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Anthropology, Art & AI
(Human-led | AI-assisted & AI-hybrid | Ethical Responsible British Practice & Research)
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Integrated Cultural, Sociological & AI Anthropologist • Historian • Creative Technology Practitioner
• Transdisciplinary Artist • Award-Winning Fine Art & Archival Portrait Photographer
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Founder & Managing Director, The Black Art Hub CIC
Founder & Senior Archivist, Benjamin Zephaniah Library & Archives
Portrait Photography → Creative Interpretation → Digital Fine Art
One story.
Endless creative possibilities.
Photography That Preserves Stories.
Artwork That Leaves a Legacy.
Award-Winning Fine Art & Archival Portrait Photographer | Transdisciplinary Artist | Creative Technology Practitioner
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Whether you're an individual, family, artist, business, researcher or heritage organisation,
I create powerful visual work that tells stories with authenticity, creativity and lasting impact.
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From professional portraits and editorial commissions to community heritage, oral history and contemporary digital fine art, every project begins with people, their experiences and the stories they want remembered.
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Using photography alongside ethical AI-assisted creative technologies, I can transform a single portrait into bespoke artwork, heritage resources, exhibitions and digital collections—creating work that is both visually striking and culturally meaningful.
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If you're looking for more than photographs—if you're looking to preserve a legacy, communicate your story or create something truly distinctive—I'd love to work with you.
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Specialisms
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š¤ Black British History, Heritage & Cultural Identity
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š©š¾ Black British Women, Families & Communities
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šØ Creative Health, Arts & Wellbeing
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šļø Community Archives, Oral History & Cultural Heritage
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š¤ Ethical AI, Digital Heritage & Creative Technology
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š Arts, Creative & Cultural Communities
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š Community-led Research, Participation & Public Engagement
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My Professional Approach:
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Every project is underpinned by a human-led approach that brings together anthropology, photography, art, oral history, cultural heritage and ethical AI-assisted creative technologies. Whether documenting lived experiences, creating contemporary artwork, preserving community archives or supporting organisations through research and consultancy, my aim is always the same: to create meaningful, accessible and culturally respectful work that preserves the past, documents the present and inspires future generations.
Have a story, project or idea?
Photography services, including archiving...
Just click the button below.
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How Can I Help You?
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Services
Available for commissions, consultancy, guest speaking, research, training and collaborative projects across the UK and internationally.
Whether you're an individual, charity, school, university, museum, archive, business, public sector organisation or community group, I offer creative, research-led and heritage-focused services tailored to your project.
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š· Photography & Editorial
Portraits • Editorial • Corporate • Personal Branding • Heritage Photography • Events • Documentary Photography • Archival Portrait Photography
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šØ Fine Art & Creative Commissions
Bespoke Artwork • Digital Fine Art • AI-assisted Creative Practice • Public Art • Exhibitions • Creative Commissions
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š¤ Oral History & Heritage
Oral Histories • Community Memory • Family History • Heritage Storytelling • Legacy Projects • Heritage Documentation • Life Story Interviews
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šļø Archives & Cultural Heritage
Archive Development • Digital Preservation • Cataloguing • Metadata • Collections Management • Heritage Consultancy • Community Archives
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š¤ AI, Digital Heritage & Creative Technology
Ethical AI • AI-assisted Cultural Heritage • Human-led AI Workflows • Digital Heritage • Creative Technology • AI Literacy • Responsible AI Practice
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š Community Learning, Schools & Prisons
Workshops • Community Learning • Schools • Colleges • Universities • Prisons • Curriculum Enrichment • Creative Learning • Heritage Education • Rehabilitation & Creative Engagement
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šļø Guest Speaking, Presentations & Lectures
Keynote Speaking • Conference Presentations • Guest Lectures • Public Talks • Panel Discussions • Podcast Guest Appearances • Facilitation
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āš¾ Writing, Research & Publications
Academic Writing • Research • Journal Articles • Blog Writing • Editorial Features • Heritage Writing • Case Studies • Reports • Grant & Funding Content
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š¤ Consultancy, Research & Training
Community Engagement • Research Design • Evaluation • Heritage Strategy • Project Development • Professional Training • Funding Support • Partnership Development
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ā¤ļø Community Projects & Partnerships
Co-created Projects • Creative Health & Wellbeing • Community Archives • Black History • Cultural Heritage • Public Engagement • Cross-sector Partnerships • Arts & Culture Projects
Current Project
April - September 2026
Twenty – Medway's Black Heritage
Share Your Story. Help preserve Black history in Medway.
