Growing up in a market town in the East Midlands the rare reflections of Black experiences I saw on TV, films or other media left a feeling of disconnect or discomfort for a number of reasons. Representations relying on and perpetuating stereotypes which were often less than positive were uneasy reminders of assumptions of my race that I had experienced. Developed Black characters are, and were rare. Positive depictions of joy, success and stability were even more elusive. Although this is improving, to be grateful for what little representation we saw of ourselves is a sad thought.

In the UK it seems that Black people only exist in cities from what you see on television, which this project illustrates is not the case. The media we consumed especially in the early to mid-2000s had lots of American influence and this is where the most varied depictions of Black experience was to be found,