V&A East Celebrates 125 Years of Black British Music with Landmark Exhibition

A new exhibition, ‘The Music Is Black: A British Story’, has opened at the V&A East in London’s Olympic Park, showcasing 125 years of Black British music. The exhibition, the inaugural display at the new museum, features iconic items including Stormzy’s stab-proof vest – designed by Banksy and worn during his headline set at Glastonbury – Joan Armatrading’s childhood guitar, and handwritten lyrics from Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’. The display traces the evolution of musical genres, from the importation of jazz, reggae, and blues to the emergence of distinctly British sounds like Two Tone, Garage, Trip Hop, and Grime. The exhibition highlights how artists have used music to address issues of identity, crime, and prejudice. Curated by Jacqueline Springer, the exhibition also demonstrates how black music has deeply influenced the UK’s music scene, evidenced by the success of artists like Winifred Atwell and contemporary movements like grime and Lovers Rock. Visitors can experience a personalised audio journey through the exhibition with specially-programmed headsets. The exhibition aims to celebrate the significant contribution of black music to British culture and demonstrate its lasting impact on the national soundscape, with Aswad reflecting on how their experiences growing up in Britain shaped their distinctive reggae style. The exhibition runs until further notice.