AI-DRIVEN PRODUCTION TAKES UNIQUE APPROACH TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT OUTERNET LONDON
Outernet London will host a series of Black History Month activations in Central London throughout October, including an AI-driven look to the future.
The free-to-visit, floor-to-ceiling screens next to Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road station, will feature productions commissioned to mark the annual celebrations of the Black community in the UK. Outernet is the most visited cultural attraction in the UK.
Black To The Future, produced by Media Stream AI, reimagines Black history as a living, evolving story – one that isn’t confined to the archives but written daily by the next generation. Showing from October 7 in Outernet’s flagship space, it will look at legacy and roots using abstract, poetic visuals; present voices with real innovators, artists, scientists shown through AI-enhanced video portraits; and “the history we are yet to make”.
Christopher Kenna, founder and CEO of Media Stream AI, said: “The film unfolds in a surreal landscape where time bends and dissolves. Digital technologies become vessels, collapsing centuries into moments.
“The work reimagines how Black British history and culture is carried into the future, showing that the past is not behind us but encoded in our present and our becoming.
“At media stream ai we believe the ai revolution will be the great equaliser. Giving access to art, media and creativity to all and allowing the community to express itself in new imaginative ways.”
The Black History Month series also includes Carnival Through The Lens of Ian Watts – a powerful new photographic installation capturing 40 years of Notting Hill Carnival. From October 3, it showcases a vibrant mix of photography, accompanied by a bespoke soundscape created by Blackmale Beats. The exhibition immerses visitors in the rhythm, energy, and cultural heartbeat of one of the world’s largest and most iconic street festivals. The work captures everything from elaborate costumes and dynamic dance, to the rise of sound systems and the vibrant street life that defines the Carnival experience.
From October 6, Black and British sees Seasoned and The Independent reflecting on this year’s Black History Month theme, ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride’, and giving Black Britons the chance to share a short video message about what being Black and British means to them, what makes them proud of Black British culture and their favourite aspects of living and creating as Black Britons. Alongside community voices, the films will feature contributions from well-known figures across culture, activism, music, and media. The project comes after research from the Runneymede Trust showed that nearly two-thirds of Black Britons feel racism has worsened in the UK in the past five years, while recent news has highlighted increasing racial tensions – from disproportionate stop-and-search rates to a rise in reported hate crimes.
Also screening from October 1 is a Black History Month production from the Greater London Assembly (GLA).
Scott Neal, Creative Director Culture and Lifestyle, said: “Outernet London is proud to be participating again in Black History Month. It is an essential part of our calendar, celebrating London and the UK’s diversity, which is its great strength, as well as recognising the immense challenges still faced by individuals and communities today. This series of events recognises the achievements of Black Britons and looks forward to a better future.”
Location: Outernet
Nearest Station: Tottenham Court Road
