Shade

In this episode I am in conversation with Ekow Eshun. Ekow is a writer and the curator of In the Black Fantastic, currently on show at the Hayward Gallery, London.

In the Black Fantastic is a new exhibition of 11 contemporary artists from the African diaspora, who draw on science fiction and myth to question our knowledge of the world. Although the exhibition encompasses themes within Afrofuturism, Ekow and I discuss why and how he is drawing from ideas distinct from this movement.

We explore the works on display including the epic themes of exploration and renewal present throughout the show. Ekow also shares his process of personal development throughout the three year curation process, which started prior to the BLM uprisings of 2020.

In the Black Fantastic is showing until September 18 2022 at Hayward Gallery, London.

If you'd like to support this independent, award winning podcast through Patreon or shout me a coffee via Ko-fi I would be delighted! Thank you!

Producer & Host Lou Mensah

Music by Brian Jackson from the legendary duo Gil Scott Heron & Brian Jackson. Check out his new album 'This is Brian Jackson' here

Additional sound and mixing by CA Davis. Check out his new film 'Inhuman Figures' at the Smithsonian here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AWARD WINNER 'BEST ARTS & CULTURE' PODCAST - BRITISH PODCAST AWARDS 2021

In this episode I’m in conversation with Co-Editors in chief of Citizen, Henrietta Gallina & Danielle Powell-Cobb.

In 2017, the idea for Citizen magazine was born out of the desire to see something that did not quite exist, an independent magazine documenting Black life and culture through the words of Black thinkers and the lenses of Black creatives, a beautifully designed record of Black life. Henrietta & Danielle tell Lou about the journey of Citizen from conception through to

their plans for the magazines future and why they chose Nikole Hannah-Jones to feature on their first cover.

‘Shade Shorts’ is a new short series of conversations with the founders of some our most radical, Black led art & culture journals.

These conversations will keep us connected and inspired between the main seasons of the podcast. We will explore the power that we all have when we focus on considered communication and building community.

If you'd like to support this independent, award winning podcast through Patreon or Ko-fi I would be delighted! Thank you!

Shade Podcast is produced and hosted by Lou Mensah

Music by Brian Jackson - an American keyboardist, flautist, singer, composer, and producer known for his collaborations with Gil Scott-Heron in the 1970s

Mixing CA Davis - film & podcast creator/editor

Citizen Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AWARD WINNER 'BEST ARTS & CULTURE' PODCAST - BRITISH PODCAST AWARDS 2021

Shade Podcast is back with ‘Shade Shorts’ the new series of conversations with the founders of some our most radical, Black led art & culture journals. 

These episodes will keep us connected and inspired between the main seasons of the podcast. We will explore the power that we all have when we focus on considered communication and building community. 

In this episode I’m in conversation with author of Afropean and Guest Editor of The Eyes Journal, Johny Pitts.

️The Eyes is an independent and bilingual journal (published in French and English) that explores cultural and societal issues through the prism of photographic creativity.

For each issue The Eyes gives an artist "carte blanche" to curate a subjective and personal panorama on the special focus.

Johny & I discuss his guest curation for Issue 12 titled B-side, a visual exploration of what it means to be Afropean.

If you'd like to support this independent, award winning podcast through Patreon or Ko-fi I would be delighted! Thank you!

Johny Pitts Instagram

Afropean Instagram

The Eyes Instagram

Shade Podcast is produced and hosted by Lou Mensah

Mixing CA Davis

Music by Brian Jackson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AWARD WINNER 'BEST ARTS & CULTURE' PODCAST - BRITISH PODCAST AWARDS 2021

Shade Podcast is back with ‘Shade Shorts’ the new series of conversations with the founders of some our most radical, Black led art & culture journals. 

These episodes will keep us connected and inspired between the main seasons of the podcast. We will explore the power that we all have when we focus on considered communication and building community. 

In this episode I’m in conversation with Jay Simple, founder of The Photographers Green Book.

️The Photographers Green Book is a resource hub for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Advocacy within the lens based community. It’s truly an amazing print & online journal which offers both practical and inspirational resources. Inspired by The Negro Motorist Green Book, a list of safe places for Black people during their travels in segregated America, the PGB helps navigate the photographic community which has historically denied the voices of those other than predominantly white, cis, male artists. 

If you'd like to support this independent, award winning podcast through Patreon or Ko-fi I would be delighted! Thank you!

PGB Website

PGB Instagram

Jay's recommendations

https://shashamovies.com/

https://www.ablackcreativesguide.com/

Jay Simple Website

Jay Simple Instagram

Shade Podcast is produced and hosted by Lou Mensah

Mixing CA Davis

Music by Brian Jackson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SHADE 'BEST ARTS & CULTURE' PODCAST - BRITISH PODCAST AWARDS 2021

Special edition from Shade at South London Gallery ‘Making Sense’ - a new digital resource that assembles people around ideas for structural change through creative practice.

In this episode Lou Mensah speaks to Dr. Aminul Hoque about inclusive education and how our local community can support educators in achieving it.

Dr. Aminul Hoque is a lecturer in the Educational Studies Department at Goldsmiths College London.

Aminul's work focuses on issues of multicultural Britain, identity, social justice, youth policy, religion, race relations and Islamic feminism. With over 24 years of experience in the youth, community and voluntary sector, Aminul is a recognised expert in young people and cultural identity.

