About JAHA
A heritage and arts organisation with a lasting public purpose.
JAHA – James Alexander Heritage Arts CIC protects the historical record and activates it through film, archive practice, learning and public participation.
Our mission
Recover overlooked stories. Connect generations. Protect community histories.
JAHA exists to preserve, research and share Black British and Caribbean heritage, using archives, film, oral history, education and creative practice to ensure that community histories are protected, understood and carried forward.
We turn evidence and memory into thoughtful routes for people to encounter, interpret and contribute to the historical record.
Why JAHA exists
Important community histories need care, context and routes into public life.
Stories of housing, migration, service, home and belonging are often dispersed across family collections, personal testimony and institutional records. JAHA was created to connect those sources and ensure their meaning is not lost.
As a Community Interest Company, JAHA can develop individual films, archive programmes, learning resources and public events while building one coherent and enduring body of cultural memory.
The legacy at our heart
James Alexander
JAHA is rooted in James Alexander's pioneering work in housing and community service, including his connection with Trinity Housing Association. His story opens wider conversations about Black British and Caribbean history, migration, home, belonging and social change.
The Homemaker began a film pathway into that history. My Father, The Homemaker expands the inquiry through documentary, archive research and testimony, while JAHA provides the organisational home through which the heritage can be protected, interpreted and shared.
Explore the Projects- 01James Alexander
- 02Trinity Housing Association
- 03The Homemaker
- 04My Father, The Homemaker
- 05Archive and Heritage
- 06JAHA
What we do
Five connected programme strands.
Film makes stories visible. Archives preserve evidence. Education builds knowledge. Community work enables participation. Legacy activity ensures the work endures.
Leadership
Stewardship across vision, operations and cultural strategy.
JAHA is guided by Joanna Alexander, Chair and Founder Director; Debra Houston, Director of Operations; and Mia Morris OBE FRSA, Director of Cultural Strategy. Together they support responsible growth, delivery, partnership and public value.
Meet Our DirectorsWho we work with