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I'm currently looking for Black British people with a connection to Medway to take part in this oral history and archival photography project, funded by Medway Heritage Place. Participants will be professionally interviewed and photographed, helping to preserve personal stories for future generations.
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Applications close: 17 August 2026
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Successful participants will receive:
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A professionally recorded oral history interview
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A professional archival portrait
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An unframed A2 photographic portrait to keep
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A Certificate of Participation
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The opportunity to contribute to Medway's growing Black heritage archive (subject to consent)
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Twenty
A new community-led archive honouring the voices, stories, and cultural legacy of Medway’s Black community.
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Twenty is a creative oral history and portraiture project that invites 20 Black-identifying residents of Medway to share their lived experiences, memories, culture, and identity. Through gentle audio storytelling, guided conversation, and professional portrait photography, we are building a digital archive shaped with the community and for the community.
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Your story becomes part of Medway’s heritage. Your voice becomes part of the record. Your presence becomes part of the Benjamin Zephaniah Archive & Library (Online), where it will be preserved for future generations.
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This project forms part of the Medway Heritage Place programme — a ten-year partnership with the National Lottery Heritage Fund that supports Medway in unearthing new stories, strengthening local heritage, and celebrating the people who shape this place.
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Twenty – Medway’s Black Heritage is made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to document and preserve the lived experiences of Medway’s Black community through oral histories, portrait photography, and digital storytelling.
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šļø What Taking Part Involves:
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Each participant is invited to a relaxed, creative session that includes:
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Audio recording of your personal story, reflections or memories
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A guided question-and-answer conversation to help you share comfortably
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A professional portrait photograph taken in a calm, friendly mini-shoot
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Archiving of your story and portrait in the Benjamin Zephaniah Archive & Library (Online)
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Inclusion in educational presentations delivered with Medway Archives and Medway Libraries
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This is a safe, supported, culturally affirming space.
No experience needed — just your voice, your story, your presence.
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š Ready to take part?
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We’re inviting 20 participants for this year’s archive.
Click the link to complete the short registration form.
It takes just a few minutes.
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š§ Previous Community Heritage, Research & Creative Projects
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Designed using my Neurodivergent-Friendly Communication Standard
Alongside my doctoral research, I have delivered and contributed to a wide range of community-led heritage, oral history, creative health, archival photography, cultural engagement, and ethical AI literacy projects across Medway, Kent, and London. My work brings together anthropology, creativity, research, and community collaboration to preserve, celebrate, and share diverse lived experiences.
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š Selected Projects
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Twenty: Medway's Black Heritage (2026)
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Medway Heritage Place • Medway Council • National Lottery Heritage Fund
Project Lead, Oral Historian, Archival Portrait Photographer, and Archivist documenting Black lived experiences, oral histories, and cultural heritage across Medway.
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Dementia & Community Heritage 2025
Canterbury Christ Church University, community organisations, and dementia researchers
Creative community practice exploring dementia, memory, well-being, and care in the community through arts-based engagement and community-centred research.
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Medway Pride 2023-2025
In partnership with Medway Pride, Medway Council and Mandinga Arts
Community photography, creative engagement, and visual storytelling celebrating LGBTQ+ communities across Medway.
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Women in STEM 2024
University of Kent (Medway Campus)
Photography and community engagement celebrating women working across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, promoting visibility, representation, and aspiration.ā
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AI, Disability & Inclusive AI Literacy. 2024
In collaboration with Tania Duarte and We and AI
Supporting conversations around responsible, accessible, and inclusive approaches to artificial intelligence for creatives, communities, and disabled people.
