News Posts
Launching our latest street dance class for kids starting Friday 7 Feb 2025 in Llanrumney
Kids Beginners
Fridays at 4:30-5:30 PM
Llanrumney Hub CF3 5NQ
Open to ages 7-12
No prior experience needed
£5 per class, discounts available
Check out our other community classes here
Short film Of Us to be featured in an immersive digital installation curated by Nataal at this years 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair Marrakech between January 30 – February 2, 2025, at la Mamounia and DaDa in Morocco. Alongside a programming of events, exhibitions and gatherings across the city celebrating contemporary African art.
Founded in 2013, 1-54 is the first and only international fair dedicated to contemporary African art. Hosting three editions per year, in London, New York and Marrakech, it is a leading global platform for contemporary art from Africa and the diaspora.
This year for its 6th edition of 1-54 Marrakech, it will host a dedicated programming of specially curated content, events, and partnerships. With over 20 selected international and local galleries including Britain’s Tate and Space Un from Tokyo, showcasing curated pieces by emerging and established artists from across the continent at DaDa and la Mamounia. Visitors will also have the opportunity to attend artists talks, panel discussions and Special Projects.
As a part of the special projects programmed, Nataal will present We, Maji, an immersive digital installation bringing its latest digital issue to life. Guest edited by Sunny Dolat, the issue hails talents shaping the future of Kenyan creativity alongside their peers around the world. Tied together in a mediation on water and the movements, myths and memories that draw people to shore.
The installation will feature a presentation of Jukebox Collective’s short film Of Us directed by Liara Barussi, accompanied by soundscape Omi by Felix Taylor and Melo-zed. Other stories from the issue will also be presented, including archive Yoshita 1967 by Anil Padia; Venezuelan artist Silvana Trevale; and Vlisco collaboration with Togo Yeye.
Explore 1-54 Art Fair Marrakech Here
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hosting the first screening of Of Us in Wales in partnership with Chapter Arts Centre
Experience the film in person, and join us for a discussion led by Halina Kaszycka-Williams from the British Library, in conversation with Film & Movement Director Liara Barussi, ‘Omi’ composers Melo-Zed and Felix Taylor and leading cast member Gui Pinto.
8 Feb 2025 @ 3:45 pm
Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff
Free tickets can be secured here
Announcing upcoming international screenings for short film Of Us, directed by Liara Barussi. Experience the short film in person, with special performances & discussions featuring soundscape ‘Omi’ by composers Melo-Zed and Felix Taylor.
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
Digital exhibition curated by Nataal
La Mamounia and DaDa, Marrakech
30 Jan 2025 – 3 Feb 2025
Bozar (Bozar All Over the P(a)lace)
Live performance & Film screening
Bozar Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels
27 Feb 2025
Of Us was originally commissioned by Dr Aleema Gray, and soundscape Omi was originally commissioned by Tayo Rapoport and Alex Rita (Touching Bass), for the British Library’s Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music
Find out more about how the film was made in director Liara Barussi’s interview with the British Library
This year we connected with over a thousand students through our community dance and music classes across South Wales, the SHEP programme and our partnerships with Ballet Cymru.
In our multi-disciplinary Academy programme students performed in Reggae & Riddim and Act for Gwyl Parc, took part in multidisciplinary workshops every week, went on trips across the nation, competed in over six dance battles, starred in exhibitions, and grew as creatives.
Our music Academy artists wrote and released their own music, and had their first major gig performing across three venues in one of the UK’s biggest international music showcase festivals, Focus Wales 2024.
Through the Reggae & Riddim festival we connected new generations with their Caribbean roots, partnering with Urban Circle and Jamaican creatives to create a dancehall performance on the main stage featuring Jukebox Academy, alongside Gyption, Lady Leshurr and Tarrus Riley.
Through our short film Of Us, directed by Liara Barussi with soundscape Omi by Touching Bass, and commissioned by the British Library & showcased at Beyond the Bassline Exhibition in London; We explored our ancestral roots and the thread between body, memory and the ocean, honouring the legacy of the one of the oldest Black communities in the UK, based here in our city. The film is now featured on Nowness, and screening internationally in 2025.
