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Art Credit: Michi Masumi. BA.MA
The Benjamin Zephaniah
Digital Archives
What You'll Find Here:
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The Benjamin Zephaniah Digital Archives (TBZDA)
โThe library serves as a dynamic, living resource for learning, reflection, and community exchange. Here, visitors can explore:
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Monthly Blogs & Features | Art & Wellbeing | Research & Academia
| Black Britain & Medway Towns
10 Black Voices of Medway 2026 — Avaliable from 31 October
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Discover the stories behind 10 Black Voices of Medway 2026 (TENS), an oral history, photography and digital heritage project created and led by Michi Masumi. Celebrating the lives, experiences and cultural contributions of Black residents of Medway, the collection brings together personal stories, photographic portraits, recorded histories and creative interpretations.
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The full digital heritage collection will be available online from 31 October 2026, following the completion of participant reviews and permissions. In the meantime, explore the participant portraits and scan the QR code to experience the original TENS sonic poem.
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Project Funding & Acknowledgements
This project was made possible through the Medway Heritage Place Project, with funding from Medway Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.
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Ten Black Voices of Medway | ADN Sonic Poetry
โAn original sonic poem and music video by Michi Masumi
Ten voices. Ten stories. One Medway.
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Created as part of 10 Black Voices of Medway 2026 (TENS), this original sonic poem celebrates the cultural heritage, lived experiences and contributions of Black British, African and Caribbean communities across Medway, Kent.
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Written, composed and creatively directed by Michi Masumi, the work brings together original poetry, AI-assisted music and vocals, documentary photography and digital storytelling.
Drawing inspiration from the project's ten oral histories, it explores identity, migration, family, resilience, belonging and the importance of preserving our stories for future generations.
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The accompanying music video features photographic portraits and visual elements from the TENS collection, connecting contemporary creative expression with oral history and digital heritage.
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The work forms part of ADN — Anthro-Digital Narratives, Michi Masumi's interdisciplinary practice exploring anthropology, art, photography, AI and archiving.
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Creative Credits
Written, composed, photographed and creatively directed by Michi Masumi. Original guide vocals and musical development by Michi Masumi, with AI-assisted music and vocals using Suno AI and Muse. Final audio editing in Audacity.
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Project Funding & Acknowledgements
10 Black Voices of Medway 2026 was made possible through the Medway Heritage Place Project, with funding from Medway Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.
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The full TENS digital heritage collection will be available online from 31 October 2026, following participant reviews and permissions.
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© 2026 Michi Masumi. All rights are reserved in original creative works, subject to applicable third-party rights.
Welcome
What You'll Find Here:
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The Benjamin Zephaniah Digital Archive (TBZA)
The archive is a permanent, catalogued repository focused on the preservation of Black British intangible digital cultural heritage:
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Archival Assets | "Short Shorts" Collection | Global Perspectives
| Black British Lived Experiences | Medway's Black Community โโ
If you or your organisation is interested in supporting or collaborating on community art, wellbeing, or social impact projects across Medway and beyond, we welcome partnership enquiries. Funders, charities, academic groups, and community organisations are invited to contact us at theblackarthub@gmail.com to discuss collaborative opportunities.
๐ค This archive is run by volunteers who are committed to preserving and sharing Black British and LGBTQIA+ histories with care.
๐ฌ๐ Help Shape the Archive
Your feedback helps us improve the archive, plan future activities, and support community-led work.
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๐จ Featured Archive
BHM MKL 2026
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VISIBILITY — Amanda Ethereal 2023
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VISIBILITY — Amanda Ethereal 2023 is a portrait series documenting a Black transgender activist in Medway.
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Through everyday spaces and direct presence, the work explores identity, visibility, and self-definition.
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Archive Resources:
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The Benjamin Zephaniah Archives (TBZA)
โMonthly Blogs & Features | Art & Wellbeing | Research & Academia | Education Hub
If you or your organisation is interested in supporting or collaborating on community arts, wellbeing, or social impact projects across Medway and beyond, we welcome partnership enquiries. We invite funders, charities, academic groups, and community organisations to contact us at theblackarthub@gmail.com to discuss collaborative opportunities.
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The Benjamin Zephaniah Archives combines a public-facing library collection with a growing archive of born-digital and original materials, connected through curated digital interpretation.
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We specialise in Black Britain and Medway Towns, providing a platform for both traditional and contemporary forms of Art, Culture and Heritage.
PDF Resources
Our free PDF resources are available to download directly from our blog pages.
