So, this podcast project has received some funding, for which we are very grateful. The project received a grant of £2,000 from the Imagine Fund, which is an initiative by the Barbican Centre’s Communities & Neighbourhoods Team to deepen their interaction with the surrounding area, forge new relationships and support its communities to create projects that would benefit the area and the lives of its residents.

In the spirit of transparency and accountability, you can see how this funding breaks down on the following link: https://opencollective.com/the-imagine-collective/projects/black-history-in-the-city-of-l

As a result of this, I have been busy following up interviews a variety of people connected to the City of London. I have spoken to archivists from corporations, civic institutions and livery companies. I have quizzed academics who have explored the minutiae of black history in the Square Mile. I have chewed the fat with doctors, lawyers, business people and more, all with connections to the City as it stands now, finding out about their experiences and aspirations, their beliefs about the role of black history in the City’s present and its future.

The conversations have been informative and inspirational, surprising and moving. I hope that the final product will encapsulate what I have been privileged to encounter in putting together this project.