Podcast appearances and mentions of zak ov

Artist LR (Lisa) Vandy shows EMPIRE LINES the ropes in a studio visit to Chatham's Royal Navy Dockyard in Kent, unravelling entangled imperial and industrial relationships, dance in the African diaspora, and women's work in abstract sculpture. In 2022, sculptor LR (Lisa) Vandy relocated her studio from the city of London to Chatham Ropery which, with original machinery from the 19th century, has preserved traditional practices and knowledges. Rope became essential to Britain's burgeoning maritime industry during the Georgian and Victorian eras, tied to the construction of empires, colonial hierarchies, and sites of slavery. Building in collaboration with the resident Master Ropemakers, her sculptures allude to and playfully subvert the media's historic associations and legacy now. From her five-metre-high figure for Liverpool's Canning Dock, to her new, smaller body of works, Lisa walks through her collection and archive on Kent's waterfront. Born in Coventry in the Midlands, she shares her experiences of growing up ‘by the sea' in Sussex as a young person of Nigerian and Irish heritages, and the racialised exclusion some face from leisurely pursuits in natural environments. Inspired by Barbara Ehrenreich's 2006 book, Dancing In The Streets, Lisa unravels ‘collective joy' and the central role of Black women. We see how dance has been used to resist oppression across continents, with spirit dances, raves, festivals, and carnival masquerades, interests shared by contemporaries like Theaster Gates, Hew Locke, Romuald Hazoumè, Zak Ové, and Hassan Hajjaj. Straw-fibre figures recall Grain Mother deities, corn dollies, and Kumpo, spinning dances from the Casamance (Senegal) and Gambia. With her ongoing series of Hulls, comprised of found objects, boats, and fishing floats ‘plundered' from DIY stores, we discuss her interest in the ‘underbelly of empire', knotty relationships between rail, sail, and transport, and ‘migrant crises' in the Mediterranean Sea today. Drawing on her research in museum collections, ancient silverwares, and indigo trade routes, Lisa moves on the discussion about globalised 'African masks' as symbols of ‘aggressive protection'. We discuss gender and identity, and how her curvilinear copper sculptures challenge conventional representations of the ‘female form'. Dynamic drawings of tornados tell of her designs for statues in the landscape - role models for those subject to the male gaze - exposing the empowering potential of contemporary art. Plus, Lisa shares why her tactile public artworks are designed to be destroyed. LR Vandy: Twist runs at the October Gallery in London until 25 May 2024. Dancing In Time: The Ties That Bind Us, commissioned by Liverpool Museums for the International Slavery Museum's Martin Luther King celebrations in 2023, stands at the Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent until 17 November 2024. On harvest rituals, hear episodes about Ashanti Hare's performances at Against Apartheid at KARST in Plymouth (2023) and Invasion Ecology on Dartmoor (2024), and Learning from Artemisia (2019-2020), by Uriel Orlow and Orchestre Jeunes Étoiles des Astres, at the Eden Project in Cornwall. For more photographs of Black experiences in English coastal towns, and about the transatlantic ‘Triangular Trade' between Europe, Africa, and the Americas, hear Ingrid Pollard on ⁠Carbon Slowly Turning (2022)⁠ at Turner Contemporary in Margate. For more women working in port cities, read into: Lisetta Carmi: Identities, at the Estorick Collection in London. Magdalena Abakanowicz: Every Tangle of Thread and Rope, at Tate Modern in London. And hear Chris Spring on ‘African' textiles and Thabo, Thabiso and Blackx by Araminta de Clermont (2010)⁠ at the British Museum in London. PRODUCER: Jelena Sofronijevic. Editor: Alex Rees. Follow EMPIRE LINES on Instagram: instagram.com/empirelinespodcast And Twitter: twitter.com/jelsofron/status/1306563558063271936 Support EMPIRE LINES on Patreon: patreon.com/empirelines

