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Jukebox Collective present their short film Of Us in first of its kind exhibition at the British Library.

British Library commission Jukebox Collective to create short film for the  Beyond the Bassline exhibition. As the Welsh partner, Of Us, shares an untold Welsh perspective into the exploration of 500 years of Black music in Britain.

Beyond the Bassline (April 26 – August 26, 2024) marks a historic moment as the first major exhibition to document the rich musical journey of African and Caribbean people in Britain. Through a display of sound archives, artefacts, performances, and multimedia presentations, the exhibition explores the people, spaces and genres that have transformed the landscape of British music, delving into the impact of Black British musicians, creatives and entrepreneurs on popular music since the 16th-century.

Presented in the exhibitions “interruption” spaces is Of Us (2024), a Jukebox Collective production, commissioned by the British Library. Directed and choreographed by Liara Barussi and filmed in South Wales, the film pays homage to the heritage of one of the UK’s oldest Black communities, based in Tiger Bay in Cardiff. Through dance and movement, it reflects on themes of migration, identity and the enduring ancestral connection between body and memory. 

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“Of Us journeys into the whispers of our seas, intertwining stories of migration with the universal symbolism of water. Echoing concepts of the Black Aquatic and Tidalectics, the film juxtaposes the fluid and fixed.” Says Artistic Director of Jukebox Collective, Liara Barussi. 

 

The short film will be showcased in the ocean space offering visitors an immersive visual and auditory experience. With a soundscape by South London-based curatorial platform Touching Bass and styling by Lauren Anne Groves with pieces from Black-owned brands including Ahluwalia and Jawara Alleyne. Featuring a cast of young Black Welsh talent from the organisation’s artist development programme. 


“We’re honoured to represent Wales in this historic exhibition, the film pays tribute to the often overlooked and underrepresented Black communities of Wales. Highlighting their heritage and culture, as it intersects with the wider narrative of Black British music” – Liara Barussi. 

Curated by Dr Aleema Gray in collaboration with Dr. Mykaell Riley, Beyond the Bassline promises to broaden audience’s understanding of Black British music and its position within British musical heritage.

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Of Us premiers on Nowness as part of In Motion

Directed by Liara Barussi. Produced by Jukebox Collective. Starring Jukebox Academy

Commissioned by Dr Aleema Gray, British Library for Beyond the Bassline, 500 years of Black British Music

Watch now on NOWNESS

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Connecting movement, migration stories and water symbolism in South Wales, Liara Barussi honors Tiger Bay as one of the UK’s oldest Black communities

Connecting ancestral legacies and the thread between body and memory, Liara Barussi directs and choreographs short film Of Us, honoring the legacy of the UK’s Black diaspora through movement. Commissioned by Dr Aleema Gray for the British Library, and produced by Jukebox Collective, the film pays homage to Tiger Bay in Cardiff, South Wales as one of the UK’s oldest Black communities, reflecting on the Atlantic Ocean and its place in the history of the Black diaspora.

“Of Us journeys into the whispers of our seas, intertwining stories of migration with the universal symbolism of water – an homage to the untold stories that lie beneath the surface of the waves, waiting to be heard and remembered. We wanted the dance to feel organic and narrative-driven, rather than choreographed.”

Shooting in South Wales, Barussi sought to mirror the rippling and expanding legacies connected to its coastline, working with a young cast reflecting the region’s diverse diaspora, all students from Jukebox Collective’s Academy Programme. Guiding the cast to reconnect with their ancestry, Barussi developed the choreography around dance traditions from communities with strong connections to water – from water drumming, or liquindi, performed by the Baka people of Cameroon, to the ocean-inspired movements of the Ekombi Dance among the Efik people in Calabar, Nigeria.

Translating stories through these movements, rooted in everyday life and the emotions and histories we inherit, Barussi constructs Of Us as a celebration of heritage and preserved traditions, grounded by the rugged beauty of Wales’ coastline, and the collective memory carried by the ocean beyond.