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Black on the Square 2023-2024
Mayor of London
Creative and cultural participation in one of London's flagship celebrations of Black culture, heritage, and creativity.
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Better Images of AI
Contributing to discussions around more inclusive and realistic representations of AI through engagement with the Better Images of AI initiative and its wider research network, which includes organisations such as the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (University of Cambridge) and the Alan Turing Institute.
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āš§ Professional Practice
Anthropology | Art | AI
Everything I create begins with people's lived experiences.
My practice combines anthropology, oral history, archival photography, visual art and ethical AI-assisted creative practice to preserve, interpret and celebrate Black British cultural heritage.
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Anthropology provides the foundation through ethnographic and autoethnographic research. Art becomes the medium for storytelling, creativity and cultural expression. AI is used as a human-led, human-controlled and ethically assisted tool to support accessibility, creativity, organisation, digital heritage and community engagement—it is never used to replace human voices, lived experiences or cultural interpretation.
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š§ Neurodivergent-Friendly Practice
This project has been designed using Michi Masumi's Neurodivergent-Friendly Communication Standard, recognising that people process, communicate and engage in different ways.
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Where possible, information is provided using:
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š¤ White backgrounds for improved readability.
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š§ Clear structure and generous spacing.
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š Plain English and accessible language.
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š¼ļø Adult, professional icons and visual signposting.
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āæ Flexible participation and communication options.
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š¤ Multiple ways to contribute, including spoken, written and creative responses.
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š¤ Human support throughout the project where required.
Different Perspectives Drive Innovation, Creativity & Inclusion.
Have a story, project or idea?
š„ Professional Memberships
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Full Member – Oral History Society (OHS)
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Member/Friend – The National Archives
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Member – Archives and Records Association (ARA UK & Ireland)
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Member – Community Archives & Heritage Group (CAHG)
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Member – British Art Network
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Member – National Union of Journalists (NUJ)
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Member – Oral History Group
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š”ļø Safeguarding & Professional Practice
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Enhanced DBS Certificate (Current)
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Safeguarding Children – Level 1
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Safeguarding Children – Level 2
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Safeguarding Children – Level 3
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Safeguarding Children with Disabilities – Level 1
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Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults – Level 1
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Full UK Clean Automatic Driving Licence (20+ years)
About your Historian
Medway-based Oral Historian
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Michi Masumi, BA (Hons), MA
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Doctoral Candidate (PhD), MPhil Passed & Final Review Passed
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Integrated Cultural, Sociological & AI Anthropologist
Award-Winning Fine Art Photographer | Creative Technology Practitioner | Transdisciplinary Artist |
Oral Historian | Community Researcher & Senior Archivist
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Founder & Managing Director — The Black Art Hub CIC
Founder & Senior Archivist — Benjamin Zephaniah Library & Archives
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Doctoral Candidate (PhD Portfolio Route)
Canterbury Christ Church University
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MPhil Progression Successfully Completed • Final Doctoral Review Successfully Completed
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Researching community-led cultural heritage, oral history, anthropology, archives and ethical AI-assisted & AI-hybrid methodologies.
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Founder of an emerging field of academic studies and research; a new methodology; a mobile-first ND research and historian software app called 'EthnoGo'; and three theoretical methodological frameworks, contributing to the fields of British cultural heritage, creative technology art, anthropology and Black studies.
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āļø Research Ethics
Approved by the Canterbury Christ Church University Research Ethics Committee. (Reference: ETH2324-0139)
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This project follows recognised ethical standards for oral history, informed consent, data protection, participant wellbeing and community heritage practice
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š Professional Training
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Oral History Society Professional Training
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Advanced Oral History Interviewing
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Oral History Archive Management
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Specialist Training with Dr Angela Maye-Banbury
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Specialist Training with Rib Davis
Workflow
āDesigned using neurodivergent-friendly principles to enhance clarity, reduce cognitive load and create a more accessible experience for every client.
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As an autistic and ADHD researcher, I have developed my professional workflows using neurodivergent-friendly design principles.
These systems are intentionally structured to make complex processes easier to understand, navigate and complete.
