We Were Here: Film screening and in conversation

Director Fred Kudjo Kuwornu is an Italian-Ghanaian and U.S. artist, filmmaker, curator and scholar based in New York. His work bridges past and present, exploring identity and race through historical remixing of archival materials. 

In 2025, Kuwornu was awarded the Folger Shakespeare Library Fellowship for his innovative approach to early modern European history through the lens of the African diaspora. He also received the Dan David Prize in 2025, in recognition of his career-long contributions to public history and cultural memory through audiovisual language.

Dr Onyeka Nubia is a pioneering and internationally recognised historian, writer and presenter who is reinventing our perceptions of the Renaissance, British history, Black Studies and intersectionalism. 

Onyeka is the leading historian on the status and origins of Africans in pre-colonial England from antiquity to 1603. He is an internationally renowned speaker, presenting at venues such as the Houses of Parliament, the National Portrait Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery of Scotland. 

Dr Anna Groundwater is Principal Curator of Renaissance and Early Modern History at National Museums Scotland. She is responsible for the displays and collections of Renaissance and Early Modern Scotland from c.1450-1750. 

Her research interests focus on Scottish communities in northern Europe, the connections between the continent and early modern Scotland, and the affective and commemorative attributes of the Renaissance collections. She has published widely on the cultural and social history of sixteenth and seventeenth century Scotland, including as editor of Decoding the Jewels: Renaissance Jewellery in Scotland.

You can make your way to the Auditorium by walking through the Lothian Entrance. There is a ramp on the left-hand side once you enter the building.

The door to the Auditorium is not automatic and cannot be opened by a push pad. During an event it may already be open or you can open it by pulling it towards you. 

There are four designated spaces for wheelchairs in the Auditorium. Two are at the front on Level 1 and two are at the back on Level 2. You can access the upper spaces by taking the lift next to the Auditorium. A staff member will be available to give directions to the lift. 

These spaces can be booked in advance. Please contact publicevents@nms.ac.uk to book a designated wheelchair space. 

There is significant space to use a wheelchair in the Auditorium. 

Please ask a member of staff if you'd like to borrow a wheelchair after you've arrived. They cannot be booked in advance. 

Seats in the Auditorium are fixed and tiered. There are steps and handrails on either side of the seating rows. 

The seats are cushioned and have arm rests on either side. 

There is 18cm of leg room between rows. 

If you require a seat at the front or near the front, please get in touch at publicevents@nms.ac.uk. 

There is an induction loop in the Auditorium. 

The nearest toilets are on Level 1 next to the Lothian Street Entrance. There are standard toilets and an accessible toilet. A baby changing table is located in the accessible toilet. 

If you require a changing places toilet, please ask a member of staff.