Mask SVG

Black History Month 2026

We’re marking Black History Month with a very special concert series, offering a curated journey across genres, from classical and Latin music to spoken word and art. We’ve brought together artists from the Royal Academy of Music, Royal Academy Junior Department, Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music & Drama and Talent Unlimited, alongside an exciting group of exceptional soloists and emerging artists, to create a month of music that celebrates Black creativity in all its richness and diversity.

Highlights include a magical recital of solo and chamber music curated by Mariatu Kanneh-Mason, alongside the Junior Academy Head of Performance, and a joyful celebration of poetry and music from the inimitable Adisa ‘The Verbalizer’, with musical accompaniment from Jose Zalba-Smith.

As part of our Black History Month programme, discover the work of Trinidadian artist Che Lovelace, whose striking paintings are installed in the entrance to St James’s. The artworks commemorate Quobna Ottobah Cugoano, the 18th-century abolitionist who was baptised at St James’s in 1773.

The paintings bring Cugoano’s story into the present, connecting his life and legacy with Lovelace’s rich visual language and the landscape, people and culture of Trinidad.

Discover Che Lovelace’s artwork and Cugoano’s story