While informed by my own lived experience, they are designed to improve accessibility and usability for everyone.
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š¤ Collect
Oral Histories • Photography • Documents • Artwork • Born-Digital Cultural Heritage
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š DCM
Data Collection & Consent Management
I securely collect participant information, permissions and informed consent.
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šļø Dublin Core Metadata
I create internationally recognised metadata to organise, describe and preserve digital heritage assets.
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šļø PACOS
Preserve • Archive • Catalogue Operating System
I organise, catalogue, quality check and prepare collections for long-term preservation.
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š Multiple Secure Storage
š» Encrypted Local Storage
āļø Secure Cloud Backup
š¾ Offline Backup
šļø Archival Copy
(3-2-1 Backup Strategy)
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š SAR Register
Subject Access Request Register
I manage participant access requests, corrections, consent withdrawals and UK GDPR compliance.
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My Professional Workflow
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š SAR Register
Subject Access Request Register
I manage participant access requests, corrections, consent withdrawals and UK GDPR compliance.
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šļø TBZLA
Benjamin Zephaniah Library & Archives
Collections may be preserved within the Benjamin Zephaniah Library & Archives through physical and digital archival systems, where appropriate and in accordance with participant consent.
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š Digital Access
Website • Digital Archive • Search • QR Codes • Accessible Downloads
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š Additional Resources
Repository • Library • Research Blog • Learning Resources • Case Studies • Community Toolkits • Downloads
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š Preserve • Archive • Share • Inspire
My aim is to create ethical, accessible and lasting cultural heritage resources that support communities, researchers, organisations and future generations.
Archive Call Out
Help Preserve Black British Cultural Heritage
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Every photograph, letter, flyer, poem, recording, artwork, social media post, or personal memory tells a story. Together, these stories become part of our shared cultural heritage.
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I am inviting individuals, families, artists, community organisations, photographers, musicians, writers, researchers, and local historians to help preserve Black British history by contributing digital and physical materials to community-led archival projects.
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Traditional archives never collect many important stories. They remain in family albums, on mobile phones, in memory boxes, on hard drives, on social media accounts, or simply in people's memories. Without action, these histories risk being lost forever.
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What Can You Contribute?
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I welcome a wide range of materials, including the following:
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Photographs (historic and contemporary)
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Family albums and portraits
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Oral histories and recorded memories
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Letters, diaries and journals
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Event programmes, posters and flyers
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Community newsletters
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Poetry and creative writing
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Music, spoken word and performances
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Artwork and sketchbooks
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Video recordings
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Cultural celebrations and traditions
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Protest and campaigning materials
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Local Black history collections
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Born-digital content, including websites, digital artwork, social media, blogs and digital storytelling
No collection is too small. Sometimes a single photograph or one family story can become an invaluable historical record.
āCommunity-Led and Ethical
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My archival work is rooted in anthropology, oral history, community engagement and ethical AI-assisted cultural heritage practice.
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Contributions are handled with care, transparency and respect.
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Contributors remain central to decisions about how their material is preserved, described and shared.
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Consent, copyright, cultural sensitivity and community ownership are fundamental principles throughout the archival process.
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Where appropriate, materials may be digitally preserved using professional archival standards to support long-term access for future generations. Born-digital cultural heritage is increasingly recognised as an essential part of documenting contemporary communities and lived experiences.
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Why It Matters
Archives are more than collections of objects—they are collections of lives.
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By preserving today's stories, we ensure future generations can discover the creativity, resilience, achievements and everyday experiences of Black British communities.
Together we can challenge historical gaps, increase representation, and build archives that genuinely reflect the richness and diversity of our communities.
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Get Involved
If you have photographs, documents, recordings, artwork or memories that you would like to discuss, I would love to hear from you.
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Whether you have one photograph or an entire family collection, every contribution helps strengthen our shared cultural memory.
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Together, we can preserve the past, document the present, and protect our heritage for the future.
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In partnership with The Benjamin Zephaniah Archives and Library, Medway Archives, Black Cultural Archives & Medway Heritage Place Project.