Our landmark touring exhibition honouring Britain’s Black ballet dancers has been hailed as a “game-changer” by organisers as it heads to 30 new venues in 2026/27.

Funded by a £245,500 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Into the Light: Pioneers of Black British Ballet brings together archive photography, film, newspaper articles and posters alongside original video and audio interviews in a new exhibition that traces the history of Black British ballet from the 1940s to the present day.

Delivered through a unique partnership between creative agency Oxygen Arts and Libraries Connected, the exhibition has toured 29 libraries and delivered over 170 activities nationwide since its launch in October 2024 in Stockport and Redbridge.

Since launching an estimated 80,000 people have attended the exhibition and activity programme, with demand so strong that 32 libraries have requested to host the exhibition over the next 15 months.

Kelly Saini Badwal, chair of the Black British Ballet project board for Libraries Connected, said:

Chairing the Black British Ballet programme, funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, has been both a passion and a privilege. I discovered the incredible stories of our pioneering Black dancers and their journeys - the struggles, the discrimination and their determination to succeed has left me feeling both humbled and inspired. Working through libraries meant we could bring those stories to a large and diverse audience, giving us the opportunity to celebrate and capture this amazing part of British cultural heritage.

Stuart McLeod, Director of England - London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:

We’re proud to support Into the Light: Pioneers of Black British Ballet, a project that shines a spotlight on the remarkable contributions of Black dancers to British ballet. Thanks to National Lottery players, this touring exhibition has reached tens of thousands of people, inspiring new conversations and sharing the unique stories.

Lead image credit Chantelle Phillips ©2007 Arena Pal, photographer Bill Cooper

Exhibition dates

Please refer to local information for precise dates and library locations.

2026

January: Caerphilly and Northumberland
February: Newport and Newcastle
March: Dorset/Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
April: West Sussex and Lancashire
May: Surrey
June: Luton and Trafford
July: Kingston/Richmond upon Thames and Wandsworth and Salford
August: Brent/Haringey and Wirral
September: Westminster/Lambeth and Leicestershire
October: Southwark/Greenwich and Staffordshire
November: Newham/Lewisham and Coventry
December: Kent and Worcestershire

2027

January: Essex and Westmorland and Furness
February: Reading
March: Buckinghamshire