iV&A East MuseumStratford
The Music is Black: A British Story
125 years of Black music-making in Britain. An immersive audio experience spanning four continents, telling a story of excellence, struggle, resilience and joy.
More in London
Near the start, a one-stringed musical bow from Zambia stands beside a drum sculpture by Ben Enwonwu. The route later reaches Stormzy's Union Jack stab vest, designed by Banksy for Glastonbury 2019. That's the span: 125 years of Black music-making in Britain.
You wear a headset that knows where you are: walk up to an object and its track fades in, over 120 in all. A large central space then runs through eight British-born genres in order, from lovers rock and 2 Tone to jungle and grime. Jme's Super Nintendo is here, the one he made early beats on with Mario Paint, which is more than most of us did with ours.
The Nerve gave it four stars for its "verve and joy". The catch is the room: Yamo found few places to rest and near darkness. Writers Mosaic says allow at least two hours. Tickets are £22.50 weekdays, £24.50 weekends, £11 for under-26s, with late opening to 10pm on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Look for
Stormzy's stab vest
Look for the Union Jack stab-proof vest Banksy designed for Stormzy's 2019 Glastonbury set, one of five made from real police body armour.
Winifred Atwell's piano
Atwell's piano, its surface still scratched by her fans.
Jme's Super Nintendo
The console and Mario Paint game the grime MC used for his early experiments in making beats.
The 2 Tone wardrobe
Neville Staple's trilby beside Pauline Black's pork pie hat and suit.
Shirley Bassey's Goldfinger frock
The glittery Goldfinger dress, one of the stage outfits alongside Sade's and Skin's.
Good for
- Evening Visits
- Going Solo
- Nerding Out
About 120 min
Skip if
You need seats or daylight: the route has few rest zones and runs in near darkness.
Free in the same building
Plan a visit to V&A East MuseumAlso at V&A East Museum
On now nearby
Image credits
3
- The Music is Black: A British StoryCourtesy of V&A East Museum
- RootsCourtesy of The Photographers' Gallery
- Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and FriendsCourtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum