Black Chiswick through History is an ongoing project that involves the local community to unearth and share the stories that connect us to people of African descent who have been embedded in Chiswick House for centuries.

Expanding on last year's project, our expert facilitators, historian Nadege Forde-Vidal  and artist and educator Ayesha Weekes worked in collaboration with the West London Ghanaian Association to dive deeper into the life of James Cumberlidge.

James was an 18th-century page boy at Chiswick House who went on to become a trumpeter in the Royal Court of King George III. Notably, he was one of the few people of colour whose image was preserved for posterity. Inspired by his story, the group worked to create an animated collage featuring portraits of other people of African descent who lived in Britain at the time, displayed in Chiswick House over the summer. They also created an immersive soundscape imagining what James' world may have sounded like with guidance from award-winning musician Joy Nkyoyo.

Explore the project further, hear the soundscape and watch the animation: https://chiswickhouseandgardens.org.uk/community-schools/black-chiswick-through-history/