 

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On October 26, we hosted and curated the Future Creatives Link-up, connecting over 100 Welsh creatives and industry leaders across the emerging intersection of fashion, music and art in Wales. The event, which took place at Rhostio Café in Cardiff was hosted by Liara Barussi and Cherrelle (Coco) Tucker, sounds from DJ Dan Willow, and guest performances from music group Source. 

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The event was an opportunity to introduce the Future Creatives plans for 2024 and to open channels for creatives to reach out for collaboration and partnership. We facilitated networking activities by inviting creatives to join groups and answer postcards with questions they would like to ask each other.

Guests were greeted with arrival cocktails, designed for the event in collaboration with Rhostio, inspired by Cardiff, the Caribbean and West Africa. As well as authentic appetisers from Jamaican local street food pop-up, The Real Ting.

The event was curated and produced by Jukebox Collective, with funding support from Arts Council Wales and Vans. Local collaborators included Cherelle Tucker (TalktoCoco), Naomi Ferne, Pierre Gashagaza, Joe Andrews and Tom Swindel. 

 

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This event was delivered as a part of our Future Creatives project. The project began in 2021 through a community investigation into the experiences of young black and minority creatives’ in Wales, and has since grown into a highly collaborative and supportive network. The project highlighted a need for more inclusion of creatives in decision-making, community-led initiatives, and tangible long-term support for artists. In response, we have made a commitment towards curating events, and opportunities for this network in 2023. And launching a major event in collaboration with St Fagans museum in 2024.

 

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In Feb 2023 Artistic Director Liara Barussi and Strategic Director Lauren Patterson visited Nairobi on a scoping trip in partnership with SSAP Wales.

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In December 2022, our creative director, Liara Barussi, revisited Ghana through the WAI fund. Liara attended conferences and events, including AfroNation, a pan-African festival celebrating the art and cultural experience of black people across the globe. As well as the Black Star Line festival, an intercontinental collaboration committed to fostering connections between people of African descent globally.

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Founded by Vic Mensa and Chance the Rapper, the Black Star Line festival is a week-long series of events, including panel discussions, fine art exhibitions and nightlife events culminating in a large-scale concert at black star square in Accra.

The festival featured artists, intellectuals and influential individuals from around the world for an international celebration of global Blackness. A radical diasporic intersection of music thought and creativity at a moment when the African identity is evolving rapidly, with Ghana serving as a gateway to the continent.

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This trip was part of our Future Creatives initiative, connecting Black Welsh creatives with a Pan African network of change makers.

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HOMECOMING is a movement; igniting new cultural conversation and creative development across Africa. The festival empowers the continent’s young generation with the knowledge and resources they need to inspire and enable future innovation and growth.

Jukebox Collective’s Liara Barussi, and Gabin Kongolo attended the festival in April 2023; a 4-day cultural exchange that brings African creatives and creativity back to Africa, and gives them what they need to take their vision to the world.

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“I see the opportunity to galvanise the incredible creativity of this young generation and share it with the world,” says HOMECOMING founder GRACE LADOJA. “HOMECOMING exists to ignite a celebration of cultural heritage and creative exchange, through the lens of music, fashion, sport, art and education.”

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From explosive live performances by the world’s most exciting African and International stars, to a Streetwear Pop-Up where local and global designers release world-exclusive product collaborations, HOMECOMING presents the best of contemporary culture through the lens of Africa’s trend-setting creative generation.

“African fashion and music is happening now,” said Joey Lit, the founder of streetwear brand Free The Youth. “It’s about time that the Western world embraced young talents from Africa,”

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2023 saw the return of another programme packed with art tours, panels, pop-ups, performances and even friendly celebrity football matches, Homecoming 2023 brought together Lagos locals and the wider diaspora for an extended weekend of activities to inspire and cultivate these powerful creative exchanges. Tiwa Savage, NSG, Cruel Santino and dozens more joined the festival’s legacy of exciting line-ups that have always championed emerging and established talent from its inaugural show headlined by Skepta and Wizkid to early co-signs of Pa Salieu, Rema and Central Cee in previous years.

