“My Kind of Black” is an exhibition currently on display at the Science Gallery in London, running until October 12, 2024. Curated by The Spit Game UK collective, the exhibition showcases their creative approach to addressing social justice, self-expression, and healing.
The exhibition features four short films alongside a behind the scenes look at how the collective use music and film to champion authenticity and self-expression. The films seek to raise awareness of topics many may find uncomfortable, yet the aim is to help people feel seen. The topics include racisms, sexisms, and harassment.
The Spit Game is a collective of artists, actors, models, producers and creatives who represent young Black London cultures.
‘My Kind of Black’ is the latest exhibition at @SciGalleryLon produced in collaboration with The Spit Game UK.
Open Wed-Sat from 11-6pm the exhibition explores how music and film can be used to champion authenticity and self-expression. ⬇️
https://t.co/AaxEX0ty8L pic.twitter.com/zXYbOj5Yok
— King's College London (@KingsCollegeLon) August 14, 2024
The Spit Game UK is part of the RAP CLUB Collective, which is an organisation boasting a unique approach to modern music education that can be thoroughly embedded within school curriculums and extra-curricular projects. It is championed as an enabler of social mobility by Teach First, the National Lottery, BBC Children in Need and TES. The website outlines the importance of music for their mission:
Through our music, we champion and celebrate the vibrancy of young Black talent.
RAP CLUB projects have performed multiple times at Wembley Arena, The Royal Albert Hall, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, as well as featuring on BBC London News and a performance alongside Arcade Fire on BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge.
The project, created by Benjamin Turner, was initially launched to engage young children from disadvantaged backgrounds, offering them an opportunity to channel their creativity into crafting and expressing their own positive stories and future aspirations.
Turner has described the formation of Spit Game, telling the London Science Gallery: “The Spit Game has been a collective since autumn 2021, but the project actually started in 2016 when I started teaching at my first school. There I started a Rap Club project – going from after-school club to performing at Wembley Arena. The Spit Game launched us into industry and massively grew our audience. The collective is driven by authenticity, community and excellence, championing the vibrant potential of young Black talent and cultures.”
In describing the exhibition, Spit Club wrote:
We invite you to watch the films and take a look behind-the-scenes to discover how we use music and film to champion authenticity and self-expression. Then step into the Spit Game Studio, and give voice to your own kind of creativity.
The exhibition also includes an interactive studio space where visitors can engage with the creative process.
The exhibition culminates in “Help! I think my teacher is racist,” a short film that was commissioned by the Science Gallery that draws on research and personal experience to highlight issues in the education system and their impact on the mental health of Black learners.
Entry to the exhibition is free of charge. For more information on the event, see here.
