V&A East inaugurates with 'The Music is Black: A British Story', reframing Black British music as foundational
On 18 April, V&A East Museum in London will launch its first exhibition, 'The Music is Black: A British Story,' which explores the significance of Black British music in shaping contemporary British identity. Spanning more than 125 years and various genres such as lovers rock, Brit funk, jungle, and grime, the display will showcase over 200 artifacts, including a piano belonging to Winifred Atwell and a guitar from Joan Armatrading. The exhibition features newly created artworks and immersive experiences, highlighting the collaborative nature of music production. In collaboration with BBC Music, V&A East seeks to enhance public access to its collections while presenting Britain as a dynamic hub within the global narrative of Black cultural exhibitions.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'The Music is Black: A British Story' opens 18 April at V&A East Museum, London
- Inaugural exhibition for V&A East, spanning over 125 years of Black British music
- Features over 200 objects including artifacts from Winifred Atwell, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Joan Armatrading, and Jme
- Explores genres like lovers rock, Brit funk, jungle, and grime across four non-linear acts
- Includes newly commissioned artworks and immersive sound and moving image installations
- Foregrounds collective labor of producers, DJs, photographers, and designers over solitary figures
- V&A East opened with adjacent Storehouse in 2025, offering public access to collections and archives
- Partnerships with BBC Music and festival program extend exhibition beyond gallery
Entities
Artists
- Winifred Atwell
- Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
- Joan Armatrading
- Jme
- Jennie Baptiste
- Syd Shelton
- Lawrence Watson
- Caron Wheeler
- Tim Barrow
- Janet Kay
- Sam White
- Skepta
- Jammer
- Harry Hammond
- Sister Rosetta Tharpe
- Anna Müller
- Dizzee Rascal
- Jacqueline Springer
- Raymond Steth
- Denzil Forrester
- Sonia Boyce
- Daniel Newman
- DJ Paulette
- Adrian Boot
- Tricky
- JME
- Teshome Douglas-Campbell
- Olayinka Burney-Nicol
- Sokari Douglas Camp CBE
- Fowokan George Kelly
- Tam Joseph
- Vicky Lindo
- Bill Brookes
- Zak Ové
- Frank Bowling
- LR Vandy
- Stormzy
- Banksy
- Grooverider
- Little Simz
- Seal
- Dame Shirley Bassey
- Sade
- Skin
- Dame Sonia Boyce
- Sir Frank Bowling
- Dennis Morris
- Bob Marley
- Eddie Otchere
- DJ Kemistry
- DJ Storm
- Laura Hyperfrank Brosnan
- Shortee Blitz
- Beat A Maxx
- Larry Achiampong
- Claude Cahun
- Shadi Ghadirian
- Sofonisba Anguissola
- Alexander McQueen
- Vivienne Westwood
- Keith Khan
- Tania Bruguera
- Rene Matić
- Carrie Mae Weems
- Marion Davies
- Debra Rapp
- Gus Casely-Hayford
- Thomas J Price
- Poly Styrene
- Michael Jackson
- Jerry Dammers
- Tony 'Gad' Robinson
- Newton Dunbar
- Billy Ocean
- Mel & Kim
- Rowetta
- Omar
- The Cimarons
- UB40
- Aswad
Institutions
- V&A East
- V&A East Museum
- Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen
- Nederlands Fotomuseum
- MoMA
- BBC Music
- Aesthetica Magazine
- Fabric
- Drury Lane Theatre
- V&A
- London Olympics
- Knickerbox
- Wallpaper.com
- BBC
- Ford Foundation
- V&A East Youth Collective
- JA Projects
- Mayor of London
- Glastonbury
- Sotheby's
- ITV
- UK Music
- Four Aces
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
- East London
- Rotterdam
- Netherlands
- New York
- United States
- Leeds
- Potternewton Park
- Coventry
- Shepherds Bush Green
- Africa
- US
- East Bank
- Britain
- Olympic Park
- Trinidad
- Jamaica
- Chicago