Kwoli Black has a calmness about him that juxtaposes his new EP, ‘CAN I SPEAK?’ With a co-sign from Kojey Radical, having opened for the MOBO-nominated musician on his UK tour, Kwoli is letting his fans know he’s back in the studio and that big things are coming this year. “The project was the cheapest form of therapy I’ve ever had,“ Kwoli tells The Floor Mag. ‘CAN I SPEAK?’ lays it all on the line, tackling themes like imposter syndrome, familial relationships and self love. For Kwoli the project was born out of a desire to be honest with his fan base and not necessarily make something that felt palatable upon first listen. In creating a project that sounded different Kwoli knew that he had to get longtime friend and producer JSTRINGS in on the action. Working together in the studio they fine tuned ‘CAN I SPEAK?’. “I feel like he knows parts of me that my mum probably doesn't even know, which is kind of crazy.” Kwoli states, regarding the process of working with his longtime collaborator and friend. And JSTRINGS isn’t the only collaborator on the project. After meeting Karl Benjamin’s “missus” at Rachel Chinouriri’s birthday party Kwoli connected with Karl Benjamin. “I hung out with him a couple of times. Heard some stuff and I was just like, “let's just have a session”, Kwoli explains passionately. At the same time he was working on fun, braggadocious track Pretty. “I needed someone who could really hit a note. So we did a session. He put his flavour on it.” And with a few more tweaks, Pretty was born. The accompanying music video is set in a barbershop. Kwoli and Karl are getting their hair done, firing lyrics like “I’m so cool. I’m so fine. I’m so perfectly divine” at the camera. It’s fun, showcasing Kwoli’s range and vision for the visuals that accompany his tracks. They’re purposeful and fun. Kwoli and BINA, skit on the Can I Speak video, unpacking Kwoli’s anxieties which trickle through the EP. On the flipside, Kwoli enlisted friend BINA, “Big Beenz” to come on board the personal track Son Down. “It's a very personal song that weighed very heavily on me until I got it out.” He states on creating the track which speaks to having an absent father and as a result wanting to be a better man. “When [BINA] came in and put the hook on it. It was perfect. It was done.” Kwoli is very obviously an artist who enjoys community. From perfecting songs with JSTRINGS in the studio to discovering BINA at a show and deciding that she had to be a part of his most vulnerable track on the EP. Kwoli doesn't hesitate to widen his circle creating opportunities for those he admires. Creating ‘CAN I SPEAK?’ has allowed for Kwoli to stretch himself and his capabilities. Already musically gifted, Kwoli played the guitar when he was younger and has since picked up the piano. The goal? “To be able to perform live. They put out a piano and it’s my moment to shine. Dave, who? Yeah me!” He exclaims jubilantly. Being able to contribute to the production process is something that Kwoli wants to achieve for sure, and picking up an instrument is way into that process. The EP is produced in studio but if Kwoli had to strip back one of the tracks and get acoustic with it? “There's a song on the project called Blow, which is like an alternative Hip Hop, Rock mash up. It sounds crazy, right?” “I think this and Imposter are probably the most emotive songs on the project. I think that will be very interesting to hear it stripped back. Maybe with an acoustic guitar or piano and just me rapping and talking.” The first part of a much larger body of work, Kwoli Black’s ‘CAN I SPEAK?’ is a project to shake up the scene and make you look at yourself a little deeper. ‘CAN I SPEAK?’ is out now on all good streaming platforms.

Tura is a Tanzanian multi-disciplinary artist based in Dar es Salaam whose medium ranges from painting, installation and live performance. Her work is evocative and rooted in her experiences of isolation, womanhood, emotion and rural/urban environments. In her most recent exhibition at Alliance Francaise, a multi-layered veil of mosquito nets hangs in the center of the room while a video of her performance art plays on a loop on a projected wall. “I rarely know what I mean in my art, I just make what I feel,” she says of her work. In the piece titled, “Existing and Living II,” a lone figure sits on a levelled block surrounded by a wide expanse of dusky colours. It is part of a series about living and existing in different spaces and the emotions that come with growth. Tura’s work often features themes of loneliness, isolation, sadness but she is averse to being labelled as a mental health activist. “I do believe in having these conversations, but I also want to be clear that I do not have the answers. I want my work to steer dialogue” she says. Growing up in Morogoro, a mountainous, lushy green city in eastern Tanzania, Tura did not know she was into art. Her surroundings did not feature art and she was not convinced that she could make a livelihood with the profession. The environment she grew up in became claustrophobic and she was motivated to study abroad to get a change of perspective. In 2015, she attained a government scholarship to study in Algeria. While there, she experienced overwhelming feelings of isolation and culture shock. “I went to study chemical and processing engineering, a degree I did not wholeheartedly want to do and my social life was difficult, I felt I could not find people I could relate to.” Tura channelled this desolation into an experimental art practice, where she played with different materials to explore what she was experiencing. Since then, she has come a long way.  Her most recent exhibition was a milestone event. “Mwanangu Kua Nikutume” was hosted at Alliance Française in Dar es Salaam with exceptional attendance and positive reception of the art. “I felt the exhibition was a challenge to the idea of Tanzanian parents’ and societal expectations of work. I wanted to communicate that I can just be me and others can too.” Funding from international development partners can set an expectation for African artists to “educate” their community on social and health issues. As a result, artists often feel the need for their art to be didactic, particularly around issues of reproductive health, infectious disease or education. In one of Tura’s pieces, a torn piece of mosquito net drapes over the canvas where she has painted in dark brown and green tones. “There is the temptation to say that this piece and other pieces featuring mosquito nets - known in Kiswahili as chandarua - are about malaria and health prevention but the truth is that my mother was a nurse and it was her job to wash and launder the mosquito nets we used at home”, Tura recalls. Everyday experiences make up the bulk of her practice rather than an overarching aim to educate a community and offer concrete conclusions. “I see the nets as portals. I see them as an opportunity to play around with ideas I have”. Lingering in the unanswered areas of her art and practice allow for interesting conversations and more questions, the most frequent one being, “what does your art mean?”, a question she never truly knows how to answer. Tura’s whimsical exploration is a luxury that other Tanzanian, and African, artists often do not have. The Tanzanian art scene is largely defined by bright colourful paintings of maasai, wildlife and caricatured black bodies - often for the consumption of foreign tourists. Tura’s art work is worlds apart from this form - her paintings are often muted, earthy colours with abstract figures and materials such as coffee and soil from her surrounding environment. By refusing to conform to these expectations of community educator or tourist-pleasing artist, Tura’s practice adopts a novel convention where she is led by feeling and instinct. The reaction is one of evocation where she invites the viewer to be actively engaged, asking themselves questions and musing in the liminality of her paintings, performances