Long-standing community activist and Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) Lecturer Rena Kydd-Williams has been highlighted in a portrait as an influential figure from Britain’s African and Caribbean diaspora.
Her portrait has appeared in a new artwork currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery as part of Artists First: Contemporary Perspectives on Portraiture, a year-long installation supported by the CHANEL Culture Fund that features commissions from nine contemporary artists.
Rena Kydd Williams, who is of Grenadian parentage, has been honoured as a Community Changemaker in a new artwork by Panama-based artist Giana De Dier. Inspired by the Gallery’s collection of cartes-de-visites, De Dier created a series of small photomontage portraits to be displayed alongside the historic cartes, highlighting contemporary changemakers from Britain’s African and Caribbean diaspora who are making a difference in their communities today.
Selected alongside colleague Dawn Carter McDonald to represent the London Borough of Hackney, Rena is being celebrated for her tireless work supporting others, advancing social justice, and championing community development
Reflecting on the honour, Rena said:
“I’ve been fortunate to work with so many diverse and dynamic people. I couldn’t have done what I did alone, and it was important to have a group shot of the people who have supported me, or who I’ve supported, because I’m socio-politically minded. Any wins I achieve are for the greater good of the community. It’s not just about me.
It is overwhelming that my portrait is placed near so many people who have influenced my life.”
Rena’s portrait reflects her Garveyite (Jamaica) and Bishop (Grenada) values of collective agency and community empowerment. Rather than a solo portrait, Rena deliberately chose a photomontage featuring fellow community activists based at the Hackney Archives, where she delivers several community projects each year.
“I would struggle to think of a community activist with more dedication and judgment than Rena.” Says social activist Barbadian Ngomo Bishop, who nominated her for the changemaker award.
Her portrait is displayed on the second floor, Room 22, in The Deborah Loeb Brice Gallery, positioned near prominent historical figures including George Frederic Watts, John Stuart Mill, and opposite John Ruskin, after whom Anglia Ruskin University is named. It is also located close to a portrait of Mary Seacole, a lifelong inspiration for Rena.
Rena joined Anglia Ruskin University as a student in the late 1990s and progressed to senior lecturer in nursing and learning disabilities. After a period working externally, she returned to ARU in 2019 as a Placement Support Facilitator supporting students across NHS Trusts and healthcare partners, as well as lecturing for the nursing foundation degree. Rena also lectures part-time at Brunel Pathway College.
Beyond the university, she is widely known for: running workshops on learning disabilities for universities, charities, and community groups; managing volunteer projects across Hackney and Redbridge; supporting community organisations in securing funding and delivering awareness campaigns; and advancing inclusive, equity-driven approaches to community development.
The display opened during the weekend of 6–7 September 2025 and will remain on display for twelve months.
