These UnMuseum public events offered an opportunity for the diverse communities of Bristol and beyond to engage directly with a group of academics, activists, artists, researchers, and writers – all variously associated with BSWN. All involved with the conception, development and envisioning of just what an UnMuseum might constitute. The series of roundtable events, as public dialogues were not focused on the concrete aspects of the materiality of the UnMuseum itself as a physical space as such.

The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent aims to realise a dream that entails the full and uncompromising protection, promotion, and respect of the human rights of people of African descent, globally. This reflection will serve to draw links between the points made during the First and Second Sessions on the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent and the work done by BSWN throughout the years.

The influence of a public figure can often act as a canary in the coal mine, drawing attention to a distinct societal problem that not only plagues them, but society in general. The problem with this analogy is that the public figure afflicted with a societal ill is often the most prominent of those affected, but certainly not the first.

BSWN’s ‘Make It Work’ Programme Achieves a Staggering £377k increase in Economic Benefit for the Black & Minoritised Adult Social Care Sector in Bristol On Friday 9th June, Black South West Network (BSWN) was joined by approximately 30 key strategic stakeholders at Bristol City Hall for the official launch of the ‘Make it Work’ programme’s Learning & Evaluation Report.

BSWN is pleased to announce the launch of a 3-month pilot initiative aimed at tackling food poverty in Black and Minoritised communities. This pilot has been developed in partnership with Jikoni at the Coach House CIC. Both BSWN and Jikoni are situated at the Coach House in St. Paul’s, with existing kitchen facilities in the café for preparation of hot meals for the Food hub project pilot.

The arrival of the Bibby Stockholm at Dorset’s Portland Port marks the South West as its most recent global destination. Founded in 1976 in Barbados, the Bibby Stockholm has had a lengthy history with the accommodation of people. From housing the homeless and asylum seekers in Hamburg, Germany, to detaining asylum seekers in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the Bibby Stockholm continues this trend in Dorset.

On Thursday the 6th of July we hosted an ,’Investing in Black Tech’ event at Burges Salmon located in central Bristol. This event was to showcase six of our talented Black & Minoritised tech entrepreneurs from the Transforming Business for the Tech Future Programme. They were given the opportunity to deliver a compelling 60-second pitch to a panel of investors, to compete for a cash prize of £5,000.

This Windrush75 week, BSWN is highlighting the different experiences of Caribbean post-war migrants, and celebrating the contributions they have made to Bristol and the UK. Today we share two poems written by Ros Martin, a Bristol-based writer, artist and author of “BEFORE I AM RENDERED INVISIBLE: Resistance from the Margins”.

Organised by the Bristol Legacy Group and the University of Manchester’s Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE) and supported by Black South West Network., the #MemorialisingTheFuture event was designed to find out what people want from Bristol's public spaces.

David Kwao Fianko-Williams, History student at the University of Bristol passionate about Decolonisation and social change, reflect on the lives of Caribbean post war migrants in Britain.

Anndeloris Chacon, CEO of Bristol Black Carers, reflects on the Windrush Era in today’s special blog as part of our Windrush75 week series highlighting the different experiences of Caribbean post-war migrants, and celebrating the contributions they have made to Bristol and the UK. 

Image source: Good Grief

Ros Martin is a Bristol-based writer, artist and author of “BEFORE I AM RENDERED INVISIBLE: Resistance from the Margins”. In this blog, she reflects on what Windrush75 means for her.

To truly tackle the housing crisis and create a fair and inclusive rental market, the government must address these recommendations and ensure that the Renter's Reform Bill encompasses stronger provisions to protect tenants from exploitation and discrimination.