and installations. Beyond exploration, collaboration is another central pillar of Tura’s work. In 2022 she was involved in a residency with refugee artists in Germany. Hearing and sharing stories with other women motivated Tura to take an interest in the medium of water. “We have different ways of using water - advances in being able to move across water is what brought colonists to this part of the world and now thousands of people cross water for a better life. I personally go to the ocean every day, water is a very powerful medium for me.” Collaborating with other women motivated Tura to build a platform for women’s voices to be heard. Her art has a strong gendered dimension and through her craft she aims to show the resilience of women. According to UN Women statistics “only 33.3% of legal frameworks that promote, enforce and monitor gender equality, with a focus on violence against women are in place.” As a result, Tanzanian women are often failed by legal systems and experience severe marginalisation in areas such as commerce, health and social settings. Tura’ work addresses this harsh reality in a more subtle way. “I do not set out to be a feminist artist or mental health artist even though these experiences influence my work. Once you label yourself as something it is difficult to be accepted and listened to without the pre-conceptions of what those things are to someone.” This approach allows for dialogue around topics that may be harder to have in everyday settings. In addition, Tura’s rising talent as a female artist shows that women can take up space and engage in these discussions without shame or fear. Tanzanian women are often expected to be submissive and if allowed to be in spaces not to be overconfident and loud but motherly and at most, stern. Being expressive and experimental is a challenge to this expectation and her work embraces the possibility of shame and of being misunderstood. It is this vulnerability and courage as a female artist that makes Tura’s work both tender and compelling. Her work also speaks to the human condition, not just women. In her piece, “Existing and Living V,” the gender of the subject is undefined. A figure stands with their back to the viewer, there is a melancholic air around them. In her work, Tura is also passionate about exploring the experiences that affect people beyond gender. By addressing universal themes Tura hopes that viewers can connect to her work and ask themselves questions that may help them work through their own issues. When asked about community, Tura’s answer is very clear. “The community I want to reach are people who want to be vulnerable. I understood myself more when I let myself be more vulnerable and I want my art to do that for others”. Decolonising the mind Tura’s practice also features conversations around heritage, colonialism and traditional healing. While in Algeria, Tura was influenced by the strong coffee culture and began experimenting with it. As a result her work is defined by grainy textures and earth-like tones due to the use of coffee as a painting material. “I started using coffee when I was in Algeria as it was so common and was one of the few things available to me when I started testing out my art practice.” Her resourcefulness adopted a different meaning when contextualised in her home environment. In Tanzania, coffee is a significant aspect of Swahili culture with small porcelain cups of coffee sold by street vendors and on corners under shady trees. However, the commodity also has a darker history related to colonial production. Tanzania experienced German colonialism from 1885-1918 but experienced proto-colonialism from as early as the 1840s. During this period, the German colonial state was intent on developing an export colony that would bring significant economic gains. Coffee was one of the chief commodities produced during this period and planting schemes were forcibly enforced. This long history of foreign rule marked by legacies of violence, subjugation and resistance inspires Tura to delve deeper. “I am interested in looking into where we came from and what we had before [colonialism]. We pray to gods that do not understand us - we do not use plants that our forefathers and foremothers used for medicine. I want to learn about the past, ancestors and our history to better understand myself.” The environment is a central character in this history as well. Inspired by her childhood in Morogoro and a recent residency under MAZI where she reconnected with the natural surroundings and engaged elders in the community, Tura draws on indigenous knowledge systems. “Taking a break from the chaos of Dar es Salaam and escaping to Morogoro allowed me to reflect on the importance of heritage and the wisdom of elders. During my residency, I recorded conversations I had with one elder, Mzee Said, who taught me about different crops and the history of Morogoro.” These recordings feature as voices that she plans to incorporate into her work or simply draw inspiration from. By listening to elders, Tura was reminded of her grandparents, in particular her grandmother, whose singing features in her work. This ode to ancestral wisdom highlights the importance of intergenerational conversations and the growth that comes from honouring indigenous knowledge. Tura’s personal history is an important thread of her work. Drawing on her own memories evokes emotions that other people can connect with. In one of her pieces, a series of bathing loofahs, known in kiswahili as madodoki, are stuck together and bound by thin white rope. Next to the installation is a rippled thin sheet with the imprints of footsteps. Playing with materials that have significance to Tura allows her to shape meaning and bring people into conversation. “I use soil, the songs my grandmother used to sing, sticks and whatever comes to me in my work.” Tura explains. Through these materials, she can engage with recurring themes of identity, womanhood and solitude. It is not always for her work to be understood, she goes on to explain. “My parents came to the exhibition and they did not understand all the pieces but they would sometimes point at something and say, ‘hey, that reminds me of that moment’”. It is this mixed experience of familiarity and novelty that Tura’s art evokes in viewers. By combining a deeply personal history with materials that Tanzanian audiences may be able to relate to but in a completely different context is what makes her work both exciting and relevant. Tura’s blossoming art practice cements her as a Tanzanian artist to watch but also as a crucial facilitator of key conversations. “I want to show that art can be accessible. The only way to make people understand [art] is to be confident and comfortable, that way people get it more.” Tura explains how taking a leap of faith into the unknown taught her to embrace uncertainty and a practice that requires daily interrogation and experimentation. In hearing how others interpret and connect with her art, Tura leans into gaining new perspectives on a practice that she is building constantly. Community response and engagement thus plays an important role in her approach. By blending her practice with conventional art practices such as an exhibition in an art gallery and performances in public spaces, Tura engages the community in various ways. She uses language that people can identify with but that is also deeply personal. From her grandmother’s songs to being ordered around by elders, Tura is keen to show that sometimes subverting hierarchical structures whether parental or societal can be freeing. Art can be a powerful tool to engage with these themes of community pressure and the expectation to follow a charted path by showing the many potentials that one can just be. Tura’s practice is an exciting example of an East African artist leaning into the harder questions that may not have clear cut answers but are of the utmost importance to the community she is a part of.

