A new UK-wide charitable art education project is inviting the public to explore the UK’s relationship with the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans, its impact on UK society; and how we can take action to make racial justice a reality. The World Reimagined has launched 10 sculpture trails across 7 UK cities that will be free and open to the public until 31 October 2022.
More than 100 artists have created Globe designs responding to themes ranging from Mother Africa and The Reality of Being Enslaved to Still We Rise and Expanding Soul with an enormous range of experiences and creative styles. Their unique designs have been applied to a sculpture shape devised by renowned artist Yinka Shonibare CBE, who also gave the project its name.
Supported by Official Presenting Partner Sky, The World Reimagined trails are the invitation for people, families, businesses, and communities to talk together about how we understand our history; how our past shapes our future; and how we can act for social change.
Taking place in Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool City Region, London and Swansea, all trails are connected by a digital platform that enables visitors to dive into a unique heritage collection that brings this history to life in a meaningful way. The collection has been created with partners including Professor Kehinde Andrews, the British Library and the International Slavery Museum and was made possible through a grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Schools have also got involved, with 170+ small globes featured on the trail created by schools who have taken part in The World Reimagined learning programme.
The trails are also part of a broader programme encouraging and supporting conversations around racial justice that have been developing over the last year. Last month, The World Reimagined awarded more than £75,000 in grant funding to 75+ community organisations across its host cities. Made possible by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the INSPIRE grants support these people and organisations to host their own events and activities so that trail visitors and communities can engage with the work of making racial justice a reality.
Michelle Gayle, co-founder of The World Reimagined, said:
“We know that the greatest force for progress and justice is people coming together in understanding, in conversation and in action. That is what we have seen so far in the artists, activists, schools, community groups, businesses and councils who have made The World Reimagined possible.
And these thought-provoking, challenging and inspiring works of art that are now transforming the streets of our host cities invite us to understand it is not ‘Black history’ – it’s all of our history. And all of us have a role to play in the work of making racial justice a reality. So we hope you will explore the trails and join the conversation”
Across our host cities, businesses and local organisations have joined Greater London City Partner J.P. Morgan and Supporting Partner Bloomberg in making a powerful commitment to racial justice, the arts and education. The World Reimagined has also received support from Arts Council England, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Portal Trust, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and The City of London Neighbourhood Fund. A full list of partners and supporters can be found below, and on our website.
With more than 2m trail visitors; 200+ schools; 75+ community organisations, The World Reimagined will be one of the largest art education projects for racial justice the UK has ever seen. The coming together of art, education, activism and community will make for a unique moment as we examine our shared history and help us to better understand what it means to be British.
The list of participating artists, commissioned by Artistic Director Ashley Shaw Scott Adjaye, include:
- Birmingham – Create Not Destroy, Jay Percy, Donna Newman, Kassessa Gandara, Tamika Galanis, Gabriel Choto, Gayani Ariyaratne, Pauline Bailey, Jess Perrin, Glory Samjolly.
- Bristol – Emma Blake Morsi, Godfried Donkor, BS51, Oshii Rowan, Bandele Iyapo, Adam Grose, Felix FLX Braun, Jasmine Thompson, 3dom, Michele Curtis.
- Leeds – Rodell Warner, Mussarat Rahman, Marcia Brown, Ali Elly, Larry Amponsah, Emmanuel Unaji, Gherdai Hassell, Rosanna Gammon, Shivanee Ramlochan, Kwaku Anokye.
- Leicester – Natasha Muluswela, Laura-Kate Pontefract, Roy Meats, Marcus Dove, Richard Rawlins, Zita Holbourne, Mighty Creatives’ Hannaa Hamdache, Sarah Mensah & Gabrielle Ubakanma, Lakwena Maciver, Jarvis Brookfield, Lou Boyce.
- Liverpool City Region – Fiona Compton, Caroline Daly, Nicola Constantina, Jioni Warner, Amy Bourbon, Kimathi Donkor, Sumuyya Khader, Amber Akaunu, Bryony Benge-Abbott, Catherine Chinatree.
- London (Hackney-Newham) – Ras Akyem, Kim Thompson, Sophie Mowat, Serena Sussex, Julianknxx, Koby Martin, Olivia Twist, Lucy Edkins, Kazvare, Andrea Cumming, Hamed Maiye.
- London (Lambeth-Southwark) – Richard Mensah, Jasmine Thomas-Girvan, Susan Thompson, Alison Turner, Alvin Kofi, Vashti Harrison, Neequaye Dreph Dsane, Suchi Chidambaram, Birungi Kawooya, Gail Stirling-Robertson, Fiona Compton & Hailey Gonzales
- London (Camden – Westminster) – POoR Collective, Phoebe Boswell, Kialy Tihngang, Sohaila Baluch, Gregory Daines, Nadia Akingbule, Deanna Tyson, Foday Dumbuya, Geoffrey Chambers, Nicola Green, Shannon Bono.
- London (City of London) – Foluso Oguntoye, Winston Branch, Glen Brooks, Kione Grandison, Yinka Shonibare CBE, Gil Mualem-Doron, Natasha Muluswela, Àsìkò Okelarin, Curtis Holder.
- Swansea – Mfikela Jean Samuel, Laura Bolton, Abbi Bayliss, GE, Hazel Blue, Joshua Donkor, Joanna Cohn, Carol Sorhaindo, Parys Gardener, Kyle Legall.