Keilah Boyd

A second-generation citizen, heritage has always been important to as a means of survival and representation. As a result, Keilah has always been interested in sociology and social histories of minority groups but never considered that these counted towards cultural heritage. After declining university offers and unable to find work/experience in the heritage sector, Keilah began working on small research projects and events with local musicians and it was here she first saw that the arts could be used as a really effective tool to connect with marginalised groups and this piqued my interest. It was also during this time that Keilah’s local council was due to begin a large development project. Having seen the impacts of gentrification in other parts of London, she thought it vital to engage the communities that the change would inevitably affect. Keilah was given the opportunity to assist in planning and conducting community outreach projects with the aim preserving local culture. At Sutton House, Keilah assists various community learning projects and hopes to find innovative ways to bring her interests in music and performance into creating effective and culturally enriching events and projects.