Presented by Masterpiece London in partnership with Apollo, this three-part series of podcasts provides an insight into the works on show at this year's Masterpiece fair. In the second episode, Sophie Barling talks to Melanie Vandenbrouck, sculpture curator at the V&A, about her selections for the fair's ‘Sculpture Series' – among them works by Zak Ové, Cathy Pilkington and Marie Watt. Pom Harrington discusses a rediscovered authorial presentation copy of Jane Austen's Emma, at the booth of Peter Harrington this year, while Alessandra di Castro explores the history of a group of watercolours depicting Etruscan jewellery by the Roman jeweller and antiquities dealer Alfredo Castellani. Masterpiece London is at the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 30 June–6 July.

Episode 13: Primitivism & Its Legacies This episode looks at the emergence of the concept of Primitivism in the 19th century and examines how it was used in the 20th century. We cover different kinds of historical Primitivism, and problematize this Euro-centric term. After considering historical artists, we turn towards contemporary artists who interact with this legacy. Artists covered include Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso, Wifredo Lam, Fatu Feu'u, Zak Ové, and Romuald Hazoumé. Sources + further reading: Aesthetica Magazine. “Romuald Hazoumé.” https://aestheticamagazine.com/romuald-hazoume/ Brick Bay Sculpture Trail. “Fatu Feu'u - Orongo on Exhibition at Brick Bay.” https://www.brickbaysculpture.co.nz/fatu-feuu-orongo “Henri Rousseau.” National Gallery of Art. https://www.nga.gov/features/slideshows/henri-rousseau.html. Higgins, Katherine. “About the Artist: Fatu Feu'u.” The Contemporary Pacific 27, no. 1 (2015): VII. Kramer, Charles, and Grant, Kim. “Primitivism and Modern Art.” Smarthistory. https://smarthistory.org/primitivism-and-modern-art/. LACMA. “The Invisible Man and the Masque of Blackness.” http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/invisible-man-and-masque-blackness. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Surrealism Beyond Borders.” https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2021/surrealism-beyond-borders. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Reconfiguring an African Icon.” https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2011/reconfiguring-an-african-icon. Mitter, Partha. “Extract - Surrealism's Tricky Global Transformation.” The Art Newspaper, February 8, 2022. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/02/08/extract-or-surrealisms-tricky-global-transformation. Obuobi, Sharon. “British Museum's First Commissioned Caribbean Sculptures Tower Over Its Great Court.” Hyperallergic, September 8, 2015. http://hyperallergic.com/235163/british-museums-first-commissioned-caribbean-sculptures-tower-over-its-great-court/. Tate Modern. “Modernism.” https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/m/modernism. Tate Modern. “Who Is Wifredo Lam?” https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/wifredo-lam/who-is. Tuuhia, Tiare. “The Tahitian Woman behind Paul Gauguin's Paintings.” Art UK, September 2021. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/the-tahitian-woman-behind-paul-gauguins-paintings.   Music Credits: Igor Stravinsky. “L'Adoration de la Terre” from The Rite of Spring, 1927. National Orchestra of France. Entretiens d'André Breton avec André Parinaud. 1952. Ubuweb. https://ubu.com/sound/breton.html “A New Day in Samoa” -- Audio from a Documentary, n.d. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_New_Day_in_Samoa.webm soundskeep. Recording of Motorcycles, 2014. https://freesound.org/people/soundskeep/sounds/236986/   Credits: Season 2 of Unboxing the Canon is produced by Professor Linda Steer for her course “Introduction to the History of Western Art” in the Department of Visual Arts at Brock University. Our sound designer, co-host and contributing researcher is Madeline Collins.  Brock University is located on the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples, many of whom continue to live and work here today. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and is within the land protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Agreement. Today this gathering place is home to many First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples and acknowledging reminds us that our great standard of living is directly related to the resources and friendship of Indigenous people. Our logo was created by Cherie Michels. The theme song has been adapted from “Night in Venice” Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0. Grants from the Humanities Research Institute and from Match of Minds at Brock University support the production of this podcast, which is produced as an open educational resource. Unboxing the Canon is archived in the Brock Digital Repository. Find it at https://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/14929   You can also find Unboxing the Canon on any of the main podcast apps. Please subscribe and rate our podcast. You can also find us on Twitter @CanonUnboxing and Instagram @unboxingthecanon or you can write to unboxingthecanon@gmail.com   

