Celebrate Black History Month at these museums and galleries

Autograph is a leading arts organisation that has played a vital role in promoting and supporting Black photographic practices for over 35 years. Their central mission is to act as an agent of change by championing photography that explores race, identity and human rights, to redress gaps in photographic history and to highlight who is absent from museum collections, archives and exhibitions.

MIMA have been working to decolonise their collection, following an audit which revealed that Black artists make up only 2% of their collection. They have worked on significant research projects and exhibitions to help the museum learn from Black artists and Black communities, and to develop new approaches to collecting, conservation, interpretation and display in order to make their collection more representative and inclusive. From 26 September, MIMA will be also host to the Turner Prize 2026, featuring work by Simeon Barclay and Tanoa Sasraku amongst the competing artists.

The Museum of Liverpool is committed to celebrating the Black community through stories, collections and exhibitions year-round – as well as hosting three dedicated events for Black History Month 2026. Taking place twice in October is Inspirational Black Scousers, a guided tour uncovering the stories of Black people who've influenced Liverpool's history over the years. Also not to be missed is Laroche, the dramatisation of the astonishing true story of the only known Black passenger on the HMS Titanic.

Straddling the border between Scotland and England, Paxton House is one of the finest examples of Palladian architecture in the UK. It also has direct connections to the Caribbean and slavery: its owner during the 18th century was Ninian Home, a Scottish slave plantation owner. In recent years, Paxton House have worked to reckon with this history and decolonise their collections and exhibition spaces, actively embedding the house's historical links to slavery deeper within their interpretation. They have programmed exhibitions, including a permanent Sugar and Slavery trail, exploring the links between the historic house and the slave trade.

Since it was founded, Bristol's Arnolfini has done incredible work to champion Black artists and embed postcolonial thinking into its exhibition programme, including significant group exhibitions such as Trophies of Empire (1992), Disrupted Borders (1993), and solo shows by Veronica Ryan, John Akomfrah and Frank Bowling. From 17 October, don't miss their exhibition of over 150 words by pioneering photographer, Joy Gregory.

Touchstones Rochdale, formerly Rochdale Art Gallery, had a daring and innovative approach to exhibition making and education programming in the 1980s. It focused on exhibiting artists who were engaged in critical and socio-political practice, giving a platform to those who were not given the opportunity to exhibit their work in other high profile institutions, including Sonia Boyce and Lubaina Himid. The gallery also presented its historic collection in new and critical ways, demonstrating the potential for galleries to function as a tool for social change.

Touchstones Rochdale is currently closed for an extensive redevelopment.