Shade Podcast is produced and hosted by Lou Mensah

Editing and sound design by CA Davis

Music by Brian Jackson

Episode supported by South London Gallery

Dr. Aminul Hoque Twitter

Author of British-Islamic Identity: Third generation Bangladeshis from East London

Presenter: A Very British History: British Bangladeshis, BBC4, Feb 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RosoCezTQ_o

Presenter: Searching for Secrets: London, Smithsonian Channel, June 2021



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SILVER AWARD WINNER 'BEST ARTS & CULTURE' PODCAST - BRITISH PODCAST AWARDS 2021

Welcome to our third and final episode in this special series of conversations from Shade, supported by Hauser & Wirth, where we will be exploring ‘Unencumbered Voices in Curated Spaces: Inspired by the life & work of Sir Frank Bowling’. 

Released throughout this summer, the series provides a collaborative platform for diverse perspectives investigating freedom of expression today and throughout art history. 

Today my guest is Thomas J Price.

Born in London in 1981, Thomas studied at Chelsea College of Art and the Royal College of Art in London. He works across disciplines, predominantly in sculpture, but also in film and photography. His large-scale sculptures depict imagined subjects, whose features are an amalgamation of sources, observed individuals and stereotypes represented in the media are mixed with references to ancient, classical and neoclassical sculptures. These works serve as psychological portraits of the viewer by revealing socially learned attitudes and understandings as they project identities on to the depicted characters.

Shade Podcast is produced and hosted by Lou Mensah

Editing and sound design by CA Davis

Music by Brian Jackson

Series supported by Hauser & Wirth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SILVER AWARD WINNER 'BEST ARTS & CULTURE' PODCAST - BRITISH PODCAST AWARDS 2021

Unencumbered Voices in Curated Spaces: Inspired by the life & work of Sir Frank Bowling - a three-part summer podcast series, investigating freedom of expression today and throughout art history.

This second episode in a special series of conversations from Shade, supported by Hauser & Wirth is with art historian Michael Ohajuru.

Based in London, Michael Ohajuru is a Senior Fellow of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies where he leads the ‘What’s Happening in Black British History’ workshops, fostering a creative dialogue between researchers, educators, archivists, curators, and policy makers. He speaks regularly on the Black presence in Renaissance Europe at the National Gallery, Tate Britain, British Library, National Archives and the Victoria Albert Museum, highlighting the overt and covert Black presence in national art collections. His new book coauthored with With S. I. Martin, ‘The Guide to Black London,’ is forthcoming from September Publishing.

‘Frank Bowling. London / New York’ is on view Hauser & Wirth New York, 22nd Street from 5 May and Hauser & Wirth London from 21 May 2021

Shade Podcast is produced and hosted by Lou Mensah

Editing and sound design by CA Davis

Music by Brian Jackson

Series supported by Hauser & Wirth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SILVER AWARD WINNER 'BEST ARTS & CULTURE' PODCAST - BRITISH PODCAST AWARDS 2021

Unencumbered Voices in Curated Spaces: Inspired by the life & work of Sir Frank Bowling - a three-part summer podcast series, investigating freedom of expression today and throughout art history.

This first episode in a special series of conversations from Shade, supported by Hauser & Wirth, is with Silas Munro—LA-based critic, writer and partner of graphic design studio Polymode.

Silas Munro’s past collaborations include the City of LA Mayor’s Office, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, Mark Bradford at the Venice Biennale, and MoMA. Munro’s writing appears in the book, ‘W. E. B. Du Bois’s Data Portraits: Visualizing Black America’ published by Princeton Architectural Press. He has been a visiting critic at MICA, RISD, and Yale. Munro is Founding Faculty and Chair Emeritus at Vermont College of Fine Arts. 

Founded in 2014, Polymode is a studio that leads the edge of contemporary graphic design through poetic research, learning experiences, and making cool shit for clients in the cultural sphere, innovative businesses, and community-based organizations.

‘Frank Bowling. London / New York’ is on view Hauser & Wirth New York, 22nd Street from 5 May and Hauser & Wirth London from 21 May 2021. 

Shade Podcast is produced and hosted by Lou Mensah

Editing and sound design by CA Davis

Music by Brian Jackson

Series supported by Hauser & Wirth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SILVER AWARD WINNER 'BEST ARTS & CULTURE' PODCAST - BRITISH PODCAST AWARDS 2021

Welcome to the final episode of the four-part series of conversations exploring anti-racism and the arts, co-curated by Shade and Convergence at the South London Gallery 

In this episode Lou Mensah is in conversation with Axel Kacoutié. Axel is is a multi-award-winning audio artist and poet. His work has featured on the BBC, Channel 4, NOWNESS and the Barbican. He is also the Sound Designer and theme composer for The Guardian daily news podcast, Today in Focus.

'How to Remember' by Axel Kacoutié. Award winning production in the 2019 Audio Production Awards for Best New Producer

Shade Podcast is produced and hosted by Lou Mensah

Editing and sound design by CA Davis

Music by Brian Jackson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SILVER AWARD WINNER 'BEST ARTS & CULTURE' PODCAST - BRITISH PODCAST AWARDS 2021

Welcome to the third episode of the new four-part series of in-conversations exploring anti-racism and the arts, co-curated by Shade and Convergence at the South London Gallery 

Season Butler is a writer, performance artist and teacher. Season's debut novel 'Cynet' was published in 2019 by Dialogue Books in the UK and Harper Collins in the U.S. Season & Lou discuss Race, Character and The Racial Empathy Gap in storytelling.

Shade Podcast is produced and hosted by Lou Mensah

Editing and sound design by CA Davis

Music by Brian Jackson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.