“They never had a pretty girl from Joburg, See me now, and that's what they prefer”, says South-African superstar Tyla on “Jump” — track 9 of her debut, self-titled album. She isn’t exaggerating. The 22-year old singer-songwriter, who has been dubbed the princess of Popiano (a hybrid between Pop and Amapino) is single handedly, putting Johannesburg, and South Africa, on the map of Pop music. In the past year alone, Tyla has already changed the trajectory of African music history with her worldwide phenomenon “Water”. The song, released in November 2023, initially went viral on TikTok, thanks to the infectious South-African Bacardi choreography, that had everyone and their mama, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, twerking in an attempt to replicate the dance. Water eventually earned Tyla the award for “Best African Music Performance” at the 66th Annual Grammy Award, making her the youngest African artist to win an award. She is also the first South African soloist in over 55 years to chart in the Billboard 100, and highest-charting African female soloist ever on the chart. It may seem as though her crossover into Pop music is due to the virality of Water on TikTok. Yet a close inspection of her musical journey, from her debut “Getting Late” in 2019, to present day, reveals that Tyla’s success is not simply luck. It’s the payoff of a well-oiled Pop machine, with all the necessary components to ensure her artistic development and subsequent success. This includes the backing of major label Epic Records, as well as a team consisting of her managers, choreographer, stylist and dedicated producers and songwriters. In Tyla’s own words, “she always knew that things were going to work out eventually”. The album is a three year project in the making, and this effort speaks volumes as soon you hit play. The tracks were handpicked from a legion of 130 songs, which she recorded during this period, before the 14 tracks made the final cut. Each song is so well-written, produced, and vocally delivered, that it’s difficult to choose a standout performance. With the songs “Safer’, to “No.1” featuring Tems, “Butterflies”, and “Priorities”, the album majorly contains positive messaging about self-love, which is both timely and necessary, considering how modern dating is rife with toxic standards, mostly at women’s expense. This is particularly endearing and affirming for her audience that majorly consists of young girls and women; a reminder to decenter men and prioritise their needs and goals. The conceptual song “ART” captures why songwriting is one of the album’s strengths and thereby deserves special recognition. Tyla teamed up with songwriters AriPen Smith, Imani Lewis etc, who also co-wrote “Water”. With poetic lyrics, enhanced by metaphors like, “I’m your centrepiece, make the canvas speak”, the song crafts vivid imagery about being a lover’s muse. The song is a work of art in itself- it reads just as well as it sounds. The album's most innovative moment arrives with “Jump,” which is decorated by surprising features from Gunna and Skillibeng, and a refreshing blend of Afro Diasporic influences from Amapiano, to Dancehall and Rap. Here, she switches up her usually leisurely flow, to a rap inspired cadence that commands you to get off your feet and dance. With summer fast approaching, the song is sure to be the soundtrack to cookouts and braais, and could potentially be the albums next viral hit. Tyla's first full-length project is certainly a feat, but there is definitely room for improvement. It’s clear that the album’s features were strategic, rather than purely based on creative chemistry. To increase Tyla’s global outreach, and potentially tap into the Latin American music market, “On My Body” features Mexican American artist Becky G. The song is a solid effort of the formula of African musicians collaborating with Western acts for commercial interests. But this same formula was a clear misfire, in the “Water” remix featuring Travis Scott, who didn’t add any interesting contribution to an otherwise perfect track. Tyla’s album could have been more effective within the Amapiano, or South African music’s world-building potential, if she shared the stage with more South African acts. For instance, a Water remix by Amapiano legend DBN Gogo or an R&B duet featuring powerhouse vocalist Shekhinah. With Tyla’s postponed World Tour around the corner, it would surely be a missed opportunity if she does not elicit the support of another rising star in the global ranks like Uncle Waffles as an opening act, instead of a more established Western artist. Credit must be given to the legendary Afrobeats acts who paved the way for modern African artists like Tyla to break into the mainstream. Yet Tyla offers something different we have not seen from her seniors whose superiority complexes have seen them distancing themselves from their roots. For instance, Wizkid, who recently refuted being categorised as an Afrobeats artist saying, “I’m not afro anything bitch!”, while Burna Boy remarked that the genre “has no substance”. Instead, Tyla is eager to represent Amapiano, and make “her home proud” while also lending visibility to other African artists who she believes “need more attention”. She is charming, consistent, polished and determined, which will ensure a lasting legacy that cannot thrive on talent alone.

“I’ve never seen a Black penis before,” isn’t a sentence you anticipate hearing on your first day of school. In the first episode of Boarders, we watch Jaheim being casually fetishised before he’s even had a chance to put his luggage (black bin bags in his case) in his room. Straight off the bat, we get a wild introduction to the potential day in the life of a Black private school student. When you’re from inner-city London, no one clues you in on what to expect when you enrol in one of the most elitist schools in the country. Boarders, written by ITV2’s BAFTA nominated Timewasters, Daniel Lawrence Taylor is a BBC Three six-part series that follows five Black students who have all received scholarships to St Gilbert’s, one of the UK's oldest and most prestigious schools. After a video of students taunting and abusing a homeless man goes viral, the headmaster attempts to save the reputation of the school. The answer? Invite Black students from underprivileged backgrounds to St Gilbert’s. This is where we’re introduced to Jaheim, Leah, Omar, Toby and Femi. We watch them navigate the messy and often complicated experience of being othered in a space that typically does not factor in your existence. The motivations for sending your child to a private school are clear. Better opportunities, social mobility, networking, and the list goes on. But, what the five students had to endure for these opportunities often made me wince. From popular student Rupert believing that Jaheim is related to Stormzy and Skepta to everyone believing that Toby was a drug dealer. The experiences may be exaggerated for dramatic and comedic effect but they aren’t far off from the stories I’ve heard from my Black peers who attended similar schools. Should you send Black children to a private school? The debate is an ongoing one. Every Black person I’ve spoken to who has been to a private school is grateful for the opportunity. But, when asked if they would give their child the same fate, the answer is usually no. The concept of taking up space comes up a lot in these conversations. It’s the idea that although these institutions were not made for us, we can create change and potentially disrupt the status quo by embracing them as our own. But, how realistic is that? If these spaces are a breeding ground for racism and trauma, is it still worth trying to take up space? *26-year-old Sam, a model from Birmingham, started attending private school at the age of 13 after transferring from a state school. Being one of five Black people in the whole school was initially quite a shock to him. However, Sam said he felt “privileged going to a private school as the number of people in my classes was much smaller. But I found it difficult at first to make friends as many of the other students lacked social skills.” Though he experienced microaggressions, realising how privileged he was fueled his motivation to work hard. “It opened my eyes and made me value the community I had around me at home much more. It made me realise that I had certainly taken being around a lot of black and brown people within the area I lived in and at my state school for granted,” Sam adds. He explains that his time in private school inspired him to help other Black people have access to opportunities they couldn’t afford. “I created and led a virtual internship at Santander during my time there as a legal and compliance graduate, which was exclusively open to black students. Overall the experience made me more sure of myself and appreciative of my blackness: that I was in touch with my culture.” 