Ticketed

Essential Information

Type Events and festivals
Location
Date and Times Friday 20 October | 5pm-9pm
Prices Pay what you can

Be inspired by the experiences of Black creatives at this celebratory event, organised in collaboration with arts organisation The Collective Makers.

Bringing together trailblazing artists, rappers and designers, this evening of panel talks focuses on Black identity in art, music and fashion.

Discussions will delve into the theme of collaboration within the Black artistic community, breaking down barriers and showcasing diversity within their industries. The night will also feature a special performance from spoken word artist, Rasheeda Page-Muir.

The symposium will be held in the Lecture Theatre at the National Maritime Museum, hosted by educator and social worker, Liz Folarin. The event will serve as a platform to amplify the voices of Black artists, spark critical conversations and acknowledge their significant contributions to history. It aims to pave the way for a more inclusive and empowering future for Black creatives. 

Meet the artists

Tap the arrows to find out more about the featured artists and performers.

Event host: Liz Folarin

Liz is an anti-racist educator and mental health social worker. She has created the BIPOC Bookcase Book Club to focus on books written by BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Colour).

Liz provides a space for people of all hues to come together and collaborate, champion and celebrate fantastic literature by peripheral writers. You can find Liz’s work on thebipocbookcase.org.

An image for 'Event host: Liz Folarin'

Event performer: Rasheeda Page-Muir

Rasheeda Page-Muir is a TEDx speaker, poet and award-winning community organiser from Woolwich. With a background in founding and directing the youth organisation, RevolYOUtion London, Rasheeda has over a decade of experience in guiding thought-provoking social and political debates for young minds in the South East London area.

Rasheeda has worked with institutions and organisations including Channel 4, BBC London, Poet in the City, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Partnership for Young London, KPMG, the Southbank Centre, the Jerwood Foundation and many others.

An image for 'Event performer: Rasheeda Page-Muir'

Guest speaker: Stories We Cherish

Having started in 2020, Stories We Cherish is a menswear brand, fusing technology and fashion to spotlight and celebrate the resilience, diversity, allure and creativity of African communities.

"Our mission revolves around leveraging the power of storytelling to reshape narratives and foster positive change. Through our brand, we aim to ignite conversations that challenge stereotypes and bridge cultural divides with communities beyond the African diaspora," they say.

The brand's milestones include hosting over 20 pop-up events in locations including Los Angeles and New York City, and going viral in Diego Suarez and Madagascar. "In Madagascar, we held our first ever catwalk event, using it as an opportunity to raise funds for a children's home," they add.

An image for 'Guest speaker: Stories We Cherish'

Guest speaker: Emmanuel Unaji

Emmanuel Unaji (b.1994) is a British-born Nigerian multidisciplinary artist & co- founder of the award-winning design company, Unaji & Co.

Emmanuel’s unique style is to mechanically deconstruct icons combining collage, drawing and painting to reverse engineer the unconscious bias applied to portraiture. Influenced by popular culture and masters such as Michelangelo and Virgil Abloh, Emmanuel contemplates the Western canon and questions his place within it.

An image for 'Guest speaker: Emmanuel Unaji'

Guest speaker: Giya Makondo-Wills

Giya Makondo-Wills is a British-South African documentary photographer and visual artist. She focuses on urgent matters of our time and how they relate to the history of marginalised communities.

Giya aims to challenge visual culture and the western gaze, recognising the role of the camera in writing new histories. Giya works with themes such as identity, race, colonisation and systems of power, using collaboration to preserve the stories of those that are often overlooked.

Giya is part of the exhibition Our Connection to Water at the National Maritime Museum.

An image for 'Guest speaker: Giya Makondo-Wills'

Guest speaker: Kelvin Okafor

Kelvin was born in London. He studied a Foundation course in Art and Design at City & Guilds of London Art School and is a graduate from Middlesex University with a B.A. (Hons) in Fine Art.

At the age of eight, Kelvin Okafor found himself drawn to the artistic potential of the pencil. Through that early fascination and development of his natural gift, Kelvin went on to win multiple awards after graduating from Middlesex University in 2009.

Today, Kelvin is recognised as a hyper-realist artist internationally, specialising in portrait drawing.

An image for 'Guest speaker: Kelvin Okafor'

Guest speaker: Shocka

Hailing from Tottenham in London, Kenneth Erhahon, publicly known as Shocka, is a renowned rapper specialising in the 'Conscious-Pop' genre. A mental health advocate, Shocka raises awareness about mental health issues and provides support to those facing their own challenges by being a voice for the voiceless.

His career kicked off in 2008 when he released his first mixtape, "Beast on the Loose" which paved the way for him to join the grime collective 'Marvell' alongside Double S and Vertex.

His debut book A Section of My Life recounts his struggles with his mental health. It also contains poems written while he was in hospital.