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The trip was delivered as a part of our Future Creatives project. The project began in 2021 through a community investigation into the experiences of black and minority creatives’ in Wales, and has since grown into a highly collaborative and supportive network. The project highlighted a need for more inclusion of creatives in decision-making, community-led initiatives, and tangible long-term support for artists. In response, we’re curating events, and opportunities for this network in 2023 and beyond – forging unforgettable moments for our culture.

 

 

Photography Danielle Mbonu / Photography Adedamola Odetara / Photography by Gabin Kongolo

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Representing Wales at the Rugby World Cup 2023, Jukebox Collective were commissioned by Wales Arts International to develop a bespoke street culture performance.

The performance took place during the quarter finals of the Rugby World Cup in
Marseille. Performing on the streets of the Old Port at the Marseilles Official Rugby Village
on the 14th of October, as part of the Wales in France Culture Programme.

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Andrew Ogun, Changemaker at Arts Council of Wales added:

“It’s very exciting that Jukebox is offering opportunities for young people from Cardiff to
work and experience France. Breaking connects with people across the world as both an
art and now an Olympic sport and it’s great to connect young Welsh talent with the
opportunities ahead whilst also sharing the history of two port cities whose cultures have
been shaped by migration. I’m excited to see what relationships come out of this visit and
how relevant breaking and hip hop in Wales is internationally.”

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For the launch of Spotlight on Culture UK/France 2024 ‘Together We Imagine’ Jukebox Collective was commissioned to represent Wales with a Breaking performance directed by Liara Barussi.

Led by British Council France, the event was a celebration of artistic co-creation and cultural partnerships. With France in the international spotlight as host of the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Games, and Cultural Olympiad.

The performance featured dancers Kai Easter and Youness El-Mouffaq.

@bboycri6

@bboy_.kai

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Casting for the latest Greenpeace campaign featuring dancers, Sharifa Butterfly, Haseeb ‘Chilly’ Hearn, Duran Abdullah, Mikael Rivieri, Patrick Gabco, Ellie Harlulow. Movement direction by our Artistic Director Liara Barussi.

Watch here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPDTHl0S0G4

Set to a soundtrack by Future Utopia ft. Avelino and Tomorrow’s Warriors – Don’t Stop. This is no ordinary cover: Don’t Stop is a contemporary fable about being young in the world today. The song is a call to action for people worried about their future and the state of the planet, and a rallying cry for those who dream of a better tomorrow. Together we can stand up to the fossil fuel industry. Add your name now: https://act.gp/3qIN8o6

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Credits:

Film Production by: Lammas Park

Directed by: Samona Olanipekun

Executive Producers: Steve McQueen, Bona Orakwue, Anna Smith Tenser Producer: George Telfer

Production Manager: Chanel Parkinson DOP: Annika Summerson Production Designer: Jade Adeyemi

Costume Designer: Verity May Lane Make-Up Designer: Maya Man Hair Designer: Kreszend Sackey

Choreographer: Liara Barussi

Casting: Coralie Rose / Road Casting & Jukebox Collective Agency

Editor: Jack Williams / The Assembly Rooms, produced by Phoebe Armstrong-Beaver

Sound Designer: Jack Sedgwick / King Lear, produced by Suzy Macgregor

Colourist and VFX: George Kyraicou and Mark Stannard / Black Kite Studios, produced by Jade Denne

Creative Agency: Mother London

Creative Director: James Sellick Creative: Scott Anderson Title

Design: Ben McNaughton Head of Production: Anna Murray

Producers: Tommy Frankau, Nic Akinnibosun, Joseph Ogunmokun

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Jukebox Collective curated a series of performances and short films highlighting Welsh creatives for Gŵyl 2021. 