32-year-old project manager, Eni Adeyemo also enjoyed her time at her school. Adeyemo went to a private secondary school but found that it didn’t have too much of an impact on her identity as she went with her sister. I built a rapport with black children in my year and above and we all formed an alliance in a way, as we were a minority,” she says. She adds that “during that time, Black culture was popular so we often had the white children intrigued and wanting to join in.” Overall, she found her time in private education beneficial as she was able to excel in education but wishes her social life was more balanced. “There weren’t any Black teachers that we could relate to with our issues and also children that were typically assertive were deemed ‘badly behaved’ and got into trouble a bit. I think that was a time I grew out of being quiet and standing up for what is right,” Adeyemo says. *25-year-old Paris who is a public affairs officer, on the other hand, can’t speak too positively of her experience. When Paris looks back at her time at school she says “It was probably the worst time in her life.” After being bullied in her state school, her local council advised her mother to look at boarding schools out of the city to give Paris a fresh start. “I had a taster week and I felt incredibly homesick, this made me apprehensive but everyone was nice. Or so I thought,” she said. “People looked at me differently and I couldn't work out why I felt like a pet monkey in the zoo,” Paris said of her time in boarding school. One moment that stands out to Paris was her senior prom. Paris said: “This is where I started to realise no matter what I did I would never be accepted by these white girls...my mum bought me some Louboutins but from Vestaire and everyone accused me of having a fake pair.” She always felt like an outsider in school and says that it’s only now as an adult that she can put theories to the feelings she felt. Paris struggles with the concept of taking up space. “I don’t think it was fair to put me in that environment. It impacted me in ways I don't think my mum realised it would,” Paris says. She acknowledges the importance of taking up space but believes that being a diversity quota does not mean or reflect that an institution is actively working to be different. She believes that, “unless an institution matches the hiring of diverse students or candidates for jobs with actions to break down barriers so that you can achieve your full potential it's meaningless.” 28-year-old Tré Ventour-Griffiths who is an Independent Scholar-Creative from Northamptonshire feels similar to Paris. Ventour-Griffiths has been in several white institutions since he was a child. The first private school he attended was a white village family-run prep school in Great Houghton. He describes his time at that school as his introduction to whiteness. “This is where I learned about wealthy white people and what many of them thought about Black people,” he says. Ventour-Griffiths shares that one of the reasons he was sent to a private school was due to being multiply neurodivergent. “I found out I was dyspraxic while at school and the smaller class sizes made a difference. State schools are intentionally under-resourced and due to this, my parents saw that I would have a better start in life due to my needs, at a private school,” he says. Ventour-Griffiths shared that racism at school was a way of life. “I was objectified by certain teachers while being called racist names by white students, including the N-word and ‘Black bastard’.” But, one of his worst memories came when he attended another private school when he was a little bit older. “During a class on colonial slavery, the history teacher wanted to do a 'fake slave auction,' so she made myself and two British-Indian boys ‘the slaves’ getting the white students to build an enclosure of sorts. Comments and events like these have played on my mind for a number of years,” he says. When complaints were made about racist incidents, he was told he "couldn't take a joke" and his claims were ushered off. When asked if he thinks Black people can take up space in historically white institutions Ventour-Griffiths said yes and no. “I think we can take up space, but it's a matter of if we feel safe doing so. This varies from person to person. Also other experiences, including class, culture, familial background, friends, community,” he adds. He continues: “In truth, I would not send Black children to private school unless parents/guardians have exhausted all other choices. Firstly, ask yourself why? The way society measures excellence is flawed, often in proximity to whiteness and private schools are dripping in whiteness.”

Rachel Chinouriri is overwhelmed with love. Mid-way through her one-night-only London show at Camden’s KOKO her fans start holding up landscape sheets of A4 paper. They read, “Remember I’ll always love you”, a line from her single 'So My Darling' off the project of the same name released in 2018. The pages of affirmation have even ended up in the hands of her parents, who she earlier informed her social media community had flown over from Zimbabwe to see their daughter perform. And so after composing herself and sharing the story of how the song came to be, Rachel performs 'So My Darling'. Supported by an intimate band and with set design reflecting her highly anticipated album, What  Devastating Turn of Events, Rachel twirls and dances in front of a staged bedroom. In some songs she enters the bedroom and performs from the bed, effortless and intimate. Rachel’s vocals are strong, as she belts out her hits from over the last few years; 'I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Trying)', 'All I Ever Asked' and 'Ribs' to name a few. She also performs heavy hitting singles from her upcoming album, 'The Hills', 'Never Need Me' of course, album title, 'What A Devastating Turn of Events'. Her joy for storytelling and the music is infectious, the alt blend of soft rock/pop fits her voice (and outfit, Rachel wears a sparkle filled top/skirt combo) perfectly as she crescendos on 'Never Need Me', a song about being better off without someone you thought you wanted in your life. "I love seeing you all sparkle," she exclaims at one point. Many of her fans adopting her signature style of multiple oversized clips in their hair. Rachel herself wears six clips, three either side of her head, mismatched yet, coordinated. As her set drew to a close, fans were desperate for more and she delivered with a toned down encore, unreleased song, 'Pockets'. Between her parents dancing along on the balcony (iPad in hand) and the grounding moment where Rachel almost forgets what's next up on her setlist, this Alternative Pop Princess is set to shake up the scene when her debut album drops later this year.

