Spotlight on Megan Roberts

Her work focuses on celebrating people, places, rituals and traditions, with a particular focus on how traditions from the past are carried forward, reimagined, and built upon to strengthen cultural identity.

Meg is a founding member of 99p Films, a community organisation which organises events that combine documentary screenings, group discussions and communal feasts. These events aim to talk openly about social and environmental issues and find actionable local solutions. Meg played a key role in developing the organisation's brand identity and was instrumental in the early curation of its events, shaping the foundation of what 99p Films is today.

Currently, her focus within 99p Films is on documenting these events and their lasting impact, exploring how they resonate with the community and how to extend their reach. Meg is deeply committed to the belief that everyone has the right to be represented with agency and that stories should never be reduced to mere spectacles of suffering.

Through the RtFA initiative, creative minds are invited to engage with the extensive film collections at The Box. Meg's commission will explore themes of Power and Class, focusing on the South West and Plymouth area.

On Power and Class

In her work, Meg looks at how power, class, and representation intersect, delving into spaces where community thrives. She asks important questions like: Who controls these spaces? Who is in these spaces? Who is missing? These questions connect to ideas about race and class, inspired by and drawing on thinking on hybrid identities which have been explored in written works by the scholar and critical theorist Homi Bhabha. The reflections of British writer, activist, and rapper Akala, who writes about race and class in his analytical book ‘Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire’ have all shaped Meg’s practice and aims for this commission.

As Meg reflects on the concept of power dynamics, she is guided by the belief that 'everything is always in context', as Stuart Hall once famously stated.

This ties into the idea that identities are complex and always changing. They are shaped by race, class, gender, and national background. This means that people's identities are never simple or fixed, but always developing based on power dynamics.

This principle underpins her exploration of how power and class influence who is visible and who remains invisible in our shared histories. Her work focuses on showing the experiences of people who have often been left out of historical records, especially in Plymouth. She wants to tell these stories carefully and respectfully, making sure that marginalised communities are represented with dignity and agency.

Meg's project connects with an exhibition by Osman Yousefzada called 'When will we be good enough?', which will be at The Box until 9 March 2025. Both the exhibition and Meg's work explore themes of migration, power, and class.

Looking Ahead

In January 2025, Meg's work will be displayed at The Box's Media Lab Gallery, alongside another artist, Arun Sood. We are looking forward to seeing how her work will help us understand different perspectives in moving images and their role in societal narratives.

Discover More

• To learn more about Meg and her work, visit her website and 99p films website
• Find out more about the RfTA programme and Arun Sood, who is also a recipient of an emerging artist commission for the programme

Image credits:
Banner image: courtesy of the artist
Second image: Film Still 'DCRS' 25th anniversary documentary' (2023)