 

Jukebox Collective worked with Jaffrin a Welsh, Bangladeshi, Muslim poet and multi-disciplinary artist living in Cardiff. Her two poems SKN & FAITH have been brought to life through poetic visuals filmed in the National Museum Wales. Directed by Liara Barussi and styled by local Welsh-Somali stylist Asma Elmi. 

 

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SKN draws similarities from the British royal family, questioning the parallels between them and the ideologies that families from racially minoritised backgrounds uphold in order to retain a good reputation within their community. The short questions colonial narratives and how western standards of beauty have been ingrained into South Asian communities.

 

“Growing up, skin colour was a regular topic of conversation in my family and I was often encouraged to stay out of the sun because my skin would get darker, implying that it would make me less desirable.”

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Casting for the latest Greenpeace campaign featuring dancers, Sharifa Butterfly, Haseeb ‘Chilly’ Hearn, Duran Abdullah, Mikael Rivieri, Patrick Gabco, Ellie Harlulow. Movement direction by our Artistic Director Liara Barussi. Watch here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPDTHl0S0G4 Set to a soundtrack by Future Utopia ft. Avelino and Tomorrow’s Warriors – Don’t Stop. This is no ordinary cover: Don’t Stop is a contemporary fable about being young in the world today. The song is a call to action for people worried about their future and the state of the planet, and a rallying cry for those who dream of a better tomorrow. Together we can stand up to the fossil fuel industry. Add your name now: https://act.gp/3qIN8o6
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The poem draws from Jaffrin’s personal experiences, including a trip to India where she was faced with the unnerving reality of the country’s devotion for Queen Victoria. This narrative became even more obvious when a news article broke about Meghan Markle breaking royal protocol by crossing over her legs rather than sitting with a slant. Something which was similarly frowned upon in her own family, and inspired part of this poem, “is that what happened when we adopted their ideology”, she asks.

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Credits: Film Production by: Lammas Park Directed by: Samona Olanipekun Executive Producers: Steve McQueen, Bona Orakwue, Anna Smith Tenser Producer: George Telfer Production Manager: Chanel Parkinson DOP: Annika Summerson Production Designer: Jade Adeyemi Costume Designer: Verity May Lane Make-Up Designer: Maya Man Hair Designer: Kreszend Sackey Choreographer: Liara Barussi Casting: Coralie Rose / Road Casting & Jukebox Collective Agency Editor: Jack Williams / The Assembly Rooms, produced by Phoebe Armstrong-Beaver Sound Designer: Jack Sedgwick / King Lear, produced by Suzy Macgregor Colourist and VFX: George Kyraicou and Mark Stannard / Black Kite Studios, produced by Jade Denne Creative Agency: Mother London Creative Director: James Sellick Creative: Scott Anderson Title Design: Ben McNaughton Head of Production: Anna Murray Producers: Tommy Frankau, Nic Akinnibosun, Joseph Ogunmokun
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Jaffrin says, “I have felt alone in my skin and my soul so many times and I know that is a very relatable thing – I just want people to feel comfort in relating through my work and to understand they are not alone.

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Jaffrin says, “I have felt alone in my skin and my soul so many times and I know that is a very relatable thing – I just want people to feel comfort in relating through my work and to understand they are not alone.

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FAITH draws heavily on Jaffrin’s own experiences, exploring religion, rituals and the battles between ‘deen’ and ‘dunya’ (religion and real life).

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Gŵyl 2021 was a collaboration between Festival of Voice, FOCUS Wales, Other Voices Cardigan and Aberystwyth Comedy Festival. Together they assembled some of today’s most urgent and exciting voices, from Wales and beyond. The result was a digital experience like no other: a heady mix of cutting-edge comedy, thought-provoking talks, energetic showcases and jaw-dropping headline sets.

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Watch the full films on our Youtube: 

SKN

&

FAITH

 

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