The Empire’s Old Clothes – Publication Launch and Screening

Join us for a screening and publication launch event of The Empire’s Old Clothes, a short, non-linear film by Priya Mistry, that confronts the enduring myths and propaganda of the so-called British Empire.

Moving through histories of eugenics, the invention of the gender binary, enslavement and exoticisation, and the role of technology from early film photography to contemporary AI, the work exposes how these legacies persist today, shaping experiences of racism and ableism in post-Empire Brexit Britain.

Both a provocation and an invitation, The Empire’s Old Clothes asks us to rethink and rewrite inherited histories, and to consider what it means to take action against racism.

At this event, we will screen the full film (15 minutes), alongside the launch of Mistry’s new publication of the same title — featuring rich imagery, artist quotes, and documentation from the associated exhibition at Attenborough Arts Centre (2025).

With thanks to Arts Council England, Unlimited, and Disability Arts Online.

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