As The BRIT School looks forward to celebrating Black History Month in October, vice principal Ray Oudkerk explains how Black history courses through the school’s veins. In the latest edition of the BRIT Trust Diaries, he highlights the success of its many students who are ‘Young, gifted and Black’ and go on as alumni to thrive across music and the creative industries…
Black History at The BRIT School: ‘To be young, gifted and Black’
Co-written as a song by Nina Simone and Weldon Irvine in 1969 and originally the title of Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 play, this powerful socio-political affirmation reverberates through The BRIT School’s Black history.
In the Music Industry alone, Black BRIT alumni including Ella Eyre, Mansur Brown, Strandz, Rachel Chinourouri, Rizzle Kicks, Olivia Dean, Noisettes, Loyle Carner, Tawiah, Shan Ako, Bashy, Cat Burns, FKA Twigs, Young Athena, Leona Lewis, Raye, and the late, great Lynden David Hall, have made huge contributions to the legacy of Black British music.
On the global stage they are a significant part of BRIT alumni’s nearly 300 million albums sales and more than 70 billion streams to date.
Taking a moment to recognise and celebrate this legacy demonstrates the importance of a creative education that is truly accessible to everyone who has potential, no matter their background
Ray Oudkerk
More broadly, UK Music’s first of its kind report, Black Music Means Business, identified the significance of the commercial contribution Black Music makes to the UK Music economy, putting the figure at: “£24.5 billion out of a total £30 billion – 80% of the total recorded music market over the past 30 years”.
As BRIT School alumni Bashy says in the report, when it comes to Black talent in the UK, “the potential out there is huge”.
Taking a moment to recognise and celebrate this legacy demonstrates the importance of a creative education that is truly accessible to everyone who has potential, no matter their background.
With the ongoing support of partners including The BRIT Trust, who have provided valued long-term funding, encouragement and other support, we’ve been able to give ‘Young, gifted and Black’ artists pathways to thrive. Not just in music, but across all the artistic disciplines students are able to unlock and realise their potential at the school – Applied Theatre, Dance, Digital Arts, Fashion Styling and Textiles, Film & Media Production, Musical Theatre, Production Arts, and Theatre and Visual Art & Design.
In October, Black History Month brings us one moment in the calendar where we can deepen the accessibility of our creative education – because true access isn’t just about opening doors but ensuring that every student sees their culture, heritage, and identity in what they study and learn.
Every October we celebrate BRIT Black alumni through our Archival work alongside current students’ original performance and exhibition work. Last year, we took over Croydon Town Hall in celebration of Black composer and civil rights activist, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (who lived opposite The BRIT School site in the early 1900’s), with music, dance, theatre, film, radio, art & community workshops, performances and exhibitions.
This year we’ll be recognising and drawing inspiration from the rich history of Notting Hill Carnival, which is now in its 60th year and honouring our communities (UK BHM Theme 2026).
With our student African Asian Caribbean Society (AACS) taking a leading role, recognition of Black History takes place across the full school year – through Black History Assemblies, Culture Day and the Global Majority Celebration. In reality, all BRIT School students and staff continually create and devise work that draws inspiration from Black heritage, culture and experience. Black History is integrated into their vocational education throughout the year.
To close, the brilliant Lorraine Hansberry gave some words of expectation and inspiration to a group of graduating Black college students in 1964, which will always resonate: “Write if you will. But write about the world as it is, and as you think it ought to be… Write about our people. Tell their story.”
We look forward to the next generations of ‘Young, gifted and Black’ artists graduating from The BRIT School, telling the stories that matter to them, both in the world in which they live and the one they want to create.
To learn more about The BRIT School, visit https://www.brit.school
