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Whoever Heard of a Black Artist? Britain's Hidden Art History

Brenda Emmanus follows acclaimed artist Sonia Boyce in the lead up to a new exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery, highlighting groundbreaking artists of African and Asian descent.

Brenda Emmanus follows acclaimed artist Sonia Boyce as she leads a team preparing a new exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery highlighting artists of African and Asian descent who have helped to shape the history of British art.

Sonia and her team have spent the past three years scouring our public art archives to find out just how many works of art by artists of African and Asian descent the nation really owns. They have found nearly 2,000, but many of these pieces have rarely, if ever, been displayed before. We go into the stores to rediscover these works and, more importantly, meet the groundbreaking artists from the Windrush generation, the 60s counterculture revolution and the Black Art movement of the 80s.

Contributors include Rasheed Araeen, Lubaina Himid, Yinka Shonibare, the BLK Art Group and Althea McNish.

59 minutes

Last on

Mon 26 Jun 2023 01:20

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:05

    Laura Mvula

    Can't Live With The World

  • 00:05

    Laura Mvula

    Can't Live With The World

  • 00:06

    Lord Kitchener

    Dr Kitch

  • 00:07

    Lord Kitchener

    The Road

  • 00:07

    London Jazz Quartet

    Sadie's Song

  • 00:14

    Agnes Obel

    Stone

  • 00:21

    Agnes Obel

    Citizen Of Glass

  • 00:23

    Osibisa

    Sunshine Day

  • 00:26

    Osibisa

    Fire

  • 00:27

    Cymande

    Dove

  • 00:29

    Linton Kwesi Johnson

    Bass Culture

  • 00:31

    Linton Kwesi Johnson

    Brain Smashing

  • 00:36

    Agnes Obel

    Under Giant Trees

  • 00:49

    Soul II Soul

    Game Dunn

  • 00:40

    Sade

    Never As Good As The First Time

  • 00:41

    Five Star

    Hide and Seek

  • 00:43

    Five Star

    All Fall Down

  • 00:46

    Agnes Obel

    September Song

  • 00:50

    Soul II Soul

    How Long

  • 00:57

    Laura Mvula

    Diamonds

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Brenda Emmanus
Participant Sonia Boyce
Participant Rasheed Araeen
Participant Lubaina Himid
Participant Yinka Shonibare
Participant BLK Art Group
Participant Althea McNish
Director Alex Harding
Producer Alex Harding
Executive Producer Tanya Hudson

Broadcasts

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