Black Joy Day - Marie Antoinette Style and the Afrocentric Wardrobe

We are joined by Dr Sarah Grant, Lead Curator of the exhibition Marie Antoinette Style, for an informative presentation and dialogue, looking at the concepts, themes, diverse content, and design ideas, as a behind the scenes view prior to visiting the exhibition on the day. Immerse yourself in Marie Antoinette’s lavish lifestyle through 250 objects including pieces on loan never before seen outside of Versailles and France. From sparkling jewellery, silk slippers, to pastel gowns, and an array of wigs, the exhibition also includes work by contemporary designers Dior, Moschino, Chanel, Erdem, Vivienne Westwood, Valentino, and Manolo Blahnik, that speaks to Marie Antoinette’s enduring aesthetic and legacy long after her death in 1793 as a result of the French Revolution.

We are delighted to welcome celebrated historian and distinguished Research Professor Dr Olivette Otele for the afternoon segment. Her talk will explore the experiences of African and Caribbean descendants in 18th-century France, focusing on their legal status under the Code Noir and their public representation within elite circles.  We examine codes of behaviour—especially through fashion, the military, politics, and the arts, and their associations with wealth and royalty. We shall reflect on France’s role in transatlantic enslavement and political upheaval, and how these shaped the Black elite across the Atlantic and their involvement in the abolition, whilst revealing individual lives of creativity, resistance, and influence.

Beverages will be available, and it is advisable that you bring a packed lunch.

Please note, that you will be walking and standing for extended periods of time in the exhibition – a limited number of museum chairs will be available on the day.

joy is an act of resistance….Poet Toi Derricotte.

 
Black joy is a force. It lifts us through the hardest times and gives us the courage to speak with one voice. In its simplicity, it is radical—because choosing joy is an act of resistance and resilience. Through Black joy, we honour our history, our culture, and our community. We come together to share, to listen, and to support one another especially in spaces that are perceived to not always feel welcoming. Black joy is not just a feeling. It's emotional well-being. It regenerates the soul.  Janet Browne, Senior Producer Africa and Diaspora.

View the programme for further information.

 

This event is in collaboration with the Black Gallery Visitor Network (UK). 

Programme is subject to change without notice.