No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960-1990 - 10.07.15 - 24.01.16

No Colour Bar is an important public art and archives exhibition – in the heart of the City of London – the first of its kind in the UK, combining contemporary fine art and archives featuring the works of seminal Black British artists and historically significant Black activists.

The realisation that Britain was changing forever is no better articulated than through the lens of Jessica and Eric Huntley, pioneers of a movement that nurtured the establishment of Black British culture from the 1960s.  As prominent civil rights campaigners and political activists, through their publishing powerhouse, Bogle-L’Ouverture Publications Limited and their creative hotspot, The Walter Rodney Bookshop, they helped to spawn and inspire dynamic generations of artists, cultural and political leaders – whose stories are collected and celebrated in this stunning and innovative exhibition.

Running for six-months, this extraordinary multi-media exhibition No Colour Bar takes its impetus from the life works of Guyanese born, Jessica and Eric Huntley, both individually highly politically active people and also business partners, whose papers, business and personal, archive materials and collections were deposited in the Huntley Archives at London Metropolitan Archives.

Opening Hours

Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm
Sunday 12 noon – 4pm

Programme Highlights include:

13 July | forum Framing Black Visual Arts with Eddie Chambers and Eddie Lloyd. Chaired by Sonia Dyer. Venue: GAG. Book tickets here

13-17 July | summer college: No Colour Bar education programme comprising practical workshops and artistic talks. Held at London Metropolitan Archives (LMA)

6 Aug | curator’s talks with Guildhall Special Exhibition Projects team. Venue: Guildhall Art Gallery [GAG] 1pm -1.45pm

3 September | curator’s talks  with Guildhall Special Exhibition Projects team. Venue: GAG 1pm -1.45pm

12 Sept | film African Odysseys presents the screening of two art films in partnership with BFI Southbank and No Colour Bar 
Canvas and Sand features Imruh Bakari’s film Mark of the Hand about Aubrey Williams and the iconic Walking Drawings Across the Estuaries by Evewright. Post film Q&A chaired by Gaylene Gould. Part of the BFI African Odyssey series (BFI NFT3), 2pm

25 September | friday late Cultural Revolutions an evening of Black music, theatre, poetry and visual art of the 70s and 80s. Dress to impress. Venue: GAG

27 September | groundings  Readings from the Walter Rodney Bookshop with Dr Michael McMillan and Dorothea Smartt. Venue: GAG (time to be confirmed)

1 Oct | curator’s talks with Guildhall Special Exhibition Projects team. Venue: GAG from 1pm -1.45pm

10 Oct | conference Mountain Deep: Archive High | the 10th Annual Huntley Conference, programmed by NextGeneration Youth. The Old Library and Print Room, Guildhall and GAG

5 Nov | curator’s talks with Guildhall Special Exhibition Projects team. Venue: GAG from 1pm -1.45pm

28 Nov | forum Black Artists Forum. An open discussion chaired by Nigel Allyson Ryan FRSA. Venue: GAG from 12pm noon

3 Dec| curator’s talks with Guildhall Special Exhibition Projects team Venue: GAG. From 1pm -1.45pm

12 Dec | archives & multimedia Curating Black Narratives. Venues: GAG  from 10:30am

7 Jan | curator’s talks (45 mins.) with Guildhall Special Exhibition Projects team. Venue: GAG from 1pm -1.45pm