Uncovering hidden stories to tell better histories

A discussion with Museum X about the role that heritage sites play in uncovering hidden histories and re-presenting a fuller, richer story of Britain told through the stories of the many, not the few.

Speakers Errol Francis, Sandra Shakespeare and Tracey Sage.
Colour head and shoulder photography of Sandra Shakespeare smiling and sitting in a chair in front of a wall of records

Sandra Shakespeare is a founding director of Museum X CIC and the Black British Museum Project.

Museum X works in experimental creative ways with people and institutions to challenge colonial and racist assumptions historically embedded in museum collections and sites of heritage. Fundamental to her practice is the creation of work which explores Black British intangible heritage to reshape and expand a national cultural narrative.

Through consultancy, Sandra has established a wealth of clients from arts, heritage, and museum sectors. Her career includes roles at The National Archives developing the access to African Caribbean archival collections delivering a national programme of outreach including commissions to Black British research academics.

A Clore Leadership Fellow, Sandra is a co-founder member of the heritage network Museum Detox – a network for people of colour who work in museums, libraries, galleries, archives, and the heritage sector.

Dr Errol Francis is artistic director and CEO of Culture&.

Errol studied photography and fine art at Central Saint Martin’s, University of the Arts London. His doctoral research at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London focused on postcolonial artistic responses to museums.

Prior to his career in the arts, Errol was a mental health campaigner and advocate for the rights of racialised communities in the mental health services. He served on public enquires into the treatment of Black patients and co-authored Big, Black and Dangerous (1993) Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the deaths of three patients at Broadmoor Hospital and Breaking the Circles of Fear: A Review of the Relationship between Mental Health Services and African and Caribbean Communities (2002) published by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.

Errol works with museums on collaborative public programmes and consultancy. He also leads the New Museum School (NMS) which partners with the University of Leicester to provide studentships for people from diverse communities. NMS enables them to pursue studies in museum studies and socially engaged practice to progress their careers in the heritage sector.

Errol is involved in a number of research projects and is visiting lecturer at UCL, Sotheby’s Institute of Art; Honorary Lecturer at the University of Exeter and Visiting Fellow at the University of Leicester.