Southwark Council reached out to London College of Communication (LCC) with the opportunity to collaborate with I Create artists to create an exhibition showcasing their work at Southwark Heritage Centre and Walworth Library.

Southwark Council awarded seven grants to local artists as a part of their artist grant programme, I Create, which aims to address the underrepresentation of people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds in the field of arts in Southwark. The artists were chosen from the disciplines of dance, film and video, music, public art, theatre, and visuals arts. In addition to the funding, the artists received creative mentorship from Southwark-based partner organisations like Tate Modern, Dulwich Picture Gallery with Bold Tendencies, Film and Video Umbrella, Theatre Peckham, Centre School of Ballet and the Philharmonia. Honouring I Create’s vision, LCC offered the opportunity to work on the exhibition to students and graduates from underrepresented backgrounds. The project was led by experienced curator and LCC lecturer Jonny Briggs with student, graduate and LCC technician support. The team provided I Create artists with support at every stage from developing a vision for the showcase to planning, installation and deinstallation.

The I Create exhibition began with a launch event on 10 July 2023 and was open till 24 July 2023. The exhibition featured an exploration of themes like gender, religion, race through varied mediums including dance, experimental film and queer theatre.