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Zak Ové (@zakove)   Zak Ové is a London based multi-disciplinary artist working in film, sculpture and photography to reclaim old world mythologies in new world source materials and technologies. His fascination with the interplay between antiquity and the future is inspired by masking rituals and traditions of Trinidadian carnival that is itself rooted in a struggle for emancipation.   Ové's work is in celebration of the power of play, the juxtaposition of parody and sacred ritual and the blurring of edges between reality and fantasy, flesh and spirit. His use of non-traditional materials: copper, wood, Victoriana and other found materials, situates the work in the metropoles of Europe and the Americas where they merge and mutate into endless possibilities and unexpected identities.     Zak's huge artwork Autonomous Morris has been installed outside the Design Museum as part of the *Kensington & Chelsea Art Week   * Kensington + Chelsea Art Week is expanding throughout the summer season with a festival that elevates the magic and shared experiences of public art and live performance. From 21 June – 31 August, K+C Festival will bring people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired - For more information go to https://www.kcaw.co.uk     For more information on the work of Zak Ové go to https://www.vigogallery.com/artists/9   To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts   For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.org Email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com Social Media: @ministryofartsorg  

Subscribe to our Newsletters Follow Country & Town House on Twitter Follow Country & Town House on Instagram We're going to: Kensington + Chelsea Art Week,A World of Culture in West London, 21st June to 4th July The Other Art Fair, West Handyside Canopy, King's Cross, 1st to 4th July We're visiting: Our local bookshop to celebrate Independent Bookshop Week, 19th to 26th June, Indie Book Awards announced 25th June on Scala Radio www.bookshop.org We're reading: The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff Shortlisted for Award for Best Children's Fiction in Indie Book Awards Edited and Produced by Alex Graham

1-54 Webinar | Creating public installations across Africa and its diaspora  2 December 2020 Imagining, designing and filling public spaces gives creatives unique challenges and opportunities, from collaboration and production to establishing a work's post-artist existence. What is the position of public installations in Africa and across its diaspora, and where is it going next?  Join Princess Marilyn Douala Manga Bell (Co-Founder, doual'art), Zak Ové (Artist), David Ogunmuyiwa (Founder, Architecture Doing Place) in discussion with Dr. George Tebogo Mahashe (Researcher).  www.1-54.com

Calling planet earth! Artist Yinka Shonibare CBE, acclaimed saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, fashion designer Mowalola Ogunlesi, and Get Up, Stand Up Now curator Zak Ové explore themes around Black futures and afro-futurism. Presented by spoken word artist Joshua Idehen. Music by Shabaka Hutchings and GAIKA, excerpts from Sun Ra Arkestra BBC Radio 3 session courtesy of Somethin' Else and BBC Radio 3. Producer: Mae-Li Evans The series was produced by Reduced Listening and Somerset House Yinka Shonibare CBE Yinka Shonibare’s work explores issues of race and class through painting, sculpture, photography and film. Having described himself as a ‘post-colonial’ hybrid, Shonibare questions the meaning of cultural and national definitions. His trademark material is the brightly coloured ‘African’ batik fabric he buys at Brixton Market. The fabric was inspired by Indonesian design, mass-produced by the Dutch and eventually sold in British colonies in West Africa. In the 1960s, the material became a new sign of African identity and independence. Shabaka Hutchings constantly evaluates his music’s relationship to Caribbean and jazz traditions, and sees his role as pushing the boundaries of both. His trajectory started early when he moved to Barbados at the age of six, began studying classical clarinet aged nine, and graduated to tenor saxophone, which has been a regular part of his performances since his return to the UK aged 16. Hutchings has three primary projects – Shabaka and the Ancestors, Sons of Kemet and The Comet is Coming. Between them, Hutchings has gathered a substantial number of awards and nominations, including winning the 2013 MOBO Jazz Act of the Year. Mowalola Ogunlesi founded the menswear brand Mowalola in 2017 to celebrate the African male and culture, sexuality and desire. He was awarded Best New Designer at the 2018 Milan Fashion Film Festival. Mowalola had its London Fashion Week debut in January 2019 with Fashion East and their work has been featured in publications such as Vogue UK, Vogue US, i-D, Dazed & Confused, Surface Magazine, SHOWstudio and W Magazine. GET UP, STAND UP NOW GENERATIONS OF BLACK CREATIVE PIONEERS 12 Jun – 15 Sep 2019 A major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond. Beginning with the radical Black filmmaker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of around 100 interdisciplinary artists will showcase work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day. https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/get-up-stand-up-now

