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Projects

The UAL Decolonising Arts Institute works on collaborative projects in arts and education across UAL and beyond, seeking to drive and support cultural and institutional change.

Our projects have grown out of dialogues and partnerships, including with artists, researchers and other higher education institutions.

Gallery with placards made out of magazines
Sonia Boyce, Devotional Wallpaper and Placards, 2008-2020. Acquired by the Contemporary Art Society for the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) through the Rapid Response Fund, 2020.

Highlights

Transforming Collections: Reimagining Art, Nation and Heritage

Dissolving barriers between collections, surfacing patterns of bias and uncovering hidden connections.

A side profile photo of a young boy wearing a helmet
Larry Achiampong Relic 2 4K colour video with stereo sound 2019 © The Artist. Courtesy of Larry Achiampong & Copperfield London. Image courtesy of British Council Collection

20/20

Catalysing artists’ careers and change in UK collections through 20 residencies, 20 commissions and 20 new acquisitions.

Exhibition of an abstract castle
Sonia Boyce, In the Castle Of My. Photograph by Rachel Deakin. Courtesy of MIMA

Institute associates

Institute Associates work on a specific piece of work with the Institute as part of their scholarly activity at UAL.

Maquette statues and building
Doyeon Kim, in studio, 2021 MA Theatre Design, Wimbledon College of Arts, UAL | Photograph: Alys Tomlinson

Residencies

Decolonising Archives

This programme explores institutional histories, memories and experimental approaches to decolonising UAL from within.

Old black and white photograph of a rally
C.L.R James speaking at a rally in Trafalgar Square in 1935

Decolonising Collections

Our curatorial research network residency programme in collaboration with 3 collections partners: Arts Council Collection, British Council Collection and Manchester Art Gallery.

Digital collage
On Land Imaginaries and Dwellings. Tatiana Muringani, M ARCH, Central Saint Martins UAL. UAL Showcase 2021

Digital Archives

Decolonising Archives: Digital Artist in Residence programme in collaboration with iniva: the Institute of International Visual Arts.

In parallel with the Decolonising Archives Research Residency programme, the artist’s role is to focus critically and creatively on a specific aspect of iniva’s digital materials and online archive.

Artwork commissioned by iniva's x-space
Simon Tegala, Fustigator, 1996. Commissioned by iniva's x-space

Workshop

  • Gallery with placards made out of magazines
    Sonia Boyce, Devotional Wallpaper and Placards, 2008-2020. Acquired by the Contemporary Art Society for the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) through the Rapid Response Fund, 2020.

    Decolonising British Art

    Series of events exploring exhibition practices and curatorial strategies for decentering, resituating and reviewing artworks and collections.

More to explore

  • Pamphlets and booklets on a table.
    Image: Daniel Day, AHRC Black Artists and Modernism project, David Medalla Study Day. Image: Daniel Day

    About us

    Find out more about our vision and ambitions for decolonising arts.

  • People looking at artworks in an exhibition
    Image: Andrew Brooks, AHRC Black Artists & Modernism project, Speech Acts exhibition opening, Manchester Art Gallery. Image: Andrew Brooks

    Event recordings

    Explore our recorded events.