"Based in the UK, MUSEUM X is dedicated to creating a museum for Black British and Pan African culture"
How it began
Museum X was initiated by Sandra Shakespeare who set up the Black British Museum Project and is a founding member of heritage network, Museum Detox.
Meet the team
Stay up to date with the latest news and projects from Museum X
Our Story
We set up Museum X to explore Pan-Africanism and it’s significance to the centrality of Black Britain. Labels of identity are being contested and evolving, replacing outdated narratives in a time where Britain’s Black population is increasingly diverse.
Museum X works with people and organisations through creative ways to experience cultural heritage. Our mission is to create a museum with people. We’re free to call it whatever we want it to be.
Director
Sandra Shakespeare is director for Museum X CIC, a community interest company set up in 2021. Museum X is home to the Black British Museum Project (BBMP), a provocation which began as a call-to-action galvanising activists and communities in the co-creation of experiential museum spaces for Black cultural heritage.
A Co-Founder member of network Museum Detox –now a growing collective network with over 700 members from museums and wider cultural institutions across the UK and internationally. Sandra is an active individual member of Museums Association.
A critical friend and contributor in MA sectoral initiatives for Decolonisation, Wellbeing and Anti Racism Practices. Sandra holds fellowship positions with Arts Council England' Clore Cultural Leadership and Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts (RSA).
Dr Errol Francis
Co Director
Errol brings a wealth of expertise in academic research as well as curatorial and artistic practice to the team. Errol is also CEO for the charity Culture& and artistic director for New Museum School – a programme that provides a pipeline to fresh and diverse talent to the arts and heritage sector. Errol studied photography and fine art at Central Saint Martin’s, University of the Arts London. His doctoral research at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London focused on postcolonial artistic responses to museums.
Errol’s background in mental health activism has influenced his arts practice such as his role as head of arts at the Mental Health Foundation and his directing of the Anxiety Arts Festival 2014, Cyborgs 2019 and his work in the curatorial research group PS/Y.
Errol is visiting lecturer at the University of Greenwich, Goldsmith’s University of London and Sotheby’s Institute of Art.
Co Director
Cultural strategist and creative producer, Tracey joins our team to lead on development and community involvement/investment in our programme of work.
Formerly heading up the Culture Tourism and Heritage Department for the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Tracey was responsible to the curation and Creative Direction of large-scale festivals (with audiences of 1+million) along with a range of one off festivals and events of varying sizes and scale.
A background in Outdoor Arts, Heritage and Museums, Tracey shares her expertise in support to underrepresented and Black creatives and communities.
Vanley Burke
Vanley Burke, born in 1951, is a photographer dedicated to countering negative portrayals of Black people in mainstream media.
Through his intimate and powerful photographs, he captures the experiences of the Black community's arrival in Britain, offering a more authentic representation.
Angeline Morrison
Angeline Morrison is a singer, songwriter and musician who explores traditional song infused with soul music, literature, ‘60s beat pop, folklore, myth and the supernatural.
In December 2022 The Sorrow Songs: Folk Songs of Black British Experience was voted No 1 Folk album of the year in The Guardian.
Ashton John
Ashton John is an award-winning Filmmaker, specialising in documentary and commercial films.
Born in Hackney, his work focuses on documenting diverse communities and everyday people.
Ashton has directed independent festival and TV documentary films for over 10 years featured on Channel 4 and ITV.
Caroline Deeds
Caroline Deeds has made films about Turner Prize artists including Chris Ofili ‘Exploding The Crystal’ for Tate Britain; and Anthony Gormley with ‘Waseman’ commissioned by ArtAngel for Channel 4.
Caroline has been a lecturer at Falmouth University, taught at The MET Film School in London; and at The National Film and Television School.
Creative Collaborators
Gary Stewart
Gary Stewart is an interdisciplinary artist working at the intersection of sound, moving image and computational creativity. His work examines social and political issues of identity, culture, and technology.
Through the application of innovative technologies and practices he is part of a global network of collaborators who are advocates for equality, climate justice and better health through the arts especially those from marginalised communities.
Jean Campbell
Jean Campbell, a Jamaican-born and North London-raised artist, educator, and specialist in race, heritage, learning, and development, has dedicated over 25 years to promoting race awareness within the art therapy profession and over 15 years within Arts and Heritage.
Her collaborations span over 20 museums and galleries, including Tate Modern, The British Library, The Hunterian Museum, and The Museum of London.
Malcolm Phillips
Malcolm Phillips recognized the need for tailored mental health services for African and Caribbean communities. He's worked diligently to develop African-centered services in the voluntary sector, NHS, and local authorities.
In 1993, he co-founded the Black Therapy Association, served as the founder and Co-Chair of Safoa, and currently holds a position as a board member of the UK Chapter of The Association Of Black Psychologists.