We’re so excited to introduce the first 10 Associate Artists who will work with us during the opening two years of Brixton House. These artists will play an active part in shaping what Brixton House is, as well as developing their own creative skills and thinking.
“Our Associate Artists are an invited group of brilliant creatives from a broad range of artistic expressions. During their two years with us, we hope to integrate their thinking, processes and projects into our programming and be enriched by their contributions.“
Gbolahan Obisesan, Artistic Director and Joint CEO
Read on to meet them all…
Daniel Bailey
Daniel Bailey is a Hackney-born theatre-maker, digital content producer, filmmaker, creative writer, journalist, performer and founder of, the art collective, @ThePalaceOfTheDogs. Using the integration of live art, theatre and film, he wishes to articulate the nuanced experience of the black diaspora, underprivileged communities and those from minority backgrounds; Exploring how the history of British colonialism and politics affect our decision making, relationships and aspirations – To destabilise patriarchal ideologies around ‘what it means to be British’ and, by using the richness of our culture, make a creative vision for those said communities to thrive in. He wants to continue this work in building community and connecting narratives from the Black diaspora in his practice at Brixton House.
Image description: Black cisgender male, brown eyes, bearded, shaved head and earing in left ear.
Ivan Michael Blackstock
Ivan Michael Blackstock is a South London-born, Brixton raised multidisciplinary artist whose work as an artist and curator-led him to first to be established as a professional dancer and choreographer and was formerly associate artist at the Young Vic. After establishing a successful dance career Ivan went on to launch CRXSS PLATFXRM an organisation celebrating under the radar creatives. Most recently Ivan choreographed Beyonce’s Grammy award-winning video Brown Skin Girl, he is currently developing a major new site-specific work for 2022 and has been newly appointed Artistic Director of 180 Studios at 180 The Strand, alongside founding his production company ALTRUVIOLET.
Image description: Black male with shoulder-length locks. Black hat and sunglasses and gold jewellery. Wearing a black, red and green jacket. In front of a housing estate.
Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu
Tristan is a Queer Black British-born Ghanaian cultivated by South London. He is a writer/director with a practice that specializes in storytelling, physicality, manipulation of music, breaking the fourth wall and exercising the imagination of both actor & audience. He has made work for The Royal Court, The Young Vic Theatre, Bush Theatre, Guildhall School of Music & Drama among others, and performed at The National Theatre. In 2019, he won the JMK Award for directing and presented the 5-star revival of Arinze Kene’s Little Baby Jesus. Tristan hopes to use his time at Brixton House to further explore his practice in storytelling and experiment how the forms can exist in other theatrical systems like Verbatim & Live Events.
Image description: Dark skinned, bold Black man with big eyes and a piercing gaze in black and white.
Anna Himali Howard
Anna Himali Howard is a director, theatremaker and dramaturg. Her work has been staged at theatres including the Bush Theatre, the Gate Theatre, the Orange Tree and Birmingham REP. She trained on the Birmingham REP Foundry, as the Paines Plough Trainee Director, on the NT Studio Directors’ Programme and the Royal Opera House Directors’ Course. She was a Creative Associate at the Gate Theatre and is currently an Associate Artist at Brixton House. Her work with international companies includes directing for BE Festival, New Nordics, and the Royal Court International Playwrights Residency. She is interested in new writing, co-creation and working across genres to uproot classic texts.
Image description: A brown woman with light skin and brown eyes. She has long dark curly hair and glasses. She is wearing a white t-shirt.
Cecilia Kuska
Cecilia Kuska is from Argentina. She studied cinematography and combined arts and works as a freelance creative producer and curator around the globe. Her focus is on the crossroads of disciplines from a decolonial feminist perspective. She enjoys to be involved in collective creations with people from different backgrounds and is passionate about helping others to create and disseminate their own art. She hopes to bring this energy to Brixton House as well as fostering connections with Latin American artists, projects and organisations.
Image description: White woman with brown hair and brown eyes, she wears a red turtleneck jumper and long coloured earrings.
ESKA
Over a two-decade, genre-hopping career, Zimbabwean born and SE-London raised artist ESKA has garnered an international reputation as a vocalist, songwriter, composer, choral conductor and producer, performing on some of the world’s biggest stages and festivals. She has contributed to 3 Mercury-nominated albums plus her own Mercury-nominated self-titled debut. ESKA’s interdisciplinary works have been performed to a sold-out Queen Elizabeth Hall and Roundhouse. Her current projects include a new album and a Royal Opera House new works commission. This year ESKA debuts at The National, performing and writing music in Kae Tempest’s Paradise. Alongside Brixton House, ESKA is currently an Associate Artist at The Albany Theatre and Cardboard Citizens. She is a recently appointed Trustee at Brixton-based creative arts and music centre for young people and adults, Raw Material.
Image description: Brown skin girl, these days with a bald head.
Bek Wa Goro
Bek Wa Goro is a Writer and Cultural Artist who creates artistic works through film, theatre, music and other modes of artistic expression such as dramatic acting and singing. Among other projects, he is currently working on a research project that relates to AI, the arts and artistic practice. As an Associate Artist, Bek hopes to do the same thing that the best artists do – create brilliant work that pays the bills and lets them live their best life – the life that they desire!
Image description: A Black man with a shaved head and stubble. In this black and white photo he is seated on a velvet swivel chair and looking calmly into the lens.
Jaz Woodcock-Stewart
Jaz Woodcock-Stewart is a Director and Artist. She makes work between theatre, performance, dance and whatever feels right. Her latest projects are: Gulliver’s Travels, Unicorn Theatre (postponed due to Covid), her original work Civilisation and new works Madrigal (RCSSD) and Learning Piece (The Place). She was nominated by the National Theatre to make a piece at Performance Laboratory Salzburg, a MITOS21 project at Thomas Bernhard Institut. She has been the finalist for several directing awards; Oxford Samuel Beckett Trust Award 2020, Genesis Future Directors Award 2019 and 2017, the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award 2018 and the JMK Award 2016. She runs company Antler, who were Associate Artists at the Bush Theatre 2017-2018.
Image description: A white woman with blonde/brown hair. Fringe tucked behind her ears with the rest tied back. She is wearing a blue shirt over a white t-shirt and silver hoop earrings. She is sitting on a roof, behind her are brick walls, buildings and trees all blurred together.
Belinda Zhawi
Belinda Zhawi is a Zimbabwean literary & sound artist. She is the author of Small Inheritances (ignitionpress, 2018) & South of South East (Bad Betty Press, 2019), co-founder of literary arts platform BORN::FREE & experiments with sound/text performance as MA.MOYO. Her work has been broadcast & published on various platforms including The White Review, NTS Live, Boiler Room & BBC Radio 3, 4 & 6. She has held residencies with ICA London, Serpentine Galleries & Triangle France to name a few. Belinda hosts Juju Fission (RTM FM), a monthly radio broadcast. She lives & works in South East London.
Image description: A Black woman with cornrows, in a red garment, looks over her shoulder towards the camera.
We’ll be showcasing each of the Associate Artists and their work with us, so make sure you’re following @brxhousetheatre!