#4 Imaginary Landscapes What is the place of Black diasporic art in Britain today? How do artists use imaginary landscapes to look to the future, break ground and envisage a world beyond? Can you imagine this alternative future? Artist Barby Asante in conversation with curator Paul Goodwin; artist, activist and collector of diasporic art CCH Pounder, alongside Get Up, Stand Up Now curator Zak Ové reflect, 50 years on from Baldwin’s Nigger (Horace Ové, 1969) in which African-American writer James Baldwin discussed Black experience and identity in Britain and America. Presented by spoken word artist Joshua Idehen with music by GAIKA. Featuring excerpts from Baldwin's Nigger, 1969 by Horace Ové, and an extract reading from Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. Producer: Femi Oriogun-Williams The series was produced by Reduced Listening and Somerset House Barby Asante Barby Asante is an artist, curator and researcher. Her work is concerned with the politics of place and the histories and legacies of colonialism, producing projects that are collaborative and performative to stimulate dialogue on what is unheard or missing from cultural archives. Through creating social rituals and re-enactments she interrogates dominant narratives to think about migration, safe spaces in hostile cities and the overlooked everyday contributions of people of colour to our social, political and cultural understandings. Paul Goodwin Working as a curator at Tate Britain from 2008 to 2012 Goodwin directed the pioneering Cross Cultural Programme that explored questions of migration and globalisation in contemporary British art through a programme of international conferences, workshops, talks and live art events. His curatorial projects include a number of internationally significant exhibitions including: Migrations: Journeys Into British Art, Tate Britain 2012; Thin Black Line(s), Tate Britain, 2011; Coming Ashore, 2011, Berardo Collection Museum in Lisbon, Portugal; Afro Modern: Journeys Through the Black Atlantic (consultant curator), Tate Liverpool, 2010; Underconstruction, Hospital Julius De Matos, Lisbon, Portugal, 2009. In 2013 he curated Charlie Phillips: The Urban Eye at New Art Exchange, Nottingham which was long-listed for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2014. CCH Pounder CCH Pounder’s diasporic collection includes approximately 500 works of art. It aims to capture the temperament of the times through which she has lived. With a career spanning over 40 years, the actress was first celebrated for her strong female roles in television shows such as ER, The Shield and Sons of Anarchy, as well as films including Avatar, Orphan and Baghdad Café. Pounder opened an art gallery in Los Angeles, the Pounder-Kone Art Space and founded with her late husband Boubacar Kone the Musée Boribana, the first privately owned contemporary art museum in Dakar, Senegal. It featured works by local artists and pieces from the African diaspora including the United States, Jamaica, Guadeloupe and Haiti. GET UP, STAND UP NOW GENERATIONS OF BLACK CREATIVE PIONEERS 12 Jun – 15 Sep 2019 A major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond. Beginning with the radical Black filmmaker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of around 100 interdisciplinary artists will showcase work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day. https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/get-up-stand-up-now

