Of Us featured in Nataal latest digital issue We, Maji
Nataal features Jukebox Collective’s short film Of Us in latest digital issue WE, MAJI. The issue hails talents shaping Kenyan creativity alongside global peers. With stories tied together in a meditation on water and the movements, myths and memories that draw people to shore.
We, Maji, presents snapshots of a new generation of Kenyan creatives as they relentlessly flow through mediums and formats in pursuit of innovation. From the image-making collective 199x’s collaboration with designer Anil Padia offering a nuanced exploration of softened masculinities, to musical artist Nyokabi Kariuki’s, siren-like vocals and compositions, redefining auditory storytelling, to Joshua Obaga’s poetic exploration of flavours and narratives told through his artisanal ice cream. Readers are welcomed into the thriving ecosystem of cultural re-imagination taking place in Kenya and how it connects globally.
Featured in We, Maji is an in depth look into Jukebox Collective’s short film Of Us, directed by Liara Barussi. The piece highlights the film’s use of dance to retrace the history of Afro-Caribbean communities in Tiger Bay, South Wales. Reflecting on water as a sacred element of daily life and community vitality in African and Caribbean traditions, the feature showcases how Barussi uses storytelling, sound and memory, to honour the ancestral legacies that followed in the wake of the forced movements of Africans across the Atlantic Ocean.
“We’re based in Butetown, originally known as Tiger Bay and is one of the areas with the oldest multicultural communities in the UK so it’s symbolic being there.” says Film & Movement Director Liara Barussi
Originally commissioned by Dr Aleema Gray for the British Library’s ‘Beyond the Bassline’ exhibition. Producer Lauren Patterson reflects on how the film correlates with Jukebox’s core mission of nurturing diverse future talent.
“With Of Us, our students had that learning experience and then got to see themselves represented in an exhibition, held at an iconic space that they wouldn’t usually enter. It was great that they were involved from the beginning.” says Producer Lauren Patterson
The film marks Jukebox Collective’s debut into the gallery and exhibition space says Editor Blessing Borode. Highlighting its digital premier on Nowness, and upcoming screenings and performances in partnership with organisations such as Bozar Centre for Fine Arts in Belgium.
“Having a global network that can all work together allows for more visibility for Black Welsh creatives beyond Wales. Of Us was a big moment and an opportunity to really show what we can create.” adds Strategic Director Lauren Patterson
Nataal launches the digital issue We, Maji in a special installation at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in DaDa Marrakech between 30 Jan – 3 Feb 2025. Featuring a projection of the film alongside other stories from the issue. With soundscapes featuring Omi by Felix Taylor and Melo-zed and songs from Kenyan artist Nyokabi Kariũki.
Explore We, Maji
Photos credit: Togo Yeye, Axle Jozeph, Jukebox Collective
