Join us as Professor Ayisi shares some reflections on Mentoring, Advocacy and Black Women's Leadership, followed by Q&A.

In this Black History Month keynote, Professor Florence Ayisi reflects on her nearly three decades of experience in UK higher education as an educator, scholar-filmmaker and researcher, exploring how mentoring, advocacy and collaborative practice can create opportunities for others and contribute to meaningful social change.

Drawing on her experiences as a Co-Investigator on the UKRI-funded Co-POWeR project, she considers the value of Legacy Mentorship Networks; especially how recognising potential, sharing opportunities and supporting professional development can enable individuals to grow, contribute and, in turn, empower others. She reflects on how these experiences have strengthened her capacity to collaborate with diverse communities nationally and internationally.

Through selected examples from her documentary film practice, she explores the potential of documentary filmmaking as a form of advocacy: challenging dominant representations, amplifying marginalised voices, contributing to policy change, and generating wider community engagement and social impact.

Aligned with Black History Month 2026 and its theme, “Honouring Our Communities”, the keynote offers personal reflections on leadership as a relational and collective practice, grounded in mentoring, ethical collaboration, shared knowledge, and a commitment to creating opportunities for others to be heard and seen. Organised by Swansea International Race Equality Network (SIREN).

Description supplied by the event organiser.