Black History Month 2025 at Guildhall School

Delivered by the School’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) team, under the 2025 theme Standing Firm in Power and Pride, our Black History Month events provided everyone in the Guildhall community with opportunities to honour Black artistry, leadership and scholarship, celebrate the achievements and resilience of Black communities, and confront the inequalities that persist. 

Guildhall School’s Head of DEI Mohammed Ilyas delivered an online interactive talk on understanding anti-racism for staff, as well as external colleagues from other conservatoires and institutions. The session introduced the concept of anti-racism and explored how racism operates both systemically and interpersonally. 

The Jazz department’s Professor Robert Mitchell also gave a lunchtime talk for Guildhall students and staff as part of the School’s My Story to Tell series, through which staff and guests share their individual experiences and perspective. During the session, Robert spoke on how experiences of racialised identity have intersected with his musical life and work. 

During Black History Month, the School hosted a lunchtime pop-up fair for students, where they could learn more about the work of organisations including Black Lives in Music, Talawa Theatre Company and Guildhall’s own African Caribbean Society. For the School’s regular DEI Book Club, students and staff had the opportunity to read and discuss Jeffrey Boakye’s Musical Truth: A Musical History of Modern Black Britain in 28 Songs. 

Reflecting on Black History Month, Mohammed Ilyas (He/Him), Head of DEI at Guildhall School, said: “I have been inspired by the conversations, performances and learning moments shared across our community throughout this year’s Black History Month.  

“At Guildhall, one of the core priorities of our DEI Strategy is our commitment to becoming an anti-racist institution – one that actively challenges inequity, celebrates diversity and embeds inclusion into the heart of everything we do. This work is ongoing and it belongs to all of us. Therefore, Black History Month is not the conclusion; it is a continuation – a moment to recommit to our collective responsibility to learn, act and transform.”