Guest speaker: Smila

Smila is a London-based director and hip-hop artist.

An image for 'Guest speaker: Smila'

What’s On

Exhibitions | Space and astronomy

Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition

See the world's greatest space photography at the National Maritime Museum
Open daily until 11 August 2025 | 10am-5pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Family fun

Character Encounters at the National Maritime Museum

Visit the National Maritime Museum every Saturday to discover a different character from history with their own fascinating story to tell
Every Saturday
Free
National Maritime Museum
Exhibitions | Maritime history

Pirates

Explore the myth, discover the truth: Pirates at the National Maritime Museum is now open
Open daily until 4 January 2026 | 10am-5pm
Adult: £15 | Student: £11.25 | Child: £7.50
National Maritime Museum
Family fun

Safe Harbour

Safe Harbour is a series of free workshops created to provide a safe space for foster and adoptive families with children under 13 years
Monthly: Next date 19 July | 12.30pm - 2.30pm
Ticketed | Free
National Maritime Museum
Family fun

SENsory Sailors

Come along and enjoy this brand new sensory play session for children under 13 years with special educational needs
Once a month on Saturdays | 11am-12.30pm
Free | Pre-booking required
National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours | BSL tours

BSL Tour: Pirates

Join John Wilson for a British Sign Language (BSL) tour of our Pirates exhibition at the National Maritime Museum
Thursday 15 May and Saturday 1 November 2025 | 2pm-3pm
Adult: £15 | Student: £11.25 | Child: £7.50
National Maritime Museum
Family fun | Ocean Court

Ocean: above and below

Dive into an ocean adventure with free activities every day at the National Maritime Museum this summer!
Daily except Mondays | 23 July - 31 August 2025
Free
National Maritime Museum
Workshops

Historical pocket making workshop

Create a timeless tie-on pocket as part of this project providing community workshops accessible for people with memory loss, Alzheimer’s and dementia
Tuesday 5 August, 4 November and 2 December | 11am-1pm
Free, drop-in
National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours | Royal Observatory 350th anniversary

Evening of Astrophotography

Come along to a panel discussion to learn more about astrophotography, and enjoy a private viewing of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 exhibition
Friday 8 August 2025 | 6pm-8pm
Adults: £12 | Students and Under 25s: £8.50
National Maritime Museum
Events and festivals | Art and culture

International Slavery Remembrance Day

Explore the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade and its abolition at the National Maritime Museum and Queen's House
Saturday 23 August 2025 | 11am-5pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Events and festivals | Museum Lates

What's The Time?

Join us for a festival of energetic sounds and communal making as young artists take over the National Maritime Museum
Dates to be announced
Free
National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours | Member events

Members Preview: ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year

Members get to see the new ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition first, and hear about the winning images from an expert from the Museum
Thursday 11 September 2025 | 7pm
Free Entry
National Maritime Museum
Conferences | Maritime history

Britain, Conflict, and the Sea conference

This conference seeks to explore the ways in which modern Britain has been shaped by ideas and practices of maritime war
Friday 12 September 2025 9am-5.45pm | Saturday 13 September 9am-3.30pm
Adult £50 | Postgraduate Researcher/Student £25 | Members £45
National Maritime Museum
Courses | Astronomy courses

Intermediate Astronomy

Acquire a rigorous scientific understanding of the Universe with the Royal Observatory Greenwich
10-week module held on Tuesday evenings | See page for details
£205 per module
National Maritime Museum
Courses | Astronomy courses

Introduction to Astronomy

Learn the basics of astronomy with expert tutors from Royal Observatory Greenwich
Six-week courses held on Tuesday evenings | See page for available dates
£96
National Maritime Museum
Courses | Astronomy courses

Introduction to Astrophysics

Explore topics at the cutting edge of scientific research and the limits of human knowledge
Six-week course held on Tuesday evenings | See page for available dates
£96
National Maritime Museum
Events and festivals

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Enjoy 2-for-1 entry to Pirates at the National Maritime Museum and come dressed as a pirate for the chance to win some amazing treasures!
Friday 19 - Sunday 21 September 2025 | 10am-5pm
2-for-1 on all Pirates exhibition tickets | Museum admission free
National Maritime Museum
Workshops

Saturday Art Club

Register now for our weekly creative workshops for young people aged 13-16 during term time at the National Maritime Museum
Saturdays from October 2025 - April 2026 | 10am-1pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Courses | Astronomy courses

Amateur Astronomy For Beginners

A course for those looking to make astronomy into a hobby
Six-week course held on Tuesday evenings | See page for available dates
£96
National Maritime Museum
Events and festivals

STEM careers event: from seas to stars

Free careers event for schools
Wednesday 4 March 2026
Free
National Maritime Museum