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Artist Bursary

Phakama want to GIVE artists the space, time and means to create, experiment and explore. 

We want to GAIN greater perspectives of (new) arts practices and raise our profile.

DISABLED ARTIST BURSARY CALL-OUT 2022

We are offering seed funding of up to £1500 to support you to generate new ideas. For this round, we are supporting artists who have never worked with Phakama before and identify as a Disabled/ Deaf/ Neurodivergent Artist. Access costs are also offered in addition to the bursary. We will work with you to meet your access requirements to carry out your project.

If you are interested in applying, please email your proposal to Anna Glarin: annag@projectphakama.org (1 side of A4 max OR if you prefer create a max. 3 minute video/audio proposal) Please submit by 10am on the 30th September 2022. 

For more information about the bursary and how to apply click here

At Phakama we understand that artist facilitators, with their unique skills and experience are integral to the ongoing growth of the company.

It is our intention that artists don’t just deliver workshops for us, but are involved in the shaping and creation of projects.

Each year we offer seed funding of up to £2000 for an artist to develop a discrete project that chimes with Phakama’s vision. 

 

We hope that this seed funding will allow artists to test out their ideas whilst collaborating with and complementing Phakama’s vision.

I’ve had the opportunity through this seed funding to try something new and I still can’t believe the outcome. It’s such a brilliant scheme, it’s opened me up to whole other medium, but more importantly, by selecting me as the bursary recipient for 2019, Phakama believed in my project and that belief has taken me very far from where I was a year ago. 

 

Hussina Raja 2019 bursary recipient -

2021 Artist Bursary Project: 
Dragging Me Out

Person in drag in front of green background.png

Image by Jen Vanderlinde, provided by Anthony aka Bolly Illusion

Inspired by the incredible artists on the East London drag scene, Radhika Aggarwal was blown away and invigorated by the confidence, sass, and fun these performers brought to the stage. Aware of her own suppression of this life force, she wanted to explore and learn in a shared space that could empower and support to set fire to this spark and explore what that is.  Teaming up with the legendary Anthony Pius aka Bolly Illusion, "Dragging Me Out"  is an injection of feeling fabulous, and stepping into our power through South Asian dance music. The project aims to increase community cohesion, shine a light on those who have navigated their confidence and identity in complex cross-cutting ways, through a celebration of each other and our unique ways of moving.

The project will consist of 4 x movement/belonging sessions facilitated by Radhika and Anthony aka Bolly Illusion. Each session will be 2 hours and take place over September and October.

The sessions aim to create an atmosphere where all can feel safe, free, and have fun with their bodies in the space. Anyone is welcome at these sessions though we actively seek to engage, LGBTQIA+ of colour, artists of colour, those with complex and crosscutting relationships to their bodies in society and those who may have repressed elements of their sensuality for any reason. Details for how to join in will be published soon.

Past Artist Bursary Projects:

Teakster
2020
Corner of a wall with graffitied patterns in blue, red and pink.jpg

Community Mural

Hatiq Mohammed is an outsider artist who goes by the name Teakster. He has an extensive background of creating large scale murals inspired by his Islamic faith. Hatiq created a mural in Tower Hamlets with a group of young people. 

The project had to be altered due to the covid-19 pandemic, but was able to go ahead as part of the London Mural Festival.

Hussina Raja
2019
A man and a woman stare at the the camera.

ROOTS

ROOTS is a short film which Hussina describes as a reflection on migrant assimilation and the shedding of identity.

 

'A couple looks hopefully into the future. They soon discover the obstacles they must overcome to be accepted. As generations evolve their position alters in what was once a foreign land.'

The film had it's world premier at the BFI London Film Festival in 2019

Nurull Islam
2018
A man holds paper and some battered fish. Behind him is a fish and chip shop.

The Full English

Traditional favourites, such as the full English breakfast, have only recently become widely available to the Muslim community. 

Nurull Islam collaborated with photographer Rehan Jamil to create portraits that explore  how the Muslim community in Tower Hamlets has integrated traditional English meals into their daily lives, depicting the traditional English dishes that have found their way into the Muslim community.

Mike Knowlden
2017
A terracotta bowl with food. A spoon is bringing some food out of the bowl. There is an empty plate infront of the bowl and some smaller bowls and a bottle behind the bowl.

Elephant in the Kitchen

Elephant in the Kitchen worked with different generations from families who have moved to London from across the world.

The project combined storytelling and food, bringing together culinary cultures and acting as a way for people to express themselves, creating an atmosphere of relaxed sharing and comfortable interaction, exploring what it means to move to a new place

Kate Beales & Caro Gervay
2016
A blurry black and white image of a figure in white. Their face has been blurred out.

Of All People

Of All People is a storytelling and photography project about joining in, telling stories, building relationships and growing communities.

Through creative workshops 

participants document each others’ stories through photographs, and curate an extraordinary multimedia exhibition dedicated to individuals, others, and the creative power of relationships.

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