Finishing the year with a student curated exhibition and zine launch, wrapping up our three year partnership with Bleak Fabulous, exploring contemporary Welsh identity through the lens of young people in Cardiff. And launch of our creative workshops for the African community in South Wales through our partnership with SSAP for Jamii 2.
Thank you to all our partners and collaborators:
Butetown Community Centre, The Real Ting, Grange Pavilion, SSAP, Ballet Cymru, National Welsh Dance, Urban Circle, Wales Museum, Wales Arts International, the British Library, Arts Council Wales, and our incredible network of Welsh creatives.
Invite
Thursday 9th 2025 | 5-7.30pm
Join us at our link up @ Ritual, Accra. Bring along your laptop if you have any examples of work you’d like to share! Please extend the invite to your creative friends, producers, graphic designers, curators, stylists etc – would love to connect.
Head over to the Sustainable Studio from now till 31st January 2025 to view our Ffasiwn Exhibition curated by Jukebox Academy students. Guided by the mentorship of Charlotte James and Sharon Kostini, and produced by Jukebox Collective.
This exhibition marks the culmination of our collaboration with Bleak Fabulous. Since 2021, Bleak Fabulous and Jukebox Collective have collaborated to explore Welsh heritage in a contemporary context, encouraging a modern exploration of Welsh pride and identity.
Welsh national dress emerged in the nineteenth century, responding to a surge of interest in the increased use of the Welsh language and the desire to create a sartorial identity. It consists of a red woollen cloak, a paisley shawl, Pais a Betgwn, a petticoat-like skirt, Betgwn, a white classically woollen bedgown, and a tall black hat.
Charlotte James and Clémentine Schneidermann were particularly inspired by the Welsh Hat and used the piece of national iconography as the project’s base. Collaborating with Welsh costume designer Ffian Jones, the Jukebox Academy students engaged in a hat creation workshop, modernising the traditional garb by imbuing it with their unique creative flares and identities.
Aside from hat-making, the programme included a variety of workshops in costume design, styling, photography, illustration, art direction, and image production, with students being immersed in the creative process from beginning to end. Participants learned new creative skills such as moodboarding, styling, customisation, and art direction, examining Welsh cultural iconography, and leveraging their heritage as a form of expression.
Schneidermann photographed the finished outfits in Butetown and Cardiff Bay, while James oversaw the creative direction. The images produced reflect the playful nature of the participants’ exploration of self. The rich colour set against the eminent, supple greys and whites of Welsh homes encapsulates the essence of Bleak Fabulous, which can serve as a metaphor for the Welsh identity: vivacious, bold, and full of life against its post-industrialised past and emerging present.
The space will be open for free public viewing on
Tuesdays – Sundays, 10:30am — 5pm
(Holiday Hours might defer)
On December 15, we launched our collaborative editorial series and ffasiwn zine with Bleak Fabulous (Clémentine Schneidermann & Charlotte James), featuring Jukebox Academy.
The event, held at The Sustainable Studio in Cardiff, brought together students, their families and friends, and representatives of the creative industry in Wales. Guests were invited to view the photography from the project and take home a copy of the limited-edition zine.
Produced by Jukebox Collective, the event included a photography exhibition curated by Jukebox Academy students. Guided by the mentorship of Charlotte James and Sharon Kostini, the students participated in a curation workshop, selecting the layout, sequence, and images for the exhibition themselves.
The afternoon began with the arrival of students, along with their families and friends, welcomed with arrival drinks, music by DJ Treu Beatz, and bespoke desserts from Cake That Cardiff, inspired by the project’s themes. Students were also gifted with custom-made t-shirts featuring their drawings of photographs from the project.
In the evening, we invited guests from the arts community, including Arts Council Wales, Welsh National Opera, KLAT magazine, and Chapter Arts Centre. Including artists such as director Daisy Brown, photographer Pierre Gashagaza and curator Melissa Hinkin. Attendees were gifted copies of the zine and a selection of postcards featuring the project’s imagery.
