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THE UBUNTU EXHIBITION
The Ubuntu Exhibition is a collection of photographs which was curated at SEO London's Black Heritage Leadership Summit hosted at Lloyd's in April 2023. The Black Heritage Leadership Summit was curated to encourage and reassure young people from Black Heritage backgrounds that their aspirations and goals are achievable. The purpose of the event was to build bridges between various generations of Black leaders, to motivate our young people to never limit themselves and to remind them of the meaning of the Zulu word Ubuntu 'I am because we are'.
The Ubuntu Exhibition will be held at Blackstone on the 23/10/2023 and then will appear at Nomura on 26/10/2023 for two weeks as part of Black History Month.
THE SUMMIT
The summit consisted of a series of workshops and speeches by influential leaders from various sectors including law, banking, media, education, and government. Our speakers at the summit:
Introduction to the summit/
Exploring Leadership – A Panel Discussion
Speaker
Role & Institution
Talk
Lord Michael Hastings
Nathalie Richards
Will Njobvu
Chairman of SOAS, University of London
CEO of SEO London
TV & Radio Broadcaster
Unveiling Triumphs
Introduction to the summit/
Exploring Leadership – A Panel Discussion
Keynote Address
Jimi Ogunfuwa
Works Commercial Director at UK Parliament
Exploring Leadership – A Panel Discussion
Fehintola Akinlose
Director of Finance & Commercial at House of Lords
Exploring Leadership – A Panel Discussion
Roselyn Cason-Marcus
Global Director, at McKinsey
Exploring Leadership – A Panel Discussion
Mark Lomas
Head of Culture at Lloyd's
Leading with Influence or Black Excellence
Vee Varaidzo Kativhu
Girls' Education Activist &
Founder of Empowered by Vee
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Deborah Conteh
Assistant Programme Director at YDWC
Community Building
Natasha Shotunde
Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Fear and how to overcome it
Prince Chakanyuka
E-commerce Customer Supply Chain Manager, P&G
The Power of Personal Branding
Bukola Bayo-Yusuf
HR Director, Corporate Functions at Royal Mail
Leading with Relational Prosperity
Tiwalola Ogunlesi
Founder, Speaker, Author of Confident and Killing It
Leading with Influence or Black Excellence
UBUNTU MEANING & PORTRAITS
Ubuntu means "I am, because you are". The word ubuntu is part of the Zulu phrase "Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu" meaning that a person is a person through other people. Ubuntu has its origins in humanist African philosophy, where the idea of community is one of the building blocks of society. Ubuntu is that concept of common humanity, oneness: humanity, you and me both.
Each portrait is photographed on a blue Colorama paper backdrop to compliment everyone's skin tones and add some warmth to the images. Every person was asked to pose with either a strong or minimal expression, so that the ribbon would be the centre of attention and allow each person in front of the camera to paint a story. The photographer Tom Gregory shot some of the photos in black and white to showcase "power" and contrast the coloured photos that signify alliance and bring life to everyone's character.
MAKE A DONATION
We welcome any donations, and all proceeds will go towards our SEO Schools Empower programme. Our SEO Schools Empower programme supports school students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
Those who contribute £100 or more will receive an SEO London Ubuntu Exhibition Anthology, featuring the complete collection of photographs, as a token of our appreciation for their impactful contributions.
You can also purchase both photographs and framed photographs from the exhibition here below.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Tom Gregory is a London-based photographer with a decade's experience in his field. His work has always been committed to showcasing the beauty that exists within diversity which he continues to explore through his lens. He also works with independent creatives and corporate teams in uncovering their distinct visual identity and transforming it into unique imagery so that they stand out from the crowd.
Comments:
"When I was asked to shoot the SEO London Black Heritage Leadership Summit, I was asked two things. One, to use the space on the day to create artistic photos that could be exhibited and two, to do so by encapsulating the theme of building bridges.
I approached this by setting up a studio space at the event, where the guest attendees could pose with the inspirational guest speakers of the day. The poses and use of the ribbon were significant in the theme, as the aim was to create images that felt neutral, balanced, and connected. Everyone you see in the images was photographed spontaneously on the day, wh