A still from an Akinola Davies Jr. film. It shows young people of colour dressed in Regency period dress, wearing suits with feathers in their hats and long sweeping gowns. They are all looking to camera and smiling.
Workshop
Somerset House Studios

Grounding Practice: Akinola Davies Jr.

Thu 04 Nov
18.45 - 21.00
£5
Lancaster Rooms
New Wing

Writer, director and moving image artist Akinola Davies Jr. hosts a creative show and tell as part of Somerset House Studios’ Grounding Practice series. 

Open to guests who wish to share and discuss work, the event seeks to be a relaxed, informal environment in which a small group are able to meet, socialise, exchange ideas, and provide discussion. Inviting practitioners spanning a breadth of disciplines, the room will provide access to CDJs, PA, wall projection and TV screen, alongside the space to interact with fellow attendees; the USB input, HDMI cable, microphone, floor are open to those wanting to share.  

The session’s emphasis on a low pressure and open approach to the show and tell format aims to allow for different approaches to sharing, with no obligation to formally present ideas to the entire group - smaller, one-to-one interactions within the space may be preferable for some participants, and moments for collective interaction will be offered at various stages throughout the evening.

Those wanting to present work independently to the group will be put in touch with Akinola ahead of the session via an expression of interest. Due to time restrictions, only a limited amount of attendees will be able to share in this manner, with slots allocated on a first come, first served basis. 

About Akinola Davies Jr.

Akinola Davies Jr. is a writer, director, and moving image artist. Akinola's work is situated between West Africa and the UK as he identifies as a member of the global diaspora who is situated within the margins of being part of both worlds. His work tries to delicately navigate the collision of both colonial and imperial tradition and more importantly a return to indigenous narratives. 
 
Exploring themes of community, race, spirituality, identity and gender, Davies' work tells stories that bridge the gap between traditional and millennial communities. These themes come with a duality: that of necessity and urgency in regards to the medium of storytelling. 
 
There is a large emphasis on a necessity for clear intention in concepts and a willingness to experiment with form: the preparation and meticulous research for Akinola's films assume a central role and are critical to his image manufacturing, drawing from aspects of collective, individual memory and lived experience.