Exhibitions, literary prize and student talks anchor Morley’s Black History Month

Morley College London will feature visual arts, the written word and insights from speakers of colour as part of our celebration of Black History Month 2023.

Here are five highlights to watch out for in October 2023:

1) embodied

Featuring work by six women of colour, this Morley Gallery exhibition is a celebration of the embodied self in all its forms, exploring artistic practices that navigate the complexity of lived experience and conscious emotion via the bodily form.

Part of the exhibition will be displayed as public art, with monumental steel sculptures by Sokari Douglas Camp situated in the community garden at the junction of St Georges Road and Westminster Bridge Road.

The exhibition also features work by Morley jewellery tutor Adaesi Ukairo and Chelsea Centre alum Hannah Uzor.

• 7-28 October
• Free to attend
• Morley Gallery, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7HT
• Open during Morley Gallery opening hours

2) Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour

Returning for a third year in partnership with RML, in mid-October we will reveal the winners of the Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour, this year in two categories: Fiction, and Life Writing/ Creative Non-Fiction.

The winners will receive £500 prizes, but will also be given individual editorial consultations with an agent on their work, and the chance to ask any questions about the agent/editorial process and how to secure an agent.

• Keep an eye on www.morleycollege.ac.uk/news to hear first about the 2023 winners.

3) Black History Walks around Notting Hill

Come and join us on a walk around Notting Hill, now one of London’s wealthiest areas but home also to a wealth of black history.

• Monday 2 October and Monday 9 October
• Free to attend
• North Kensington Centre for Skills, Wornington Road, W10 5QQ
• Walk departs at 1pm

4) BHM content on Morley Radio

Browse the Morley Radio archives for content related to Black History Month, and watch out for Black History Month specials throughout October, including:

• Arabic Musical Journeys, live at 4pm, Fridays
• Global Beats Voyage, live at 6pm, Monday 2, 16 and 30 October
• Maximum Reinhardt Show, listen to podcasts
• The Alistair Pope Radio Hour, live at 6pm, Thursdays

Follow Morley Radio’s social media channels as we put the spotlight on black artists including Whitney Houston and Bob Marley.

Follow Morley Radio at X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram or Facebook.

5) Talk with Arieta Mujay, Brand Director at Sephora UK

Arieta Mujay will be joining us for a candid discussion on her career path within the fashion and beauty sector as a black woman.

She will share the highlights, challenges, and reflect on the choices she might have made differently along the way.

Arieta is Brand Director at Sephora UK and has also worked also worked as head of PR for River Island, New Look and Boohoo.com.

• Wednesday 18 October
• Open to students only
• Chelsea Centre for Creative Industries, Hortensia Road, SW10 0QS

Find out more about Morley’s coverage of Black History Month at www.morleycollege.ac.uk/black-history-month