Since its launch in 2018, the Alumni of Colour Association (AoCA) has hosted various events, from performance art to safe spaces to share, from exhibitions to panel discussions.
If you haven’t come along to one yet, make sure you join the AoCA mailing list so we can ensure you receive an invite to the next.
In pictures: Tour of 'The Keeper of All The Secrets’ at The Queen’s House, July 2025
In July, members of the UAL Alumni of Colour Association gathered by the River Thames to enjoy a guided tour of the Queen’s House in Greenwich.
The tour was led by Errol Francis, a Central Saint Martin's graduate, and CEO and Artistic Director of Culture&, and Victoria Lane, Senior Curator of Art and Identity, responsible for Contemporary Art at @royalmuseumsgreenwich.
See photos from the AoCA Tour of 'The Keeper of All The Secrets’.
In pictures: Alumni of Colour Association x UAL Showcase collaborative exhibition, June 2025
In June, the Alumni of Colour Association (AoCA) hosted an exhibition of new work by recent University of the Arts London graduates. The exhibition, displayed at Chelsea College of Arts, was titled ‘Home, heritage and transcendental cultures’ and was the culmination of a 6-month collaboration with UAL Showcase.
See photos from the Alumni of Colour Association x UAL Showcase event.
AoCA x LIN KAM ART Earth Night 2025, April 2025
In April, the AoCA organised an evening of surrealist sound as part of the Climate Emergency Network’s week-long Earth Day 2025 celebrations. AoCA x LIN KAM ART presents BASS TONE REGNERATION: Earth Night 2025 was curated by Linett Kamala, President of the AoCA and founder of LIN KAM ART.
Private tour of the Saatchi Gallery, January 2025
For their first event of 2025, the AoCA organised a free, private guided tour of the Saatchi Gallery exhibition As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic.
The tour was led by Saatchi Learning Officer and Central Saint Martins graduate, Karl Murphy.
"As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic" was a recent exhibition of photographs from African Diasporic culture. The photographs on display celebrated the expansive sensibility of the works in the Wedge Collection, Canada’s largest privately-owned collection committed to championing Black artists.
Private breakfast tour of the National Portrait Gallery, May 2024
In May 2024, members of the AoCA had a private breakfast tour of the National Portrait Gallery.
Organised by the AoCA committee, guests enjoyed a private tour of the recent major exhibition, "The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure". The exhibition explored the depiction of the Black form within portraiture. Seven of the artists included in the exhibition were University of the Arts London alumni.
The tour was led by fine art lecturer, author and broadcaster Leslie Primo, who provided wonderful insight and enabled engaging conversations among the guests.
Afterwards there was a chance for guests to chat over coffee and breakfast in Larry’s bar.
Talent on film screening, November 2023
On Thursday 30 November, the AoCA held its Talent on Film screening at the Wellcome Collection, in Euston. It was an incredible night with 10 artists sharing their film works, ranging from music videos to animated trailers and short films.
We heard from Linnett Kamala (AoCA president), Chiara Vicini (AoCA member and curator), and 7 of the filmmakers, who shared their experiences while making their inspiring works.
See more pictures of the Wellcome Collection event.
Meet the filmmakers from the Alumni of Colour Association screening.
Diaspora and belonging exhibition, March 2023
The AoCA celebrated the diversity of the alumni network with their last exhibition: "Diaspora and Belonging". Over 30 alumni showed their work; a mix of different artistic expressions, from paintings to performances. The exhibition was celebrated with an event held on Pakistan Day on 23 March, at Mother London, in Shoreditch.
We also heard from members of AoCA and organisers of the event: Samar Zia, curator; Raafaye Ali Sheik, our bridge between UAL and Mother; Richie Manu (Vice-President) and Linett Kamala (President).
Autumn Gathering, October 2022
On Wednesday 26 October, the AoCA meet up to hear from inspirational human rights activist and multidisciplinary artist Zita Holbourne and the tenacious self-published journalistic photographer and artist Kingsley Davis.
They spoke about their experiences, career journeys, and books. Kingsley’s book, Flip the Script, has now been accepted into Central Saint Martin's library.
Celebration of Festival Culture, June 2022
This event was held at the Tabernacle, home of Carnival, and was a celebration of festival culture.
As well as welcoming talks from Bruce Reynolds from International Black Heritage Month; Toby Laurent Benson shared with us his response to the Grenfell Disaster; and Ricky Belgrave spoke about his role in charge of sound systems at Carnival. We also showed an exhibition of works from alumni around the theme of festivals.
Creative Regroup, March 2022
In March 2022 we held our first physical meet-up since the pandemic. The event provided a safe space for our graduates of colour to share their experiences from the past very difficult years.
Starting out: support and advice for graduates of colour, August 2021
Organised as part of "Starting Out", the online discussion covered a wide range of topics, offering advice on how to best stand out from the crowd, managing your business expectations, and exploring graduates' benefits.
Winter Showcase, November 2019
We held an event where alumni of colour could showcase their work and gain feedback and support from their peers. We heard from a shoe designer, a poet, a singer, a creative computer and many more.
Networking Event, June 2019
The AoCA held a networking event in June which included a powerful performance piece from London College of Fashion (LCF) graduate Lesley Asare. The performance explored identity and becoming through movement, accompanied by music and narration.
5 x 5 showcase and networking, December 2018
The AoCA hosted an inspiring evening to showcase, celebrate and share the work and achievements of graduates of colour at UAL. The evening consisted of 5 guest speakers who presented an outline of their creative careers and experiences, all in 5 minutes.
See more pictures of the 5 x 5 showcase and networking event.
Launch event, April 2018
Over 80 alumni came along to this event at Camberwell College of Arts to discuss what they needed from the new AoCA network and how alumni can get involved.
