Black Cultural Archives (BCA): Case Study
CREATING AN ARCHIVE
Developing Black Cultural Archives on a grand scale
Black Cultural Archives formed in 1981 with the aim of collecting, preserving
and celebrating the contributions that Black people have made to the culture,
society and heritage of the UK.
Their archive collection is now considerable and offers an insight into the
history of Black people in the UK. It includes rare documents, memorabilia,
photographs and oral history testimonies and artefacts dating from the second
century to the present day.
The mission of the Black Cultural Archives inspires an accompanying
education programme and encourages partnership initiatives.
CONSIDERING ACCESS
BCA is currently engaged in a major capital project to create the UK's first
national Black heritage centre in Brixton, London.
This capital project is a major development for the heritage sector in the UK,
as the new home of the Black Cultural Archives will be the first national
institution dedicated to commemorating and celebrating the experiences of
people of African and African-Caribbean descent in Britain. The new building
will enable the public to access the permanent and growing archive collection
and will provide a platform to explore the histories and cultures, familiar and
unfamiliar, of Black people in the UK.
The project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, London Development
Agency and the London Borough of Lambeth, who have gifted the building to
BCA.