Ah March- the month that marks new beginnings! I’d say it’s in your best interest to lean into the physical optimism that the month brings, and to do that fully, we need to embrace the little things. The spring emblems that start to come out, the sun staying out for longer, and of course, the cinema releases that are coming out swinging. From blockbusters, to more niche cuts, here are top 5 movie releases not to miss this month. 1st March – Dune: Part Two The beginning of the month sees the second part of Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic hit the screens. If the early reviews are anything to go by, getting to the cinema to watch this will be a stellar way to start your month. The film picks up pretty much where the first instalment ended, with Paul Atreides becoming accepted and embraced by the Fremen tribe. It’s an equally star-studded cast too, with the new-age Hollywood starlets in the form of Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh and Austin Butler with a standout performance as villain Feyd-Rautha – alongside film veterans Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Christopher Walken and Javier Bardem. 8th March – ORIGIN In 2020, American journalist Isabel Wilkerson wrote ‘Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents”. In 2024, Ava duVernay’s latest outing is a mix between a biopic of Wilkerson and a look at the contents of her groundbreaking book. The film follows Isabel’s life; the journey of book-writing process, from the most holistic perspective possible. This journey looks at arbitrary hierarchies within different societies, and how these result in caste systems across the globe, where most would label it racism. It’s a powerful look at global societal systems, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor gives a stunning performance as Wilkerson, with the talented Jon Bernthal and Niecy Nash alongside her. 15th  March – Drive Away Dolls The Coen brothers are amongst filmmaking royalty, responsible for quintessentially American films such as ‘The Big Lebowksi’ and ‘No Country for Old Men’ – a sibling-match made in heaven, rarely do they go it alone. But ‘Drive Away Dolls’ sees Ethan Coen ride solo as the director, in only his second solo outing in over 30 years. It stars Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Netflix’ Maid) alongside newcomer Geraldine Viswanathan, as two lesbian friends who embark on a road trip to Tallahassee. It’s classic ‘road trip goes wrong’ meets Coen’s signature ‘what genre is this film?’ resulting in what the critics are describing as a ‘psychedelic joyride’. 22nd  March – Immaculate Riding high off of the success of romcom ‘Anyone But You’, with Glen Powell that has grossed over $200million so far, Sydney Sweeney is thoroughly enjoying her moment. Not content with acting, she’s turned her hand at production, with ‘Immaculate’, which follows an American nun (played by Sweeney) who joins a remote convent in the Italian countryside. It’s a script she was first introduced to years ago, and is her first major foray into the horror genre. The film features an international cast with some familiar faces for those into their TV series, including Simona Tabasco (Lucia Greco in season 2 of The White Lotus) and Alvaro Morte (The Professor in Money Heist). 27th March – Mother’s Instinct The release of this trailer fuelled an endless trail of tweets, all playful puns on the ‘mother’ status of the two lead actors, Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway. The film is set in the 1960s and is a psychological thriller that follows Alice and Celine, two housewives that are torn apart by a tragic accident. Director Benoit Delhomme takes the viewer on a ride, building on themes of guilt, suspicion, familial instinct, and paranoia. Distributed by Neon, the film production company responsible for films like 2019’s Oscar-winning Parasite and 2023’s Oscar-nominated Anatomy of a Fall, ‘Mother’s Instinct’ is in good company before it’s even out. So, there you have it – five reasons to leave your house, enjoy the specks of sunshine we’ll get throughout March and patronise your local cinema. I’ve seen a few previews of these films already, so I’m optimistic for your satisfaction levels throughout this gorgeous month. Enjoy!

The morning Toronto sun beams on Aqyila’s face as we exchange hellos on our Zoom call. Despite thousands of miles and a time-zone apart, her personality is infectious and welcoming. This is her first press stop for the day and lets me know very early on into our chat that all the sudden press and attention is a lot for her as she’s naturally an introvert, “I’m homebody, I love to play Sims 4. Like all I do is buy packs”. Sometimes it’s life’s seemingly mundane acts, moments of little significance, that have the most life-changing impact. It’s November 2023. Aqyila (pronounced A-key-la) is in her hotel room, drained from a day full of recording. She’s on the final leg of her month-long stint in LA and is itching to fly back home to Toronto. “I never got the feeling like, omg I would totally live here [LA]”. On a whim, as she does her daily TikTok scroll, she decides to post a video. “What is it you see in me? Tell me why do you believe in me” she lip syncs in the mirror, almost to serenade herself and her audience. She posts, closes the app and continues with her evening. She didn’t think it was going to blow up. Bloom wasn’t finished. It wasn’t meant to even be the lead single, she had recently released a Christmas song for the holiday season which was her focus. But this small act irrevocably changed her career. “I just wanted to gauge people’s interest. I was so overwhelmed I contemplated taking the song down”, she says frantically, reliving that overwhelming feeling. As the videos to the sounds climb into the tens, and then hundreds of thousands, that same number of people flood Aqyila’s comment section, demanding for the full song to be released. But Aqyila is unmoved by the barrage of strangers demanding the song. She’s an artist settled in her craft, unmoved by the pressures of social media, beating the algorithm and constantly releasing music. “I wasn’t even doing that thing artists do where they tease the song for ages, the song just wasn’t done. I’m very intentional about music, and I need people to remember it’s my craft and I’m telling a story. I’m not just going to rush something for the sake of numbers”. Aqyila has a calmness and stillness to her that starkly contrasts with the rat race of the music industry she’s navigating. She admits she never felt any pressure or anxiety about the song not doing well after the full version was released, “I’m having so much fun creating, singing and doing cool things with my voice. People discover music everyday so I know they’ll find mine”. And after tasting the ups and downs of virality, she’s learnt her lesson and chuckles as she says will never tease an unfinished song again. As it stands, there are 440,000 user generated videos to her sound, and counting. There are videos with people appreciating their friendships, partners doting on their romantic love and Christians in awe of God’s love for them. For many listening, the song implied a religious connotation, but that wasn’t Aqyila intention when she penned it last year. “It was written with the intent of being a love song. I saw all the gospel content and thought it was nice and the song is very open to interpretation. Jhene Aiko - LSD is about her trip, but I listen to that song and think of friends who are no longer with me”. Bloom is a great example of how the worlds of gospel and R&B often overlap and melodically, they are two sides of the same coin. You wouldn’t have R&B without gospel, and some of the greatest R&B singers sang in their church choirs before they sang in stadiums; Brandy, Whitney Houston, Usher and Monica to name a few. “I saw a funny TikTok where a girl said she had to repent after listening to the entire song during her morning devotion, that made me laugh a lot”. What may appear as an overnight success, is almost a decade in the making. Aqyila started songs from as young as 6, “I had this book where I would write poems and I would sing them. It wasn’t until I got older I realised I was actually writing lyrics and those were songs”. From 2019, she started using Vine, Keek and YouTube to get her music out and reach a global audience. She’s tight-lipped as to when her album will be released, but assures her fans - new and old - that she’ll have a few singles this year. “My pen is getting better, my voice has improved. You’ll hear a lot of growth from my first EP. My music bends between R&B, and I’ve really looked to my musical idols, Brandy, Jazmine Sullivan and Fantasia, for inspiration”. Aqyila is sure to not put too much pressure on herself and wants to enjoy every moment. It seems, that just like a flower in spring, she’s in full bloom.

