In addition to traditional galleries and other such settings, Burke has purposely exhibited his work in locations more easily accessible to black audiences such as community centres, clubs, pubs, churches, pool halls and schools.

Burke's work has also been used in documentaries (including Handsworth Songs, 1986),[10] television programmes, books and on record sleeves such as UB40's "Geffrey Morgan".

The material comprises things such as posters or flyers and funeral cards that may have been seen as disposable at the time of their creation but take greater significance when maintained in the context of his archive.

They evidence and provide insight of the daily activities and everyday lives, cultural and religious beliefs, the arts, political ideals, health and other facets affecting the black community and others in Birmingham and in Britain.

Stuart Hall endorsed that: "the personal, social and economic life of black people as they arrived, settled and became established in British society – is being constructed, given a certain meaning, significance, value, by Burke's camera eye, not merely 'captured'.

[14] In 2015, Burke recreated the front room of his home in Birmingham's Ikon Gallery, for a show characterised as "a living archive of untold black British history".

[15] In 2018, the site-specific installation Vanley Burke: 5000 Miles and 70 Years was part of the events at mac, Birmingham, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush from the Caribbean to the UK.

[16][17] Burke was a guest on BBC Radio 4's programme Desert Island Discs, first broadcast on 4 November 2018, when he was interviewed by Lauren Laverne and explained his motivation for documenting culture and history.