supportive space to not just showcase work, but to advocate for more ethical and equitable practices across the creative industry.'
Maureen Salmon, Associate Dean Knowledge Exchange
Thank you to everyone who has supported the development of the Hub so far. We look forward to celebrating even more accomplishments together.
We invite everyone to explore the Black Creatives Hub, engage with its content and continue to champion Black representation within creative industries.
If you’d like to collaborate or have any questions, please get in touch via blackcreatives@arts.ac.uk.