Aasiya Lodhi launches ‘Reclaiming a Lost Past’ with the BBC

Dr. Aasiya Lodhi has launched a new project with the BBC entitled Reclaiming a Lost Past: Black British women, visibility and the BBC.

The project focuses on the often overlooked histories of Black British women. Through two key strands – one on Black British actresses and the other on Black British feminists – Reclaiming a Lost Past has searched through the BBC archives for important figures and significant programmes to reveal how Black British actresses and women’s right activists faced a struggle for representation on the BBC.

Dr Aasiya Lodhi, in partnership with three organisations – Young Vic’s Taking Part project INNOVATE, the podcast Letter to a Black Girl, and the Feminist Library – has worked with a set of intergenerational groups to find out what they think of the stories that have emerged from the archives.

Responses have ranged from creative artefacts by Key Stage 3 and 4 students from INNOVATE partner, Dunraven School in London, to reflections on lived experience in Letter to a Black Girl, to discussions of how Black feminist activism should engage with the BBC.

On the project website you will find photographic images, collaged artwork, original poetry, podcast listening and more.

This work was supported by the BBC and AHRC to promote public engagement as part of the BBC’s centenary.

Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash