The Change Collective

The Change Collective is a growing community of people aged 18 – 25 from south London and King’s College London who are committed to social justice and systemic change.

The newly established group of young creatives, organisers and researchers is collaborating with us in 2024 to look at how we can continue to embed anti-oppressive values and youth-centred perspectives at Science Gallery London.

As part of this process, the group are engaging in a training programme with sessions covering topics such as: ‘creative approaches to systems change’ and ‘how to develop and execute campaigns that can influence institutional practice’.

The group will use this training to actively shape the programme at Science Gallery London. They will have a particular focus on the co-design of Sustain Space, our programme made with and for King’s students and local 18 – 25 year olds.

  • I am the creative and managing director of Craft Forward, a Community Interest Company made of artists and community members that aim to de-elitise artistic practices and spaces through the co-creation of creative events and workshops with a clear social impact. Craft Forward started with our flagship initiative Blankets for London: every year we assemble knitted and crocheted blankets for people experiencing houselessness across the city. I facilitated the first rendition of Blankets for London in 2020 before graduating from the Royal College of Arts, and officially founded Craft Forward in 2022. My experience in community organising and social practices goes back to 2014, when I organised and facilitated my first creative workshop in my Italian state school. Since then, my working career has been dedicated to community and knowledge building, and inclusivity, having experienced first-hand the inaccessibility of the contemporary art world in London. Alongside my work with Craft Forward, I am a multidisciplinary artist: my work explores the intersection of social justice, wellbeing and crafts, working primarily with textile, clay and participatory practices.

  • Raised in a single-parent household near Grenfell Tower, Akil Hunte is an award-winning lawyer, poet, consultant, public speaker and social entrepreneur. He made history in law school by winning the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Contribution for two consecutive years and founding The New Black society. As host of Leading Your Legacy Podcast Show, Chair of NRG Lawyers and Founder of Solicitors in the Making, he is committed to empowering people on their professional and personal journeys. He joined the Science Gallery London Change Collective to champion youth centred perspectives, influence systems change and shape programmes.

  • I am a third year PhD student at King's College London researching fairness and biases in AI used for cardiac imaging. In my work, I have found that dataset imbalances cause models to have a worse performance for underrepresented subjects, often minority ethnicities and women. My goal is to contribute to the field of fairness in AI so that healthcare can be more equitable and ethical. I have previously collaborated with the Science Gallery London during their “AI: Who’s Looking After Me?” season. I’ve given panel talks about what AI is, whether we can trust it and whether it will make us boring. I am very passionate about making science accessible for all audiences which led me to the Change Collective. 

  • Hi I’m Lumi (she/her), I am a multi-hyphenate and medical student at King’s. Outside of my degree, I am inspired by various artistic cultures to create through crochet, music making, collaging, video editing and more. Recently, I’ve undertaken research into exploring how young Black people use arts-based therapies as a tool to manage their mental well-being- resulting in my own curated exhibition. I believe I have a unique perspective that can inform and enrich future research. Through this artistic expression, I aim to create more holistic approaches to healthcare and managing wellbeing.

  • I am a Postgraduate Arts and Cultural and Management Student at King’s College London and was previously a Mediator here at the Science Gallery during its AI: Who’s Looking After Me? season. Throughout my Master’s programme, I have been actively working with galleries to enhance their audience outreach programmes and make them more accessible.  Recently, I was honoured by the British Council with a Fellowship for the Venice Biennale 2024. My research project for them focuses on assessing the tolerance of Islam in Venice, comparing it to ancient Islamic influence in the city. I am deeply committed to creating inclusive spaces within cultural institutions and challenging the notion that they are reserved exclusively for the elite. 

  • Hi, I joined the Change Collective so that I could find other people who wanted to make a difference in a creative way. I study medicine at King's, and I enjoy crafts such as crochet. Fun fact, I have 5 pets. Follow Chid @stars.n.sand