A special showcase is taking place in October celebrating the creativity and innovation of 25 Black and Racially Minoritised artists and cultural producers across Bristol and the West of England.
They are the current cohort of CultureBiz Connect, a Black South West Network programme “to support growth and ambition” in the creative sector through an innovative six-week incubator.
The showcase at We The Curious on October 11 is the culmination of the WECA and Arts Council England funded programme, and will see multiple works across different mediums including theatre, music, visual art and dance.
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CultureBiz Connect aims to support, showcase and retain Black and Minoritised arts and culture creative talent – photo: Bobbi-Jo O’Gilvie
For CultureBiz Connect researcher Bobbi-Jo O’Gilvie, who calls herself “a multi-hyphenate enabler”, there is not just one problem that needed to be solved: “We wanted to hold a container through which we could work through all the things that came in the research, give people practical skills, and give people the confidence to go out and build sustainable businesses that will support that.
“As a woman of the global majority who’s in the creative industry, having something like this when I was just starting out would have been amazing.
“But I also know that often this particular demographic can be pathologised in a way that can be a little insulting…
“In the research, one of the things we really wanted to know was, yes, what are the struggles? But also, where do you want to go?
“We don’t want to just plug a gap; we want to propel you into the future and that’s what makes this programme really different through enablement, through upskilling, through lots of other stuff to really say there’s no ceiling on what you can do.”
The CultureBiz Connect Incubator Programme is a 6-week funded initiative that offers tools, structure, guidance, and insights to support artists and cultural producers – photo: Bobbi-Jo O’Gilvie
Over coffee at Fed in Fishponds, Bobbi envisaged the future for these 25 artists: “I want them to be having their book launches in the next few years. I want them to be travelling, not just within the UK, but globally to showcase their work.
“I want to see some of them in museums. I want to see some of them curating museum exhibits.
“I want them to say, you know what, whatever you’re shooting for, let’s double it, let’s triple it.”
At the showcase on October 11, Bobbi hopes that people will be able to attend, and then follow and support the artists’ individual journeys.
“I keep telling them this showcase is not the culmination of this project. It’s the beginning of the next phase for you.
“Whether you’re one year in or ten years in, this is the celebration of the beginning and I want people to be a part of that so I really encourage them to come along.”
For more information and to get free tickets to the CultureBiz Connect showcase on October 11 at We The Curious, visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/culturebiz-connect-artist-showcase-event-tickets
Main photo: Bobbi-Jo O’Gilvie
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