#3 Masquerade Artists Zoe Bedeaux and Rhea Storr, writer Margaret Busby and Get Up, Stand Up Now curator Zak Ové explore the concept of masquerade in Black diasporic creativity, reflecting upon the history of Trinidad carnival documented in Horace Ové’s 1973 documentary, King Carnival. Music by Gaika. Excerpts from A Protest, A Celebration, A Mixed Message by Rhea Storr. Zoe Bedeaux Multi-disciplinary artist Zoe Bedeaux studied art and design at Harrow School of Art before working as a styling assistant to famous punk designer Judy Blame. Her work encompasses style curation, art direction, writing, photography, print-making, poetry, audio readings and cultural commentary. She has been featured as model, muse and contributing editor in publications and various online platforms such as Nowness, Another, SHOWstudio, The Face, i-D, Self-Service, 032C, Vogue and Vestoj. Rhea Storr Rhea Storr’s practice is concerned with producing images which refute stereotypes of Black identity. Working on 16mm film, but also making peripheral drawings, photographs and scores, she questions how a body performs and how other bodies react to it. Of Bahamian and English heritage, her interests centre around the inherent tensions in being between two cultures where oversimplified statements about racial identity have no meaning. Carnival is often the subject of her work, and her approach affirms Caribbean culture while subverting traditional power structures.  Margaret Busby OBE, Hon. FRSL was born in Ghana and educated in the UK. Graduating from London University, she became Britain’s youngest and first Black woman publisher when she co-founded Allison & Busby in 1967, where she was editorial director for 20 years. Subsequently pursuing a career as editor, broadcaster and critic, she has contributed to many publications, written drama for radio and the stage, served as a judge for prestigious literary competitions, and campaigned for diversity in publishing since the 1980s. She compiled the ground-breaking international anthology Daughters of Africa (1992), and 2019’s follow-up, New Daughters of Africa (Myriad).  Zak Ové Zak Ové shared his father’s passion for film and photography as he assisted him on film sets from a young age and eventually studied film at St. Martins School of Art. Influenced by Trinidad’s steel pan, Zak became an accomplished percussionist; music and art remained the backbone of his work when he moved to New York, as a music video director, shooting classic videos of that time. Extending his work into advertising, Zak directed a range of campaigns and worked with Lee Scratch Perry, whose freedom of creativity left its mark on Zak. Ultimately disillusioned with the commercial world, Zak returned to Trinidad to document Carnival and its old-time masquerade, which subsequently inspired him to create sculptural artworks. Producers: Chris Elcombe, Eleanor Scott and Joby Waldman The series was produced by Reduced Listening and Somerset House GET UP, STAND UP NOW GENERATIONS OF BLACK CREATIVE PIONEERS 12 Jun – 15 Sep 2019 A major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond. Beginning with the radical Black filmmaker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of around 100 interdisciplinary artists will showcase work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day. https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/get-up-stand-up-now

