Empowering Black creatives at UAL
- Written byStudent Communications
- Published date 21 May 2024
Share story
On Tuesday 23 April, UAL hosted its inaugural Access to the arts careers event at London College of Communication (LCC). The purpose of the event was to celebrate, inspire and empower Black professionals in creative spaces, by providing valuable insights on thriving in the industry and addressing barriers faced in access to the arts.
Facilitated by Maureen Salmon, LCC Senior Lecturer, the event featured a stimulating and inspiring panel discussion with talented industry experts, who shared their unique experiences and offered valuable guidance.
Topics discussed included the power of community and opening doors for others, the importance of mentorship and networking, maximising opportunities, managing the financial instability that often accompanies a creative career, overcoming the feeling of not belonging and having confidence in your talent and abilities.
The panel discussion was followed by an interactive Q&A session, allowing attendees to engage directly with the speakers. The event concluded with a network session, providing an opportunity for our diverse group of attendees, ranging from current students, alumni, staff and external Black creatives to connect and collaborate.
Maria Mukaronda, UAL student
“It was great to see a panel of diverse experiences across different creative sectors. I was moved by the way in which many different nuances and layers were explored, including being Black and disabled, or Black and from the diaspora or from many different backgrounds."
Maureen Salmon, LCC Senior Lecturer
"It was a privilege to be part of such a wonderful event. Having spaces and opportunities like these is essential for equipping the next generation of Black creatives with the tools, support, guidance, and knowledge they need to thrive in the industry. It's imperative that we have the voice and the confidence to lead our practice."
Meet our panellists
Kobi Essah Ayensuo
“Keep your head pointed towards the sun as much as you can, no matter what comes your way”
Kobi is a poet, musician, playwright, and creative of many hats based in London. Their work often explores their Black queer, trans identity and coming of age, love, navigating relationships and reimagining and decolonising the lens with which Black history is told. Their work often blends, vocals, harmonic soundscapes, music and poetry. Kobi has been published with Ink Sweat and Tears, South London Gallery, Flipped Eye. They have performed their work at several venues and festivals across the UK such as Brainchild festival and the Southbank Centre. They are also an alumnus of several collectives such as Barbican Young Poets and the Roundhouse Resident Artist programme. In 2022, their debut play Sankofa: Before The Whitewash sold out at the Roundhouse’s Last Word festival. And at present Kobi is working on their Debut EP they are a member of Soho Writers Lab 23/24.
Ada Cotton
“There needs to be more opportunities, mentoring programmes, paid schemes...and decision makers from the community”
Ada is a London-based French-Rwandese Writer/Director for Film and Visual Arts, holds an MA in Music (Ethnomusicology) and has excelled as a Documentary Filmmaker and Producer for award-winning independent films. Her work includes the acclaimed documentary 'African Sewing Club,' exhibited at venues such as the Pavilion Museum, BFI and BBC World Africa. As an alumna of Screen Arts Institute/BFI's mentoring program, Ada focuses on stories from the African Diaspora. Co-directing 'Progress 1968,' a visual installation exploring socio-political movements from 1968, alongside Senior archivist, Etienne Joseph, earned her recognition at the Aesthetica Art Prize 2023. She received a grant for an audiovisual installation on the (re)collection of memories of the Rwandan diaspora. Ada's debut short film, 'Bubble Killer,' was showcased at Southwark Playhouse and the Blue Elephant Theatre. A member of Southwark Playhouse's Black Writers Collective and a guest speaker at Goldsmiths' College, Ada continues to make significant contributions to visual storytelling.
Vusi Kaola
“Just leap... Don’t wait for perfection...the perfect opportunity will never present itself”
Vusi is a Digital Video Director and Development Assistant Producer specialising in unscripted TV. Born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa, he moved to England during his early teens and went on to study Film at Bournemouth University. With a lifelong fascination for storytelling, Vusi found his creative niche in documentaries. In his role, he scouts compelling stories to pitch to terrestrial TV channels and international streaming platforms during development stages. On shoots, he is the guy behind the camera, helping to shape the narrative. Currently, Vusi contributes his talents to Raw TV, an independent production company in London renowned for hit shows like 'The Tinder Swindler' (Netflix), 'Right to Fight' (Sky), and 'Untold: Swamp Kings' (Netflix).
Sicgmone Kludje
"Sometimes within the mess of the storm, you will find your way”
Sicgmone is a senior lecturer at UAL, speacialising in Textile Design in Critical Practice. Her research area focuses on Thinking through Making alongside community and craft. She is also the co-founder of Black Girl Knit Club (BGKC), a knitwear collective based in East London that she established with her friend Vea Koranteng in 2019. BGKC aims to promote more diversity in craft, creating a safe and inclusive space for Black women to come together, unite and inspire each other through encouraging hand knitting skills. Sicgmone and Vea wanted to create a platform for Black creatives; to gather, share stories and inspire each other and more importantly develop their creativity whilst equipping the next generation with a new skill. Since launching, they have built an amazing community of over 800 subscribers and members and their hope is to empower the community by organising monthly workshops, talks and collaborating with brands.
Cherise Trimingham
“If someone doesn’t want you to be there, create your own table, create your own journey
Cherise is a UAL graduate, who studied at both Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion. She also owns a successful Fashion Talent agency that provides opportunities for emerging creatives and is the founder of fashion brand Trimingham. Cherise broke into the fashion industry after moving to Milan to study fashion, later interning at the prestigious Tom Ford luxury fashion house. She has dressed a number of celebrities and showcased her collections all over the world from having shows for New York Fashion Week to selling her collections in Paris.