BCVA Methodology

BCVA works through a collaborative methodology that combines photography, archival research and community storytelling. Projects are developed with participants and cultural partners through workshops, oral history interviews and photographic practice. This approach enables communities to contribute directly to how their histories are recorded and shared, resulting in exhibitions, publications and archives that reflect lived experience.

Black Country Visual Arts (BCVA) develops photography, archive and storytelling projects exploring migration, identity and community histories across the midlands, nationally and internationally.

BCVA Vision

Founded in 2014, BCVA works with communities, artists, museums and researchers to document stories that are often underrepresented within traditional archives and cultural institutions. The organisation’s work focuses particularly on the histories and experiences of South Asian communities in the Black Country and surrounding regions.

Through its projects, BCVA brings together family photographs, oral histories and contemporary portraiture to explore how migration and cultural exchange have shaped local communities. These stories are presented through exhibitions, publications, educational resources and digital platforms that enable wider audiences to engage with the region’s diverse heritage.

BCVA works in partnership with cultural institutions, universities and community organisations to develop projects that support artistic practice, research and public engagement with migration histories and visual culture.

BCVA was founded to create opportunities for communities to share their stories through visual culture and to ensure these histories become part of the region’s shared cultural record.

 BCVA Governance

BCVA operates with a small board structure consisting of a Chair and supporting directors who assist with governance, compliance and project oversight.