#2 Dream to Change the World How do we imagine a better future? How do we imagine equality and how do we get there? Horace Ové CBE is internationally renowned as one of the leading Black independent filmmakers to emerge in Britain since the post-war period. His 1976 film Pressure is cited in the Guinness Book of Records as the first feature-length film made by a Black British director. Get Up, Stand Up Now curator Zak Ové and Gaylene Gould, British Film Institute (Head of Cinema & Events) are in conversation exploring Pressure, its production and legacy. Artist Sonia Boyce OBE RA discusses her work as an artist and activist starting in the 1980’s with the Black Arts Movement. Spoken word artist Joshua Idehen creatively responds to the themes of activism, change and hope. Zak Ové Zak Ové shared his father’s passion for film and photography as he assisted him on films sets from a young age and eventually studied Film at St. Martins School of Art, London. Influenced by Trinidad’s steel pan, Zak became an accomplished percussionist; music and art remained the backbone of his work when he moved to New York, as a Music Video Director, shooting classic videos of that time. Extending his work into advertising Zak directed a range of campaigns and worked with Lee Scratch Perry, whose freedom of creativity left its mark on Zak. Ultimately disillusioned with the commercial world Zak returned to Trinidad to document Carnival and its old-time masquerade which subsequently inspired him to create sculptural artworks. Today Zak’s multi-disciplinary practice focuses on sculpture but still includes film and photography. His work is informed in part through the history and lore carried through the African diaspora to the Caribbean, Britain and beyond, with particular focus on the traditions of masking and masquerade. His artworks explore interplay between old world mythology and what he posits as ‘potential futures’. Using modern materials, and ‘a sound clash of colour’, he blurs the edges between reality and possibility, flesh and spirit.  Sonia Boyce OBE RA  Sonia Boyce OBE RA is a British African-Caribbean artist who gained prominence with Black Women Artists, as part of the Black British cultural renaissance of the 1980s. Her earlier works examined the issues of race and gender in the media and in daily life through large pastel drawings and photographic collages. Her work has since shifted to include a range of media, from prints and film to drawings, sound, installation and photographs.  Boyce has been working closely with other artists since 1990, which often involves improvisation and spontaneous performative actions on the part of her collaborators. She is represented in the permanent collections of Arts Council England and London’s Tate Modern. She is a Professor in Black Art & Design at University of the Arts London and in 2019, Boyce was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to the arts.  Music by GAIKA, with selected tracks from Trojan Records: East Of The River Nile - Augustus Pablo Is it Because I'm Black - Ken Boothe  Hang' em High - Richard Ace The Liquidator - The Harry J All Stars  Featuring excerpts from Pressure (1976), dir. Horace Ové. Courtesy of the British Film Institute (BFI) Producer: Mae-Li Evans and Joby Waldman The series was produced by Reduced Listening and Somerset House GET UP, STAND UP NOW GENERATIONS OF BLACK CREATIVE PIONEERS 12 Jun – 15 Sep 2019 A major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond. Beginning with the radical Black filmmaker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of around 100 interdisciplinary artists will showcase work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day.

#1 Motherland Legendary musician Dennis Bovell, writer Margaret Busby, and photographer Normski come together with Get Up, Stand Up Now exhibition curator Zak Ové and spoken word artist Joshua Idehen to explore the notion of ‘motherland.’  Original music by Dennis Bovell and Gaika, with selected tracks from Trojan Records. Stalag 17 - King Tubby and the Technique Allstars (Trojan Records) After Tonight - Matumbi (Trojan Records) The Shadow of Your Smile - Tommy McCook and the Super Sonics (Trojan Records) Excerpt from Andrea Levy's Small Island    Producer: Femi Oriogun-Williams The series was produced by Reduced Listening and Somerset House Dennis Bovell         An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, sound engineer, composer and producer, Dennis Bovell has earned himself the reputation of Britain’s reggae maestro. He moved from Barbados to south London at the age of 12 and whilst still at school joined his first band, Road Works Ahead. He later formed the group Matumbi which went on to become Britain’s foremost reggae band, at a time when the genre was spreading from Jamaica to an international audience.  Bovell also formed the Dub Band, beginning an enduring partnership with reggae poet Linton Kwesi Johnson which resulted in the production of numerous classic albums. The 1980s saw Bovell in great demand as a producer, working with bands as diverse as The Slits, Chalice, Orange Juice, The Thompson Twins and Bananarama. Bovell has also worked in television and film and continues to record, produce and play music live all over the world.  Margaret Busby OBE, Hon. FRSL, was born in Ghana and educated in the UK. Graduating from London University, she became Britain’s youngest and first Black woman publisher when she co-founded Allison & Busby in 1967, where she was editorial director for 20 years. Subsequently pursuing a career as editor, broadcaster and critic, she has contributed to many publications, written drama for radio and the stage, served as a judge for prestigious literary competitions, and campaigned for diversity in publishing since the 1980s. She compiled the ground-breaking international anthology Daughters of Africa (1992), and 2019’s follow-up, New Daughters of Africa (Myriad).  Normski Norman ‘Normski’ Anderson was bought his first camera by his Jamaican mother at an auction when he was nine years old. His interest in photography was partly inspired by Horace Ové, as he was childhood friends with Ové’s son Zak. Normski was part of the emerging hip hop music scene during the 1980s and his involvement in music culture led him to photograph hip hop artists and fashions for publications like The Face, i-D and Vogue. Normski harnesses his personal sensibilities to capture exquisite detail and memories that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. He also created publicity photographs for the musicians themselves. He has also worked as a DJ and television presenter. GET UP, STAND UP NOW GENERATIONS OF BLACK CREATIVE PIONEERS 12 Jun – 15 Sep 2019 A major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond. Beginning with the radical Black filmmaker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of around 100 interdisciplinary artists will showcase work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day.

