UAL Decolonising Arts Institute's 20/20 programme

What is 20/20

20/20 is an ambitious 3-year programme announced by the Decolonising Arts Institute in November 2021, with funding from Freelands Foundation, Arts Council England and UAL.

Combining artist residencies with artistic commissioning at scale, 20/20 is bringing together 20 emerging or mid-career artists of colour and 20 UK public art collections, leading to 20 new permanent acquisitions.

20/20 was launched in November 2021 by UAL Decolonising Arts Institute, working in partnership with 20 UK public collections, museums and galleries, and supported by funding from Freelands Foundation, Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants Programme and UAL. 

20/20 is a project of national significance that responds to the need to fundamentally reassess and address the often problematic, difficult and negative ways in which diverse audiences see themselves reflected in collections. This includes the display or neglect of objects in the collections, the processes and relations that underpin their acquisition, and related narratives of interpretation.

Working with Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Billy is working with Wolverhampton Art Gallery and will be creating a new work for the gallery's permanent collection as part of the UAL Decolonising Arts Institute's 20/20 programme. Billy commented:

“I'm thrilled to be working with such a talented team at the gallery, and I'm looking forward to contributing to the important conversation around decolonisation. I believe that decolonisation is not about deleting things, but about widening the discussion. Why aren't minority communities represented in our museums and galleries? What can we as artists do to change that”

During Billy’s residency, he will be producing a new piece of work that responds to the gallery's collection, works spanning over 500 years. The final commission will become part of the permanent collection at Wolverhampton Art Gallery which will be on display from September 2024. A limited edition print of the work will be acquired by the other 19 institutions taking part in the initiative.