Join us for a chilled evening gathering with dancing, conversation, Caribbean food, and good vibes. Hosts: Valerie Ebuwa and Renée Bellamy

Valerie and Renée will hold a relaxed space for artists to make new connections, and talk about what we each are looking for from an artistic community in 2023. Then they’ll crank the music up for a dance to a playlist of Beyoncé and Solange.

With free Caribbean food from our Roman Road neighbours Patty Heaven, and a donation bar. Bring your questions, moves, and an appetite!

This gathering is specifically for community-building amongst black & brown artists, and those who experience racism*. We also have an evening specifically for disabled and neurodivergent artists, and an evening open to all artists.

You can read more about joining our Artist Community here. We have events on most Thursdays in July and August – find out more here.

* A note on language

We acknowledge it is impossible for language to account for the diversity of experiences by which people are racialised, so we also hold space for other terms, including Global Majority, person of colour, BPOC etc.

Our choices were based on the understanding that racial dynamics and white supremacy are fundamentally underpinned by colourism and therefore we want our language to prioritise the people who are at the sharpest end of this system of oppression, namely black people and brown people.

See more on our community’s commitments to antiracism in our Artist Community Culture Document.

Accessibility

Please note, we are on the second floor of a warehouse building, accessed by a staircase only. We regret that we cannot currently adequately support wheelchair users and those for whom stairs are a barrier.

There will be a separate quiet space available on site.

We are committed to removing other barriers to access. If you would like to talk to us about your access needs ahead of applying, please contact: frances@chisenhaledancespace.co.uk.

About the Hosts

Valerie Ebuwa (she/they, CDS Artist Committee) is a freelance dance artist, activist, writer and model from East London. As a maker, she has choreographed and curated ValUE, a multi-layered project created in order to offer different perspectives on the black female image. Her writing has been featured in The Stage Magazine and is a regular contributor to I am Hip Hop magazine; a printed and online publication championing Hip Hop culture.

Renée Bellamy (she/her, CDS Artist Community member) is an interdisciplinary artist, facilitator and producer whose practice is driven by a curiosity in movement (of images, of bodies), community and documentation. She primarily works with choreography, dance, film and photography.