2024 exhibitions at the British Library

Drawing on the British Library’s extraordinary collection of literature, art, maps, and sound, the Library’s 2024 exhibitions will inspire and surprise visitors of all ages with a range of vibrant, layered stories across cultures and time – from a celebration of 500 years of Black music in Britain, to insights into the lives of women during the Middle Ages, and a unique look at the medieval metropolis of Dunhuang, along the ancient trade routes of the Silk Roads.

Beyond the Bassline (26 April – 26 August 2024)
Beyond the Bassline is the first major exhibition to document 500 years of Black music in Britain, from Tudor musician John Blanke and 19th century composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor through to Pauline Black, the founding member and lead singer of Two-Tone band The Selecter, roots reggae band Steel Pulse and award-winning contemporary record producer and DJ, Nia Archives.

Spotlighting The Reno in Manchester, Bristol’s Bamboo Club, Scottish club night The Reggae Klub and The Four Aces in London, as well as carnivals, community centres and record shops across the country, the exhibition draws on different places that have cultivated creative expression and inspired a number of Black British music genres. Journeying through jazz, reggae, jungle and afroswing, it also examines the role the internet and new technologies play in creating, listening to and sharing music.

The British Library is home to one of the largest collections of sound recordings in the world and the exhibition, curated by Dr Aleema Gray in collaboration with Dr Mykaell Riley from the University of Westminster, charts the influence of Black British musicians, creatives and entrepreneurs on popular music in the UK.

On display will be a range of sound recording formats, instruments and audio equipment alongside posters, costumes and photographs celebrating music as a form of entertainment, vehicle for community, and as a source of liberation, protest and education.

With over 200 exhibits, spanning 500 years, highlights in Beyond the Bassline will include:
Musician and record producer Dennis Bovell’s electric guitar and an outfit worn by jazz singer Patti Flynn in the 1970s
Paintings including Errol Lloyd’s The Lion of Judah Roars in his Head (1977) and Night Owls (1995) by Denzil Forrester, which capture the dynamic energy of the London reggae and dub nightclub scenes
Original photographs of dancer Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson, singer Evelyn Dove and calypsonian Lord Kitchener, as well as more recent imagery documenting the evolution of grime by acclaimed photographer Simon Wheatley
Letters by 18th century composer Ignatius Sancho and 19th century opera singer Amanda Aldridge, also known as Montague Ring
Clips of grime performances from the Risky Roadz archives and footage from the MOBO Awards
Ludwig van Beethoven’s tuning fork, which he presented to virtuoso violinist George Bridgetower in 1803

Featuring new soundscapes, artworks and films throughout the exhibition, commissioned by the Library and produced by artists and collectives across the UK, Beyond the Bassline presents different voices and perspectives to explore Black British identity through the medium of music. Touching Bass, a South London-based musical movement and curatorial platform, will produce a new multi-screen film installation for the adjoining PACCAR 2 Gallery, with more collaborations to be announced.

There will be panel displays and events at public libraries across the UK, arranged through the Living Knowledge Network, with each library’s collection, regional connections and local music scene at the core, to help tell a national story about Black music in Britain.

The Silk Road at Dunhuang (27 September 2024 – 23 February 2025)

Featuring items from the so-called ‘Library Cave’ in the Buddhist caves complex of Mogao, this exhibition explores the stories of the people who inhabited or passed through the town of Dunhuang in northwest China, a vital resting point along the trading routes known as the Silk Roads.

Sealed in the early 11th century and only rediscovered in 1900, the contents of the ‘Library Cave’ span the 4th to the 11th centuries. From the Diamond Sutra, the world’s earliest dated, printed book, to the Dunhuang star chart, the earliest known manuscript atlas of the night sky, the documents are an astonishing time capsule detailing life in and around the medieval metropolis of Dunhuang.

Drawing on the extensive collection of manuscripts, prints and paintings at the British Library, this exhibition will showcase the legacy of Dunhuang, and how it endures today. It will highlight the extraordinary stories of religious, artistic and cultural exchange in Dunhuang and along the Silk Roads during the first millennium of the Common Era.

The exhibition is made possible with support from The Klein Foundation.

Medieval Women (25 October 2024 – 2 March 2025)

Next year the British Library will be holding a major exhibition on the topic of Medieval Women. This exhibition will explore the challenges, achievements and daily lives of women in Europe from 1100-1500. It will tell the history of medieval women through their own words and uncover their lives through original documents and artefacts.

Women’s lives during the Middle Ages were rich and varied. The exhibition will reveal that women exerted great influence across private, public and spiritual realms. It will shed light on their work in a wide variety of trades and professions, their role in medieval politics, the power and influence they wielded as spiritual visionaries or nuns, and the art, music and literature that they created. It will also delve into the lived experiences of medieval women, including their beauty regimes and healthcare, their personal relationships and the running of their homes.

The British Library’s rich collections of manuscripts, documents and printed books give incomparable insight into the lives of medieval women. Together with a range of loans from major institutions, these original sources reveal the stories of women from across the social strata, from the forgotten to the famous. Visitors will discover objects related to inspiring figures such as: Joan of Arc, the religious visionary and military leader; Christine de Pizan, the first professional woman author in Europe; and Shajar al-Durr, the female ruler of Egypt who defeated Louis IX of France in the Seventh Crusade.

The exhibition will take visitors on a journey through the lives of medieval women across cultures, religions and class. Exploring both their struggles and successes, the exhibition prompts visitors to discover how medieval women’s voices still resonate across the centuries and speak powerfully to our world today.

The exhibition is made possible with support from Joanna and Graham Barker and Unwin Charitable Trust.