Ayanna Blairford is an Art Director, Part II Architectural Designer, Filmmaker and budding production designer, with a passion for narrative-led design. Her work centers around themes of identity, diaspora and the representation of Black narratives through space, stage and film. Her latest project Black On Stage presents a new performance methodology cartographic of the Caribbean diaspora. Ayanna holds a BA (Hons) in Architecture from Oxford Brookes University, where she is currently tutoring as an Associate Lecturer. In 2019 Ayanna was part of the winning design team for the ‘Mile18 Marker’ competition for the London Marathon, in association with the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust (now named Blueprint For All) and Virgin Money.

Julian Knxx is an interdisciplinary poet from Sierra Leone, who presents his work through installations encompassing the written word, music and visual art. He brings together the mediums of poetry, music and film, addressing topics including diasporic identity, mental health, youth and fatherhood. His project Julianknxx & Friends is a living archive of African diasporic experiences, and creates a collaborative space for artists to communicate their voices whilst navigating a multiplicity of cultural identities, senses of belonging, and creative expressions.