Archer's Legacy Lives
Homegrown Festival 2026
Information
Dates and Times:
Exhibition:
29 May, 10am – 11pm
30 May, 10am – 2pm and 6pm – 11pm
Roots of the People
29 May, 6pm – 8pm
From Roots to Creation
30 May, 3pm – 5pm
Tickets:
Exhibition: Free (no booking required)
Roots of the People: Pay What You Can (Recommended Price £6)*
From Roots to Creation: Pay What You Can (Recommended Price £6)*
*all orders subject to a transaction fee of £2
Running Time:
Exhibition: This is a drop-in exhibition
Roots of the People: 2 hours
From Roots to Creation: 2 hours
The Exhibition takes place in person in Elm House
Roots of the People takes place in person in Tom’s Café
From Roots to Creation takes place in person in our Members Bar
A three-part exploration of the life and legacy of the first Black Mayor of a London Borough, John Archer.
Part 1: Exhibition
Part 2: Roots of the People
Part 3: From Roots to Creation
In 1913, John Archer was elected as the Mayor of the Borough of Battersea in the former Town Hall, now Battersea Arts Centre.
Across three connected events, Archer’s Legacy Lives invites you to engage with Black British history through art, performance, and creative participation.
Part 1: Exhibition – An exploration of Archer’s political significance and enduring cultural impact.
Part 2: Roots of the People – Experience an original poem inspired by the former Mayor. After this performance, create your own piece of writing inspired by John Archer and your own personal experiences.
Part 3: From Roots to Creation – Transform your discoveries into a zine, using art and creativity to reflect on history.
Archer’s Legacy Lives is a powerful exploration of a key moment in Black British history that continues to shape the world we live in today.
Exhibition
Using visual art and text-based displays, Part 1 of Archer’s Legacy Lives centres Black British history reflecting on Archer’s political achievements and ongoing relevance.
This exhibition can be experienced independently but is best enjoyed alongside the performance and workshops.
This is a drop-in exhibition. Booking is not required.
Biographies
Joke Amusan (commissioned to create a visual artwork for Part 1: Exhibition)
Joke Amusan is a German-Nigerian artist based in London, England. Her art practice illuminates the rich and multifaceted experiences of Black womanhood. Through her exploration of identity, heritage, and migration, she creates immersive installations and sculptures. Her art serves as a conversational bridge: inspiring women to come together, share their stories, and unapologetically embrace their authentic selves. Joke’s work has been exhibited across the UK, USA, Europe, and Africa in renowned galleries such as Tate Modern, The ICA, and The African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta. In recognition of her practice, she received the Thameslink Art Award in 2025, was a finalist in The Ingram Prize in 2023, and was nominated for the “Female Founder” award in The Independent Awards in 2022.
Maureen Onwunali (lead performer and facilitator for Part 2: Roots of the People)
Maureen Onwunali is a Dublin-born Nigerian poet and a two-time national slam champion. Her work has been featured by Apples and Snakes, BBC Radio London, BFI, Hay Festival, Pearson, The Irish Embassy, The Poetry Society, Obsidian Foundation, Roundhouse, TEDx, and TFL.
Alfiah Jade Brown (lead facilitator for Part 3: From Roots to Creation)
Alfiah Jade Brown is a South London visual poet, producer, and facilitator whose practice transforms poetry into immersive visual experiences. Drawing from her dyslexia and deep connection to sound, she blends language with image, rhythm, texture, and audio to create work that invites audiences to see, hear, and feel poetry beyond the page. Rooted in visual storytelling and experimentation, her work explores poetry through collage, film, photography, and live performance, transforming everyday moments into layered and emotionally resonant narratives. Alongside her creative practice, Alfiah facilitates creative workshops that encourage participants to explore storytelling through collage, text, image, and sound in accessible and imaginative ways. She has led workshops with Poetic Unity, Apples and Snakes, and Bold Tendencies, creating spaces for people to develop confidence in their own creative voices. Her debut poem-film, I, Luv Ya West, received Word Play & Flow Award nominations, and in 2025 she premiered In Memory of Aunty Woody at Hay Festival.
Credits
Next Gen Producers is part of BAC’s Next Gen creative engagement programmes for ages 11-29, generously supported by Arts Council England and Apple, with additional support from Craig Mawdsley, The Mackintosh Foundation, The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, and The Idlewild Trust.
Access
PRE EVENT INFORMATION
The Exhibition take place in person in Elm House. This space is on the ground floor with step-free access.
The Roots of the People workshop takes place in person in Tom’s Café. This space is on the ground floor with step-free access.
The From Roots to Creation workshop takes place in person in our Members Bar. This space is on the first-floor, with step free access to the space via a lift.
If you have booked a ticket, you will receive an email before the event detailing important information about your visit.
EXHIBITION INFORMATION
Content
- References to racism.
This event will be Relaxed. We invite you to make yourself comfortable and move around if you need to. If you need to leave the event at any point, you will be allowed to return when you feel ready.