CBC’s Future

Despite huge leaps in community uptake of virtual engagement over the last year, in person is still the best way of interacting with the community and generating new business for those in the creative sectors. As Camden is a high rent borough, it is almost impossible to find affordable spaces for creatives who live in the borough, with most of us having to find spaces outside the borough. A CBC hub will not only serve the artists, but also aid the council as a resource to collect valuable data which will help support the council when planning projects and allocating funds for the ethnic minority groups in Camden.

The space will serve as a hub for:
● Black creativity, businesses, and education in the borough of Camden to showcase their work.
● Enriching and developing community inclusivity/diversity in Camden.
● Curating the Black creativity, culture and experience in Camden.
● Promoting business and encouraging collaborations.
● Delivering talks, workshops, mentoring activities
● Mentoring young minds and inspire them to positiveness and action.
● Creating a support network for independent artists which would allow them to feel empowered, inspired and explore their art.
● Teaching young minds how to support themselves financially through their art.
● Supporting creatives mental health by instilling confidence through a promotion of a healthy work/life balance.
● Community outreach: colleges and universities, community organisations, governmental and private entities, collaborations with artists, advocacy groups and
influencers.
● Promoting and elevating diversity, inclusivity and visibility of black creatives and culture in the London Borough of Camden.
● For educating, inspiring and challenging the boundaries of black artist expression.

CBC Popup Shop/Gallery

Following the success of our first PopUp space in Hampstead, it is vital that we continue with bringing diversity to the local highstreet. With so many empty shops along Camden highstreet, we seek support from the council to help us make use of these spaces. Our PopUp in Hampstead was the only all Black gallery space ever seen in Hampstead and we hope it will not be the last.

Financial support from the council is very much needed to help deliver all of our projects. Lack of financial support is something that ends the progress of Black run projects, racial inequality has made it very difficult for groups like CBC to access grants and funding that will help them grow their projects and because of this, so many projects have failed. Searching through the database of community groups in Camden, I could not find one group that focused on supporting creatives in the borough.
Following the impact the pandemic has had on artists, it will not be surprising to know that the effects have been felt the most with Black artists. With funding limited all around, it is even more difficult for Black creatives to support their craft. This is why we really need support from our Council.

Right now we need funding to help us pay for a space in Camden.

We need a space with a minimum of 1000 sq. ft. and the average price for this starts from £25,000pa. Our plan is to develop our group and help it become self-sustainable in the next 2 years.

CBC as a community Interest Group

We are working toward registering as a community interest group with the support from Camden councillors and expect for the CIC to be up and running by the end of February.
To conclude, we hope you have found this report on CBC’s progress so far, informative and encouraging. We need your support in disrupting the status quo and act on changing the traditional dynamics of equality. We want to see communities of colour given the value and opportunity they deserve. We want more groups like ours to be listened to and for those in power to help effect positive changes.