The Director of the Westminster Menswear Archive at the University of Westminster Andrew Groves has been selected to be part of the advisory board which will review applications and help choose the awardees for the Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme 2022.
Andrew Groves is Professor of Fashion Design at the University of Westminster and the Director of the Westminster Menswear Archive which he established in 2016. It holds over 2000 examples of some of the most significant menswear garments from the last 140 years including examples from Samuel Ross’s brand A-COLD-WALL*.
Groves sits on committees for the British Fashion Council's Colleges Council, the Association of Fashion and Textiles and The Textile Institute, and he has commented on the fashion industry for numerous news and cultural media outlets.
Through partners and councils from the University of Westminster, Royal College of Art, Design Museum, British Fashion Council, V&A East and A-COLD-WALL*, the Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme 2022 will increase access, visibility and integration for creative talent from marginalised communities for the third year running. Recipients are selected for their exceptional talent, creativity and vision, with specific focus on Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Fine Art, Furniture, Sculpture, and Fashion. These are areas where opportunity has been historically scarce for the Black British community.
The Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme recognises the structural barriers faced by Black creative talent at all levels, seeking to effect tangible change in the form of a £2,500 grant and mentorship that provides the necessary tools needed in the long-term. Thus far, the Programme has aided 30 young artists, designers and business owners, and donated directly to civil rights organisations who work to address wider social justice issues beyond but nonetheless interconnected to the creative sector.
Andrew Groves, Professor of Fashion Design at the University of Westminster and newly appointed advisor for the Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme said: “It's fantastic to be able to support to the Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme.
“Samuel is an excellent example of a polymath who works across a range of practices; so, it’s fantastic that this programme will support Black creatives across multiple disciplines with financial assistance, organic mentoring and networking opportunities. It's a privilege to be able to support the programme alongside colleagues from the Royal College of Art, the British Fashion Council, the Design Museum, and the V&A East.”
Find out more information about the Westminster Menswear Archive at the University of Westminster.
