Drop-in discussions with artist Elsa James

As part of Super Black: an Arts Council Collection Programme Partners Exhibition opening in October 2019

As part of her residency at Firstsite to develop a new piece of artwork, artist Elsa James will be running two drop-in open discussion days on Saturday 31st August and Saturday 14th September.

Is living in Essex diluting your black identity? For Southend-based artist Elsa James this was the case for her daughter, who went through an identity crisis because her London cousins fixed an idea in her head that her ‘blackness’ wasn’t as ‘real’ as theirs.

For the artist herself, she only recently stopped feeling ashamed to tell people that she lived in Essex after residing in the county for two decades.

What are your experiences as a black person living in Essex? Join Elsa for a chat and a cuppa.

Find out more about Elsa James’s current residency in the Firstsite Living Room.

Elsa James’ work focuses on opinions held towards people of Africa and Caribbean heritage and the stereotyping of Essex Women.

Doors open at 10:00am