With the the curtain closing this weekend, I gladly attended this exhibition and although showcased in a smaller space than I had anticipated, was nicely put together.
Highlighting the significant contributions of well known Black British female figures such as Olive Morris and Mary Seacole, it also included a few others who in my opinion, we do not hear enough about such as:
*Seaman William Brown - Who was the first Black woman to serve in the Royal Navy by passing as a man
*Jess Huntley - An activist and scholar
*Beryl Gilroy - A children's author and Britain's first Black Head Teacher
*Mrs. Doris Morris - Who was head Convenor for the Electrical Electronic Telecommunication And Plumbing Union and also the Mother of Olive Morris
*Adelaide Hall - A Black American woman who replaced English entertainer Gracie Field's as Britain's top earning entertainer during the 1940's.
As well as portraits and informative display text, one of the main highlights for me, was the inclusion of forward thinking educating tools used as a part of the exhibition, which I would describe as handheld pods, that when tapped against interactive spots on the walls, played pre-recorded audio that offered further explanation on associated events and figures. I found this to be very clever as it meant people had to be respectfully quiet in order for others to listen and really be educated.
On that note, I will definitely be heading back to the Black Cultural Archives for many future events.