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If you can, we would truly appreciate a donation toward our FREE PDF resources. Every contribution helps us continue community services for Medway and the surrounding areas online and offline.โ
Please click the link below or scan the QR code if you’re able to support us:
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£3 → funds free resource packs x 1 bundle
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£5 → supplies participants with refreshments
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£10 → provides 1 x workshop healthy snacks
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£20 → covers one hour of artist fees
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theblackarthub.co.uk/_paylink/AZxuPwci
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Thank you.
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RESEARCH
Articles & Essays
โExhibition Archives: Documentation of past exhibitions, installations, and performances—preserving the ephemeral nature of art events.
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Lived Experiences: First-person narratives from Black British artists sharing their journeys, challenges, and triumphs.
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Historical Documentation: Research into overlooked Black British artists and cultural moments that deserve recognition.
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Critical Analysis: Thoughtful examination of representation, bias, funding inequalities, and systemic issues in the arts.
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Contribute Your Story: Are you a Black British artist or poet with a story to share? We welcome submissions. Contact us at theblackarthub@gmail.com
Documenting Black British Cultural Heritage
This archive houses original research, essays, artist features, oral histories, and cultural documentation preserving Black British creative experiences. We're building a living archive that honours both academic scholarship and authentic community voices.
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What You'll Find Here:
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โArtist Features & Interviews: In-depth profiles of Black British visual artists and poets, exploring their practice, inspiration, and experiences navigating the UK arts world.
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Cultural Research: Essays and articles examining Black British art movements, historical moments, and contemporary issues affecting our community.
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What does an archivist do?
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Share your thoughts!
๐๏ธ๐ฌ Not a fan of forms?
You can share your feedback as a voice note or short video (up to 5 minutes) instead.
โ Email: theblackarthub@gmail.com or use wetransfer.com to upload your large file.
(MP4, MP3, WAV).
Why Your Feedback Matters
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๐ก Why Your Feedback Matters
Your feedback helps us:
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๐ Plan future community events and workshops
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๐ฐ Secure funding to keep this archive accessible
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โฟ Improve accessibility for neurodivergent and disabled users
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๐ Understand who we are reaching and how
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๐ง Shape research into Black British and LGBTQIA+ cultural archives
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๐ This archive is community-led.
Your voice helps shape what comes next.
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๐ What Happens to Your Feedback
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๐ Your responses are used to:
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Improve archive design and usability
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Develop new exhibitions, workshops, and events
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Support funding applications and community programmes
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Inform ongoing PhD research
All responses are anonymised and handled with care.
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QUICK NAVIGATION INDEX —
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๐๐ Explore the Archive
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๐ Use buttons/cards:
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๐ธ Photography
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๐ถ Sonic Poetry / Art Songs
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๐ค Oral Histories
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๐จ Digital & Visual Art
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๐ Data Sheets
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๐ค Community-Led Archive
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This archive is shaped by the people it represents.
No gatekeepers. No corporate control.
Just community voices: preserving what matters.
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We use our archives to develop both mainstream educational programmes and community-based learning activities for adults and young people.
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๐ก ๐ ๐ Archive & Research
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This archive is part of an ongoing practice exploring identity, representation, and cultural preservation through:
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๐ธ Photography
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๐ถ Sonic Poetry
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๐ค AI-assisted art
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๐ Digital archiving
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๐ง โจ How Our Archive Works:
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โ๐ง๐พโ๏ธ Lived Experience → ๐ธ Photography → ๐ค AI Interpretation → ๐๏ธ Archive → ๐ Public Access
This archive transforms lived experience into cultural heritage through photography, creative practice, and digital archiving.
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๐งพ๐ฆ What You’ll Find Here:
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โ๐ค Oral Histories
๐ธ Photography
๐จ Mixed Media / AI Hybrid
๐ Poetry & Sonic Art
๐๏ธ Archival Records
๐ Community Stories
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๐ Archive Standards & Memberships:
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๐๏ธ Archives & Records Association (ARA)
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๐ Oral History Society (OHS)
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๐๏ธ Friends of The National Archives
๐ค๐ฝ๐๏ธ This archive aligns with UK archival, oral history,
and cultural documentation standards.
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๐๐ From Capture to Archive - Workflow:
๐ธ Capture → ๐ง Record → ๐ง Reflect →
๐งพ Document → ๐๏ธ Archive → ๐ Share
๐ Guided by MAETT, MPM, MMAT,
and the ADN Framework ©
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