Themes: LGBTQIA+, Family, Christianity, Coming of age, Self-acceptance, Love Summary: When Obiefuna's father witnesses an intimate moment between his teenage son and the family's apprentice, newly arrived from the nearby village, he banishes Obiefuna to a Christian boarding school marked by strict hierarchy and routine, devastating violence. Utterly alienated from the people he loves, Obiefuna begins a journey of self-discovery and blossoming desire, while his mother Uzoamaka grapples to hold onto her favourite son, her truest friend. Interweaving the perspectives of Obiefuna and his mother Uzoamaka, as they reach towards a future that will hold them both, BLESSINGS is an elegant and exquisitely moving story of love and loneliness. Asking how we can live freely when politics reaches into our hearts and lives, as well as deep into our consciousness, it is a stunning, searing debut. Themes: LGBTQIA+, Brotherhood, Love, Sex and Sexuality, Culture, Resistance Summary: In this landmark work, Jason Okundaye meets an elder generation of Black gay men and finds a spirited community full of courage, charisma and good humour, hungry to tell its past – of nightlife, resistance, political fights, loss, gossip, sex, romance and vulgarity. Through their conversations he seeks to reconcile the Black and gay narratives of Britain, narratives frequently cleaved as distinct and unrelated. Revolutionary Acts renders a singular portrait of Britain from the perspective of those buffeted by the winds of marginalisation and discrimination. It is a portrait marked by resilience and self-determination, inspired by the love and beauty Black men have found in each other. Themes: Speculative Fiction, African mythology, Love, Sexuality, Adventure Summary: Shigidi is a disgruntled and demotivated nightmare god in the Orisha spirit company, reluctantly answering prayers of his few remaining believers to maintain his existence long enough to find his next drink. When he meets Nneoma, a sort-of succubus with a long and secretive past, everything changes for him.Together, they attempt to break free of his obligations and the restrictions that have bound him to his godhood and navigate the parameters of their new relationship in the shadow of her past. But the elder gods that run the Orisha spirit company have other plans for Shigidi, and they are not all aligned—or good.From the boisterous streets of Lagos to the swanky rooftop bars of Singapore and the secret spaces of London, Shigidi and Nneoma will encounter old acquaintances, rival gods, strange creatures, and manipulative magicians as they are drawn into a web of revenge, spirit business, and a spectacular heist across two worlds that will change Shigidi’s understanding of himself forever and determine the fate of the Orisha spirit company. Themes: Memoir, LGBTQIA+, Drag, Pop Culture, Family, Self-acceptance Summary: From international drag superstar and pop culture icon RuPaul, comes his most revealing and personal work to date—a brutally honest, surprisingly poignant, and deeply intimate memoir of growing up Black, poor, and queer in a broken home to discovering the power of performance, found family, and self-acceptance. A profound introspection of his life, relationships, and identity, The House of Hidden Meanings is a self-portrait of the legendary icon on the road to global fame and changing the way the world thinks about drag. Themes: Love, Romance, Race, Colonialism, Identity Summary: They already share a surname. But will they share a future? When Layla and Andy first meet, they can't believe they have the same surname. It feels like fate, almost too romantic to be true. But Sera, Layla's best friend, has her doubts about Andy. As the pair fall deeper and deeper in love, Sera becomes more and more vocal about Layla settling down with a white boy. And then, only a few weeks before their wedding, Layla makes a devastating discovery about their shared name. What seemed like a fairy-tale romance is rapidly derailed. In part propelled by Sera's rising anger, Layla begins to uncover parts of her history and identity that she had never imagined -- or, perhaps, had simply learnt to ignore. And now, she faces an impossible choice, between past and future, friendship and marriage, the personal and the political. Themes: YA, Coming of age, Mystery-thriller, LGBTQIA+, Academia Summary: Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school. After being home-schooled all her life and feeling like a magnet for misfortune, she’s not sure what will happen. What she doesn’t expect though is for her roommate Elizabeth to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think she had something to do with it. With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the most popular girls in school – collectively known as the ‘Unholy Trinity’ – and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them - especially Persephone, who Sade finds herself drawn to - playing catch-up in class, and trying to figure out what happened to Elizabeth, Sade has a lot on her plate. It doesn’t help that she’s already dealing with grief from the many tragedies in her family. And then a student is found dead. The more Sade investigates, the more she realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she realized. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface…secrets that rival even her own. Themes: Family, Grief, Home, Sacrifice, Caribbean culture Summary: A novel of fractured family and the search to protect–or discard–what unites them, this story traces one older woman's decision to uphold the wishes of those who have departed over her sisters’ objections.  When Pearline abruptly leaves her life in Brooklyn and returns to her childhood home in Jamaica to care for her dying father, Rupert, she leaves her grown daughter to cope, overwhelmed, with her granddaughters back in Brooklyn.  But Pearline isn’t prepared for Rupert’s puzzling deathbed wish that she find siblings she hasn’t seen in 60 years. What is revealed in the wake of Rupert’s death is the secret that splintered the family. Moving through time and place, The House of Plain Truth charts the family's traumatic past in Cuba, where Rupert had sought a better life and where three of Pearline's siblings remained when the rest of the family left for Jamaica. Everything Pearline learns challenges what she knows about her family and the place she has always called home. In lush, lyrical prose inspired by the author's own family story, this novel explores the divided loyalties within a family, the true meaning of home, and what one woman has to sacrifice to get what she ultimately wants. Themes: Short story, Identity, African culture Summary: The leading African literary award, known as the African Booker, named after the Booker Prize founder, Michael Caine. Now entering its eighteenth year, the Caine Prize for African Writing is Africas leading literary prize, and is awarded to a short story by an African writer published in English, whether in Africa or elsewhere. This collection brings together seventeen short storiesthe five 2017 shortlisted stories, along with stories written at the 2017 Caine Prize Writers Workshop that took place in Tanzania. The collection showcases young writers who go on to publish successful novels.The shortlisted writers include: Gods Children are Little Broken Things by Arinze Ifeakandu (Nigeria); The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away by Bushra al-Fadil (Sudan), translated by Max Shmookler; Bush Baby by Chikodili Emelumadu (Nigeria);Who Will Greet You at Home by Lesley Nneka Arimah (Nigeria); The Virus by Magogodi oa Mphela Makhene (South Africa). The collection also includes stories written by the following authors at the workshop that took place in Tanzania: Last years winner, Lidudumalingani (South Africa), Abdul Adan (Somalia/Kenya), Lesley Nneka Arimah (Nigeria) Tendai Huchu (Zimbabwe), Cheryl Ntumy (Botswana/Ghana), Daniel Rafiki (Rwanda), Darla Rudakubana (Rwanda), Agazit Abate (Ethiopia).

