Made in Thamesmead: archiving the migration and settlement of the African-Caribbean communities in Thamesmead through animation

This paper explores the use of animation to examine the migration of the African and Caribbean communities in relation to social injustices that threaten connection, belonging, and citizenship. Theories by Paul Gilroy support the practice-based research methodology, positioning animation as a representational and archival tool for recording black British history. Made in Thamesmead (2024) illustrates how migration has shaped the progressive, cultural landscape of modern Britain. It illuminates the need to include stories on the black experience in locally based community archives, creating strategies that challenge the ways that racist social imaginaries continue to prevent social change.