Gwendoline Christie, famous for playing warrior Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones, discusses her new stage role as the fairy queen Titania in Nicholas Hytner’s immersive new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Works by Steve McQueen, Lubaina Himid and Yinka Shonibare feature in a new exhibition Get Up, Stand Up Now at Somerset House in London, which explores the impact of 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond. Curator and artist Zak Ové and artist Zoe Bedeaux discuss the themes and goals of the exhibition. The Youth Poet Laureate of the United States, Kara Jackson, and Aisling Fahey, who was London’s Youth Poet Laureate in 2014, discuss what they’ve discovered about each others' cities and the poetry being created there, on an exchange between young Poets Laureate in Chicago and London. Presenter Kirsty Lang Producer Jerome Weatherald

A taster of the Get Up, Stand Up Now podcast series, celebrating generations of black creative pioneers.  A crafted sound odyssey over five episodes, guided by the voices of artists featured in the exhibition who explore the discourse around Black experience, activism, creativity and influence.  Coming up: #1 Motherland  Dennis Bovell, Margaret Busby, Normski, Zak Ové              #2 Dream to Change the World  Zak Ové in conversation with Gaylene Gould, BFI (Head of Cinema & Events), and Sonia Boyce OBE   #3 Masquerade  Zoe Bedeaux, Rhea Storr, Margaret Busby and Zak Ové   #4 Imaginary Landscapes Barby Asante in conversation with Paul Goodwin, CCH Pounder, Zak Ové   #5 Mothership Yinka Shonibare CBE, Shabaka Hutchings, Mowalola Ogunlesi, Zak Ové   Presented by spoken word artist Joshua Idehen Original music by GAIKA, Dennis Bovell, Shabaka Hutchings, with selected tracks from Trojan Records.    The series was produced by Reduced Listening and Somerset House Senior Digital Producer, Somerset House: Eleanor Scott Exec Producer: Joby Waldman Producers: Chris Elcombe, Femi Oriogun-Williams, Mae-Li Evans Researcher: Erica McKoy Get Up, Stand Up Now A major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond, at Somerset House 12 June - 15 September 2019. Beginning with the radical Black filmmaker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of around 100 interdisciplinary artists will showcase work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day. https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/get-up-stand-up-now

We discuss the psychology behind addiction with London’s Science Gallery, meet artist Zak Ové, leaf through the weekend papers, find out how to deal with a natural disaster and visit Bluebird Café in London. Bluebird Café As the 20 year-old café expands across London, we discuss how an old favourite keeps up.

Zak Ové, British visual artist discusses the African art history and the installation of his work in the British Museum while South African-born Thebe Ikalafeng, founder of Brand Leadership, talks about his love for exploring Africa and answers questions on whether the continent needs rebranding. Then Adebola Williams, a Nigerian media entrepreneur, political activist and co-founder of Red, home of The Future Awards Africa share his views on the growth of Africa’s future leaders. Follow us @AfricaStateMind or www.facebook.com/AfricaStateOfMind