As night fell over the affluent market town of Sevenoaks, an ordinary middle-class family brazenly parked their Prius on the double yellow lines and began unloading the car. Over the next 90 minutes, large plywood boards were erected in the medieval Shambles square and Sevenoaks was introduced to three new visitors.

The mural depicted three men in tunics, relaxing and having a lively, light-hearted conversation. The foreground figure, larger than life, turns slightly, locking eyes with the viewer and smiling, raises his glass in greeting. They are unmistakably Black.

In 2020, humanity faces a number of terrifying challenges. This talk looks at the tension between local history and how a community sees itself within a broader context. Public art has a role to play, inspiring imagination and curiosity in local history which helps people to envision a narrative rooted in the past that will lay a path to how we can live together harmoniously in the future.