Between Windrush dreamers and two ill-timed lovers, this week’s theatre trips were touching, funny and romantic. Shifters - Bush Theatre  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Starring Heather Agyepong (School Girls, The Power) and Tosin Cole (Doctor Who, One Love) Shifters tackles the old-age trope of ‘right person, wrong time’ through the lens of Des and Dre. With dream lighting which carefully reflects the moods of both characters, Benedict Lombe’s debut play examines the epics of young love in a concise one-hour 40-minute run. Heather and Tosin have stunning chemistry, seamlessly carrying this weighty two-hander through humour and passionate monologues. They soften one another, challenge each other and in their youth, perform a dance akin to peacocking; their early love blossoming on stage. Lombe’s writing is intimate in the romantic moments, playful in the humorous scenes and left audience members gasping with each revelation Des and Dre peel back about one another. It looks into their backgrounds and cultural differences with care, highlighting their differences and similarities. Des is British Congolese, the daughter of a middle-class neurologist whereas Dre is British Nigerian, living with his Grandma. She has dreams of becoming an artist, his dream, to be a restaurateur. Both experience trauma; Heather and Tosin hold each other up seamlessly in these moments, delivering emotive, rousing dialogue the way only lovers can. Des and Dre are laid bare through Alex Berry’s staging which was stripped back and lends itself easily to any one of the scenes our couple find themselves in. There’s no ‘real’ set, instead, the sum of their relationship can be confined to a few boxes, which serves as storage for props alongside seating for the more intimate conversations. It could have been easy to get lost in the back and forth of Shifters ageing and de-ageing process, but it’s surprisingly easy to keep up with. With every age shift you can see Tosin and Heather leaning into the emotions that come with the new storylines. Shifters is ultimately for fans of long-lost loves, what-could-have-been and spinning the block. Shifters runs at Bush Theatre till 30 March. The Big Life - Stratford East ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Originating out of Jamaica and inspired by Louisiana Rhythm and Blues, Ska music has always had significance in the UK music scene. Giving a voice to this sound as well as Caribbeans of the Commonwealth, The Big Life is a revival 20 years in the making, inspired by Shakespeare’s Love's Labour's Lost. Starring Nathanael Campbell, Khalid Daley, Karl Queensborough and Ashley Samuels as Bennie, Dennis, Lennie and Ferdy these men are taking London in their stride. Their counterparts show up the form of Sybil, Mary, Zulikela and Kathy (Gabrielle Brooks, Leanne Henlon, Rachel John and Juliet Agnes), four no nonsense women who won’t be so easily charmed. The Big Life gives life to even larger on stage personalities with each cast member tackling their individual songs with amazing vocals. The group numbers are humorous and every cast member has an innate sense of when to hold back and pull no punches during their performances. Infusing further humour into the play is Eastenders’ actress Tameka Empson, who plays fourth-wall breaker, Mrs Aphrodite. Empson also serves as the play’s writer alongside lyricist Paul Sirett. Empson’s character is full of appreciation for the Windrush Generation, a passionate line is expelled about the ongoing fight for compensation but she never keeps the mood somber for long, with joyful audience participation theatres like Stratford East are synonymous for. Despite the racism and intolerance faced by our eight leads, they still overcome with grace and dignity at each turn. Through job refusals and familial deaths, they highlight just how strong members of the Commonwealth had to be when coming to the ‘motherland’. Well-paced and loads of fun, The Big Life is worth catching before the end of its run on 30 March. It’s proof that twenty years on, the conversations surrounding those who contributed so much to this country are just as relevant. The Big Life runs at Stratford East till 30 March.

Here are 5 up-and-coming artists you need to add to your playlist. Listen to the Ones To Watch playlist here. Adanna Duru - Babies You may recognise Adanna Duru’s name from her viral TikToks - she couples her infectious sense of humour with her raspy and syrupy vocals. This singer/songwriter is an American Idol teen turned full-bodied artist. Adanna is coming off a breakout year with the release of EP Nappy Hour and singles like if i was a boy ;), and two headline shows under her belt. The California raised Nigerian native gracefully turns her childhood experience of otherness and belonging into honest and accepting music. Neya - Feels Neya is a singer-songwriter based in South-East London. Her soulful R&B style perfectly blends and borrows from some of her biggest inspirations - Aaliyah, H.E.R and Jhene Aiko. Her music openly reflects on experiencing love that knows no boundaries or fears. Neya’s unique sound and vulnerability on Feels makes her a rising star for UK R&B. Mak - Please Meet MAK. An up-and-coming rapper you should have on your radar. An East-London native, bred on the relics of Grime and all the other genres that encompass being Black-British. On Please he effortlessly flows on a 90’s-laid-back-hip-hop style beat and (re)introduces himself, touching on topics such as family, love and where he sees himself in the future. Nissi - Higher 2023 was a breakout year for creative entrepreneur and musical artist, Nissi. She came off a stellar summer tour with stops in London, New York, BergenFest in Norway and Afronation in Portugal, to a sophomore EP release in October. UNBOXED is a colourful afro-fusion project merging traditional Afrobeats with contemporary pop elements and Caribbean sounds. mau from nowhere - I like This self-produced multi-discplinary Kenyan artist is steadily carving his own space in the alternative scene. His debut album, The Universe is Holding You is 15-track exploration of the heart center against a backdrop of avant-garde soundscapes. Playfully dubbed the gentle giant, mau from nowhere expertly pulls from his deep well of musical knowledge to express his truth via music.

Despite this being the first time working on a project together, Heather Agyepong and Tosin Cole have obvious chemistry, even through a Zoom call. “You heavily rely on each other, because I trust Tosin; it just makes it easier to be really vulnerable. Because the show is incredibly vulnerable.” Heather explains upon being asked about working with Tosin Cole (Doctor Who, Bob Marley: One Love). Written by Benedict Lombe, Shifters tells the story of Des and Dre. “It's a very complex love story that passes through time and space and it shows how one relationship can affect different parts of your life” says Heather (School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play). Tosin echoes her sentiments entirely, “It's basically a relationship of cause and effect. What causes certain things to happen?” Carrying a two hander is no easy feat, but yet both have risen to the challenge. Coming from previous productions where the ensemble is larger has meant that things felt much more “technical” for Tosin and there’s not been much “time off” when it comes to rehearsals. You want to make this vulnerable experience being shared by two people as real as possible for the 200 observers coming to watch it. “I’ve never played a character like this before.” states Heather, excitedly. Her previous theatre run in School Girls at Lyric Hammersmith finely balanced teen-aged comedy with societal commentary, but Shifters feels more rooted in the complex relations we have with romantic love. Having never met Tosin before they were cast alongside one another she’d hoped he wasn’t all “ego”, she gladly explains that he’s “just about craft”, a sentiment she finds “beautifully refreshing.” At one point the two share a joke over the fact that “he didn’t want to give me his number!” to which Tosin jokes back, “you never asked me for it!”. There’s a fondness and familiarity that can only come from spending so much intimate time with someone. And Tosin hopes that in the way they’re relatable, people will be able to relate to the characters they play. “They’re so well fleshed out and so relatable, especially to see them at different stages. Through those stages and ages they change as people. They’re very real.” summerises Tosin. Shifters runs at Bush Theatre until 30 March.

