Artist Beverley Bennett presented Nation’s Finest, Putting Down Roots and Birthing for her commission for the Birmingham 2022 Festival. Rooting the work in her home region, Bennett paid homage to the pioneering BLK Art Group and its legacy and influence on the art scene and her practice more personally. Bennett’s multifaceted work comprised of local gatherings, photographic public billboards and a short film.

We’re delighted to have worked with Beverley and her team at the BLK Art Group Research Project on this remarkable commission, to reflect not only on the heritage of Black art and Coventry but on the role of artists and athletes in inspiring the next generation.

The West Midlands was a significant base for Black artists during the early 1980s. The art school here was the meeting place for two of the key figures behind the BLK Art Group, and their impact on contemporary art continues to be significant today.

Craig Ashley, Associate Head of School (Enterprise and Innovation) at Coventry University’s School of Art and Design

Gatherings

Working in community is an important element of the project. Collaborating with Taskforce is Root Connecting Communities from Coventry and African Caribbean Community Initiative Wolverhampton, discussions emerged around; what the Commonwealth meant to them collectively as well as individually, institutional racism experienced within the workplace and school, and aspirations for youth in the future. These testimonies are central to the project.

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