Dr Mykaell Riley, Director for the Black Music Research Unit (BMRU) and Principal Investigator for Bass Culture Research at the University of Westminster, joined a panel event at the Museums Association Conference to discuss the BMRU’s Beyond the Bassline exhibition in collaboration with the British Library.
The Museums Association Conference took place between 12-14 November at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. The 2024 conference focused on celebrating the joy of museums through various panels, keynotes and social events, including a panel on the Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music exhibition which took place earlier this year.
Beyond the Bassline was the first major exhibition to document the 500-year musical journey of African and Caribbean people in Britain. The exhibition was curated by the University of Westminster’s BMRU and the British Library who used the British Library’s extensive sound archives to explore the people, spaces and genres that have transformed the landscape of British music. Dr Riley, who co-created the exhibition, was joined on the panel by members of the Beyond the Bassline team including Aleema Gray, the lead curator of the exhibition, Halina Kaszycka-William, British Library community interpretation manager, and Khadijah Ibrahiim, Leeds-based writer, artist and performer.
The panel spoke about the origins of the exhibition, the curation process and what was learnt from its community engagement projects. They then held a discussion on African and Caribbean musical heritage in the UK more generally.
About the conference, Dr Riley said: “I have to commend Simon and the Museums Association team for hosting another successful conference. Although I was only there for the day, I found the talks insightful and the networking opportunities valuable. For those who couldn't make it to the conference, look out for the presentations which will be streamed online.”
Dr Riley also spoke at the London’s Screen Archives (LSA) conference on 28 November focusing on an LSA project titled Undocumented, which seeks to address the gaps in representation in London’s film archives. Dr Riley participated in a panel on reinterpretation and storytelling through archive material, where he spoke about the BMRU, Bass Culture Research and the Beyond the Bassline exhibition.
Dr Mykaell Riley’s work with the BMRU contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about the University of Westminster’s Black Music Research Unit, including the Beyond the Bassline exhibition.
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