Black British music is not a niche interest. It is not a specialist concern, not a footnote in the larger story of British culture. From the soundsystem dances of 1950s through to the Two-Tone explosion, through Jungle, Garage, Grime, Drill, Afroswing, and everything still being invented in bedrooms and studios across this country right now, this music has shaped how Britain sounds, how Britain moves, how Britain presents itself to the world.
And yet there is no permanent home for it.
That is what this petition is about.
The Evidence Is In. The Argument Is Won.
The last five years have confirmed what practitioners, researchers, and communities have always known. The British Library’s Beyond the Bassline exhibition traced 500 years of Black British music and won the Museum and Heritage Award for Best Temporary Exhibition and Best Publication. It sold out. It reached audiences who had never set foot in the British Library before, people who recognised their own histories on those walls and couldn’t quite believe they were seeing them acknowledged in that building, in that way. The V&A East’s The Music is Black (April 2026) continues the momentum. Google’s Union Black, the Herbert Gallery’s 2 Tone: Lives and Legacies, Dub London at the London Museum: the appetite is real, the institutional will is growing, and the public keeps showing up.
But temporary exhibitions are not enough. They never were.
What We Are Asking For
We are calling for two things, and they belong together.
First: a permanent exhibition space, housed in a prominent national institution, accessible to all, curated with expert input from Black British music practitioners, researchers, and communities. Not a static monument, a living research hub that incorporates immersive and AI-driven storytelling alongside physical artefacts, that can reach audiences from Southamton in to Edinburgh, not just whoever happens to be passing through London. The AHRC has already indicated its intention to fund the infrastructure for such a space. Major institutions from Southampton to Birmingham to Liverpool have expressed interest. The groundwork is laid. What we need now is the public weight of this petition to confirm that this is a national priority.
Second: curriculum inclusion, integrated properly across history, music, geography, and literature. Not a one-week diversity module bolted onto an existing framework. A substantive, sustained presence in what young people in this country learn about British culture and British history. Black British music is not a supplement to the national story. It is one of the most globally influential chapters in it, and students from all backgrounds deserve access to it as a matter of course, not as an optional extra.
Why This Matters Now
Timing is everything in this kind of work. The wave of institutional engagement with Black British music history is real, and it is not guaranteed to last in its current form without structural investment. The museums are interested now. The funders are paying attention now. The public appetite, demonstrated by those sold-out exhibitions, is evidenced now.
But waves break. Without a permanent foundation, the energy dissipates, the artefacts scatter, the untold stories go back to being untold. The next generation of researchers and curators starts from nothing, again, the way every previous generation has had to, because the infrastructure was never built to hold what they were discovering.
This is not abstract. The UK Music Black Music Means Business report (2026) confirms that Black music has generated £24.5 billion of the UK’s £30 billion recorded music market over three decades. That is 80% of the total. That is not a niche contribution. That is the industry. And the institutional infrastructure, the permanent museums, the curriculum presence, the funded research, has never matched it.
This petition is not asking for special treatment. It is asking for proportionate recognition.
Sign. Share. Make the Case.
If you believe that Black British music deserves a permanent home, that the generations of artists, producers, DJs, selectors, engineers, and communities who built this culture deserve to see it properly honoured, sign this petition and share it.
Museums, galleries, educational institutions, potential partners: tell us what your institution could offer.
The music was always public. The recognition should be too.
This petition is led by the Black Music Research Unit (BMRU) at the University of Westminster. Director: Professor Mykaell Riley | [email protected] | bmru.co.uk | @TheBMRU
We, the undersigned, call upon the galleries, museums exhibition spaces and other potential stakeholders to support this objective:
BMRU Petition support document
This petition narrative draws upon the key themes below:
- The success of Black British music is a testament to the collaborative spirit of Black and White communities in the UK: This music has been created by Black artists, but has also been embraced, supported, and influenced by a diverse range of people from all backgrounds. Recognising this partnership is essential, as it highlights how mutual respect and shared passion have driven the growth and global influence of Black British music. By supporting this petition, we honour this collective effort, showcasing the unifying power of music across different communities.
- The profound impact of Black British music on British culture, society, and the economy: This petition highlights the need to tell the story of Black British music in schools as a vital step to safeguard this heritage for future generations.
- Establishing a permanent exhibition space: The increased institutional engagement with Black British music history has highlighted the need for a central location for research, curation and sharing of content. The petition asks that this space should be housed in a prominent location, accessible to all, and curated with input from Black British music experts, artists, and community members.
- Providing funding and support for the preservation and archiving of Black British music: This petition calls for your support to secure funding for a permanent exhibition space or online platform, in partnership with a major museum or archive as an investment in British history.
- The need for preservation and education: The petition is advocating for the inclusion of Black British music on the national curriculum, across the subjects of history, music, geography and literature. This should include a comprehensive and engaging curriculum that covers the history, genres, key figures, and cultural significance of Black British music. We would like to begin conversations with senior figures on UK examination boards, as well as government agencies, cultural institutions, and forward-thinking educational funding bodies, to spearhead this movement for curriculum diversification.
- The importance of community engagement: The petition highlights the role of community archives, collaboration, and the lived experiences of Black British music creators and audiences. But it also calls for greater integration of community content and expertise in curriculum design, ensuring that it reflects the diverse voices and perspectives within Black British music.