Tuesday 10 November 2026
The Barbican has announced Uprising In The Wake, a free and un-ticketed exhibition exploring the interconnected histories of Black activism in London. It runs from Monday 25 January to Monday 3 May 2027 in the Barbican’s Level G Hub Space. Spanning three centuries of Black British activism, it traces a line from the formation of the African Association in London in 1897 to the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 and beyond. Here are five things to know before it opens in the new year.
1. It puts London at the centre of Black resistance
The exhibition places moments of solidarity at the heart of the Black British narrative, and it positions London itself as a site of resistance and collective action. The city was the birthplace of the First Pan-African Conference in July 1900, and the story stretches from the African Association of 1897 right up to the protests of 2020. Uprising In The Wake follows on from the ideas of Pan-Africanism explored in the Barbican’s season Project a Black Planet. It is also inspired by the Christina Sharpe work of the same name, and invites visitors to reflect on agitation and activism as agents of change.
2. Powerful protest photography
Photography is at the core of the show, which will transform the versatile Level G Hub Space into a place of contemplation and reflection. Highlights include work by Phil Lewis, who documented the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 in London, alongside images by David Hoffman and Vron Ware. These sit next to archival ephemera, film and sound, creating a space where audiences can meditate on ideas of Black liberation. The exhibition draws on the idea of “diasporic spidering”, a term coined by historian Nadine George-Graves, to connect key moments of Black political organising across time and geography, tracing their reverberations across the Black Atlantic.
3. Add a song to the ‘Uprising’ soundtrack
This is an interactive exhibition, and visitors are encouraged to play their part. Interactive playlists invite audiences to add songs that resonate with them after viewing the exhibition, building up a collective ‘Uprising’ soundtrack over its run. There is also a ‘What Next?’ wall, where visitors can respond to what they have seen and share ideas about where they believe the fight for liberation is heading. The ideas collected across the exhibition’s lifespan will form a response to the concepts of collectivism explored in the show, so every visitor helps shape the conversation. It makes for a thoughtful, participatory visit.
4. Film, speeches, poetry and a reading library
Visitors can watch a screening of Progress(1968), an atmospheric visual and sonic experience created in 2019 by Etienne Joseph, Ada Cotton and Jeffrey Lennon, which explores what ‘progress’ means for people of African heritage. The exhibition also features speeches, poetry and song from figures including Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, poet Linton Kwesi Johnson and actor John Boyega. For anyone who wants to dig deeper, a small library holds books that inspired the exhibition, with authors including David Olusoga, Afua Hirsch and Lenny Henry. The show is curated by Karena Johnson, with architectural design by West Port Architects and graphic design by Peter Hope-Parry.
5. It is free, with no ticket needed
Uprising In The Wake is free and un-ticketed, so you can simply drop in, and the long opening hours make it easy to fit into a day or evening at the Barbican. Karena Johnson, Curator and Head of Creative Collaboration, said: “From photography taken at Black Lives Matter protests by Phil Lewis to literature by Afua Hirsch, this exhibition will provide audiences the opportunity to reflect on the legacies of Black uprisings in London and connections to global ideas of contemporary Black liberation.” A public programme of intergenerational events, developed with artists and curators, is also planned, with further details due to be announced in January.
Visit
Uprising In The Wake, Barbican Hub Space, Level G
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
Dates: Monday 25 January to Monday 3 May 2027
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8am to 11pm; Saturday and Sunday 9am to 11pm (bank holiday times vary, check the website)
Price: Free and un-ticketed