MHV Lecture Series

Making Histories Visible, interdisciplinary visual arts research project based at the Centre for Contemporary Art (School of Art, Design and Fashion), University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), is pleased to announce the launch of the MHV Lecture Series. The series will invite local and international scholars, art practitioners, and creative professionals to deliver guest lectures in the field of contemporary arts, from a culturally diverse perspective.

Initiated in 2001, Making Histories Visible excavates creative histories and works with major museums to connect communities with their local and international heritage. Our landmark exhibition Thin Black Line(s), co-curated by Paul Goodwin and Lubaina Himid, Tate Britain, London (2011-12), sparked debates about recorded histories, acknowledged archives and the connectivity of Diaspora cultural activity. The display, access and development of our Black Art Archive on campus has encouraged a steady growth of interest in the recent history and development of work by artists from the Black Diaspora.

Our collaborations have led to acquisitions by major museums and galleries. This contributes to ensure future display opportunities for the work itself, vital for sharing the creative histories of artists of African/Asian descent with audiences seeking reassurance and a sense of belonging. It is also invaluable artistic material for academics redefining art history by integrating these pieces into the canons of British and global contemporary art.

Making Histories Visible is led by Lubaina Himid MBE, Professor of Contemporary Art in collaboration with Christine Eyene, Guild Research Fellow in Contemporary Art.

The 2016 programme will include lectures by Christine Eyene (17 February), Lubaina Himid, and Françoise Vergès, Chair Global South(s), Collège d’Études Mondiales, Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, Paris.

A detailed programme of upcoming MHV Lectures will be announced soon.

For further information, visit Making Histories Visible website.