In the second instalment of our BAFTA Breakthrough series we're chatting to star of Rye Lane and BAFTA EE Rising Star 2024 nominee, Vivan Oparah. This isn’t the first time we’ve sat down to chat to Vivian Oparah, and given her trajectory, it won’t be the last. Having first sat down in early 2023 to discuss her role in fellow BAFTA Breakthrough member, Raine Allen-Miller’s romcom Rye Lane, we’re back to discuss just how well the film has been received and Oparah’s induction into BAFTA Breakthrough 2023. (Since this interview Oparah has also become a BAFTA nominated actress under the EE Rising Star Award) “It feels like a weird thing to put into words because it feels so surreal…I feel so grateful … like I’ve been welcomed into the secret service or something” Oparah tells us about being a part of the 2023 Breakthrough cohort. Playing upbeat Londoner Yas, Oparah, along with co-star David Jonsson’s performances were met with critical acclaim in the festival circuit prior to the film’s theatrical release. Rye Lane depicts a sunnier South London, propelled by the amazing cinematography of Olan Collardy and music composition by kwes (Sampha, Solonge Knowles, Loyle Carner) it stormed out of the gates as an odd, but eventual indie favourite. “There’s been such an outpouring of love, not just from the film bros and the film nerds but from the community, which feels super, super important.” Oparah gushes on Rye Lane’s success. “I kind of feel like we've archived something people were desperately wanting to remember through the film. It's just just Peckham in its colour, its beauty and in its mundanities; there’s beauty in that as well.” Rye Lane joins the ranks of youth-led romances. It’s lighthearted but still contains an underlying sense of “something’s about to happen”. Both Oparah and Jonsson’s characters are struggling with being young 20-somethings in London, and all that comes with it, relationship drama, work life and building friendships. We see similar themes trickle into Oparah’s projects post Rye Lane. Taking a gritter approach to young adulthood is Sky Max’s Then You Run, which sees Oparah play one fourth of a friendship quartet whose antics see them traipsing across Europe. The series is leagues away from Peckham’s shine but Oparah who plays Stink shines just as bright. At the time of our conversation, she’d wrapped summer shooting in Liverpool,  “I know Liverpool very well now”. For Prime Studios’ thriller-comedy Dead Hot, also starring Bilal Hasna and Penelope Wilton. Back to Peckham and Rye Lane, in reminiscing on her favourite scene Oparah talks about the scene where her character, Yas ends up gatecrashing Dom’s (David Jonsson) dinner with his ex-girlfriend and her new partner. “I don't know how they edited that together. Apparently, the continuity in that scene was hellish. We were all improvising, laughing nonstop. Benjamin Sarpong was throwing the most insane things at me and David. Karene was brilliant.” “It was bonkers”, Oparah grins and she remembers filming. Oparah feels like she’s only at the beginning of her career, but her talent is undeniable as is her charisma. On staying grounded within the heady entertainment industry Oparah recommends “good friends” and “staying curious for the world around you.” Her next steps for global domination, getting into her music producing bag. BAFTA Breakthrough is supported by Netflix. To learn more about the individuals in the 2023 cohort click here. UK BREAKTHROUGHS (20): ● Adjani Salmon, writer/performer/exec producer – Dreaming Whilst Black ● Bella Ramsey, performer – The Last of Us ● Cash Carraway, creator/writer/exec producer – Rain Dogs ● Charlotte Reganm, writer/director – Scrapper ● Cynthia De La Rosa, hair & makeup artist – Everyone Else Burns ● Ella Glendining, director – Is There Anybody Out There? ● Funmi Olutoye, lead producer – ‘Black History Makers’ (Good Morning Britain) ● Georgia Oakley, writer/director – Blue Jean ● Holly Reddaway, voice and performance director – Baldur’s Gate 3 ● Joel Beardshaw, lead designer - Desta: The Memories Between ● Kat Morgan, hair & makeup designer – Blue Jean ● Kathryn Ferguson, writer/director – Nothing Compares ● Kitt (Fiona) Byrne, 2D artist/game designer - Gibbon: Beyond the Trees ● Michael Anderson, producer - Desta: The Memories Between ● Pete Jackson, writer/creator – Somewhere Boy ● Raine Allen-Miller, director – Rye Lane ● Rosy McEwen, performer – Blue Jean ● Samantha Béart, performer - The Excavation of Hob's Barrow ● Talisha ‘Tee Cee’ Johnson, writer/director/presenter – Too Autistic for Black ● Vivian Oparah, performer – Rye Lane US BREAKTHROUGHS (12): ● Amanda Kim, documentary director - Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV ● Aminah Nieves, performer - 1923 and Blueberry (Film/TV) ● Apoorva Charan, producer - Joyland ● Cheyenne Morrin, senior games writer - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor ● Edward Buckles Jr. documentary director - Katrina Babies ● Gary Gunn, composer - A Thousand and One ● Jingyi Shao, writer & director - Chang Can Dunk ● Maria Altamirano, producer - All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt ● Santiago Gonzalez, cinematographer - Shortcomings ● Shelly Yo, writer & director - Smoking Tigers ● Sing J Lee, writer & director - The Accidental Getaway Driver ● Vuk Lungulov-Klotz, writer & director - Mutt INDIA BREAKTHROUGHS (10): ● Abhay Koranne, writer - Rocket Boys ● Abhinav Tyagi, editor - An Insignificant Man ● Don Chacko Palathara, director/writer - Joyful Mystery ● Kislay, director – Soni ● Lipika Singh Darai, director/writer - Some Stories Around Witches ● Miriam Chandy Mencherry, producer - From the Shadows and The Leopard's Tribe ● Pooja Rajkumar Rathod, cinematographer - Secrets of the Elephants ● Sanal George, sound editor/mixer/designer - Gangubai Kathiawadi ● Satya Rai Nagpaul, cinematographer – Ghoomketu ● Shardul Bhardwaj, performer - Eeb Allay Ooo!