A SPACE FOR VISIONARY IMAGININGS TO THRIVE
BLACK TO THE FUTURE is an Afro-Futurist celebration of outstanding Black artists, a space for visionary imaginings to thrive.
BTTF began as British Black History month ended; launching late October 2023 and running until US Black History Month in February 2024, it accompanied the British Library’s seminal exhibition: Fantasy: Realms of Imagination.
Curated, founded and directed by Irenosen Okojie MBE, in collaboration with the Royal Society of Literature and the British Library. BTTF has featured headliners such as Spiderman, Black Panther and Star Wars lead animator Michael Morgan, Bridgerton's Adjoa Andoh, Victor LaValle whose novel The Changeling was adapted into an Apple TV series, NK Jemisin, artist and director of HBO series Random Acts of Flyness Terence Nance, C.J Obasi, DJ Josey Rebelle, Belgian Congolese rapper and director Bolaji, Dopplereffekt, circus / theatre maker Symone and more. The festival is biennial but also does stand alone events and collaborations.
FANTASY: REALMS OF IMAGINATION
The first edition of BTTF accompanied the major British Library exhibition – Fantasy: Realms of Imagination – one of the largest of its kind – showing everything from the original Beowulf and Alice in Wonderland manuscripts to a wide range of contemporary writing and everything in between – plus maps, interactives, sound fan perspectives and so on.
The display asked why we need Fantasy, how it reflects the social issues of the day, and where it is going, with an advisory panel on board.
