Space to Breathe: The Necessity of BPOC Artistic Spaces

“Space to breathe” is not a phrase commonly used within discourse on the surrounding BPOC culture, yet it is consistently proven that racialised communities are at greater risk of suffering from a range of stresses induced by deep-rooted structural issues.

In this Discussion with local Glasgow-based BPOC creatives we will explore the importance of BPOC creative spaces as a means of building community, an outlet for internalised oppression, and a celebration of BPOC culture outside of narratives of struggle.

Host Effua Ibojie will be joined by Nicole Ndlovu, co-founder of Uber promising and up & coming Glasgow based ZAZA Zine, local BPOC party-artisan duo Mojxmma and 2022 BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year Bemz!

About the panellists

BEMZ: Freshly crowned as BBC Introducing’s inaugural ‘Scottish Act of the Year’, Bemz - aka Jubemi Iyiku - is only getting started. Born in Nigeria, Bemz moved to south London with his parents and six siblings when he was just four. Ten years later, his father decided he should escape the chaos of London and move north to Scotland, where he lived with his aunt and uncle in Stranraer. It was here that Bemz found his voice. From freestyle rapping with his brother at the age of 15; to studying sound production in Ayrshire college; to eventually moving to Glasgow, where he made his SAY (Scottish Album of the Year) Award nominated 2020 debut album ‘Saint of Lost Causes’, Bemz’ lyrical journey is tangible proof that rap’s cultural reach stretches far beyond London and the English borders.

Championed by the likes of Radio 1’s Gemma Bradley and DJ Target, Bemz’ sound stands out for being strikingly honest and unrestrained. Last year he dropped his highly anticipated second EP ‘M4’, before being crowned Best Live Act in the Scottish Alternative Music Awards. Since then, Bemz has embarked on a UK-wide tour supporting The Snuts, and has sold out his biggest headline show to date at Glasgow’s King Tuts.

MOJXMMA (Mo-Jam-ma) is an Edinburgh/Glasgow based club night run by high school friends Mahasin (Halal Kitty) and Jam Eye. Mojxmma was created due to the lack of safe spaces for queer and trans BPOC in Scotland, with the first event held in Feb 2020 at Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh. Since then, Mojxmma has moved to Glasgow and has secured a bi-monthly spot at queer bar and club spot Bonjour. Their nights aim to curate a space for QTIPOC+ to come together to find community and be themselves - using dress-up themes to promote self-expression and showcasing local talent by providing space for local queer DJs and performers of colour to have guest spots at each event.

NICOLE NDLOVU is a Scotland based, Gen-Z creative who has a strong knowledge of South-Korean pop culture and the borders in which it intertwines with Western pop culture. Her interests lie in writing about Music, Culture and Entertainment. Nicole is motivated by highlighting art created by POC, as she believes that diversity across creative medias has so much more to offer. This representation is for the people both in front and behind the cameras. Alongside being a writer, Nicole is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of ZAZA the Zine with Sueli Pereira— a platform which aims to give a voice to Scotland-based creatives coming from underrepresented, marginalised communities. ZAZA works to put Scotland on the map within the creative industries.

Accessibility

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This event will include: panel discussion & Q&A.