This launch event marked the culmination of our collaboration with Bleak Fabulous. In 2021, Charlotte James and Clémentine Schneidermann began leading a series of creative workshops with students from Jukebox Academy. The students explored Welsh pride and identity through sessions on costume design, styling, photography, illustration, and art direction. These workshops helped them develop creative skills like moodboarding, styling, and customisation, using their heritage as inspiration for their expression.
The finished looks were photographed by Schneidermann in Butetown and Cardiff Bay, with creative direction by Charlotte James. The images reflect the students’ playful self-exploration, blending social documentary, fashion, and formal portraiture.
Guests at the launch also enjoyed an intimate projection of the behind-the-scenes footage of the project, getting a closer look at the creative journey.
Read more about the project here
We’d like to thank the creatives and local businesses who helped make the event possible, including Sharon Kostini, Tom Swindell, Grace Springer, Claire Huss, and Ice Cream Embroidery. Special thanks to our team, Liara Barusi, Lauren Patterson, Samandal Sidig, Darnell Williams, and Tarina Tajul.
This project was delivered through the kind support of The Museum of Wales, Arts Council Wales, and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
The exhibition will be open for public viewing till 31st January 2025.
30 Oct 2024 — Bleak Fabulous and Jukebox Collective launch their editorial series and zine exploring Welsh heritage as envisioned through the creative lens of young people in Cardiff. Shot around Butetown and Cardiff Bay, home to one of the UK’s oldest Black communities, the project celebrates a modern-day Wales that connects tradition with diverse cultural identities.
The project led by Charlotte James and Clémentine Schneidermann involved a series of creative workshops with students from Jukebox Collective’s Academy, a programme supporting the next generation of Welsh creative talent. The students, ages 7 to 16 and primarily from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds, took part in workshops on costume design, styling, photography, illustration, and art direction. These sessions encouraged an exploration of Welsh pride and identity, where students gained new creative skills like moodboarding, styling, and customization, leveraging their heritage as a guide for expression.
Inspired by the iconic Welsh hat, dating back to the nineteenth century, the project used this national iconography as a creative launching point. Working with Welsh costume designer Ffian Jones, the students engaged in a hat creation workshop, modernising the traditional item by imbuing it with their unique creative and cultural influences. They also incorporated other elements of Welsh national dress into their costumes, such as the red woollen cloak, paisley shawl, and Pais a Betgwn.
Schneidermann photographed the finished outfits in Butetown and Cardiff Bay, while James oversaw the creative direction. The images reflect the playful nature of the participants’ self-exploration, combining social documentary, fashion, and formal portraiture. The costumes’ rich colours set against the subtle greys and whites of Butetown’s homes serve as a reminder for the evolving identities within these communities: old, diverse and full of life against its post-industrialised past and emerging present.
Notes to editors
Welsh national dress emerged in the nineteenth century, responding to a surge of interest in the increased use of the Welsh language and the desire to create a sartorial identity. It consists of a red woollen cloak, a paisley shawl worn around the shoulders, the Pais a Betgwn, a puffy petticoat-like skirt, a Betgwn, a white classically woollen bedgown, and a tall black hat, an elongated version of a bowler hat, known today simply as the Welsh hat. And additional elements such a cotton or linen mob cap, plus an apron and stockings.
Bleak Fabulous
Bleak Fabulous is a photography-based creative studio that combines youth work, creative workshops, and documentary photography. It is led by French photographer Clementine Schneidermann and Welsh creative director Charlotte James.
They work with professional artists, communities, and youth workers to deliver workshops to young people living in underfunded areas. The workshops are centred on costume making, photography, set design, and creative writing. The workshops allow the young people to collaborate and be a part of the image-making process as well as introducing them to new creative skills.
For enquiries, please contact
Jukebox Collective
Lauren Patterson
Strategic Director, Jukebox Collective
Samandal Sidig
Marketing Coordinator, Jukebox Collective
Samandal@Jukeboxcollective.com
For social media, please tag,
Twitter | @Jukebox_Collect
Facebook | @JukeboxCollective
Instagram | @jukeboxcollectiveagency
Bleak Fabulous
Charlotte James
Clémentine Schneidermann
clementineschneidermann@gmail.com
For social media, please tag,
