Tracing Black Histories

During our online art residency K I N O T I T A, Katouche, Hani, Addie & Aida created space for us to come together and explore some key themes from moments in black histories. These sessions were a safe space for casual yet meaningful conversation. They acted as a constant pillar upholding the roof of what is left of our sense of normality and routine. For some, they provided an escape from the uncertain realities of the pandemic, to space out, listen and learn something new.

By tracing the role of art, community, activism and agency within black histories, we dissected the context and significance of each of these themes, as well their relevance to our personal experiences today. The co-hosts shared their knowledge as a prompt for further collective conversations.

11th April 2020: Black leisure as resistance to enslavement – Katouche

18th April 2020: Tracing the colonial and post-colonial condition in African novels – Addie

25th April 2020: Bougainville, birth of a new nation? – Struggle for independence and the legacy of mining – Hani

2nd May 2020: Art as a form of resistance in Sudan – Aida

16th May 2020: Negritude – Katouche

23rd May 2020: The Rastafarians’ exodus to Shashamane – Addie

30th May 2020: African folklore & storytelling – Hani

20th June 2020: Afro-German histories – Amuna

Singer and content creator Katouche is passionate about fostering a productive dialogue about the intersection of Black and disabled identities. A recent grad in BA History, Katouche enjoys sharing the knowledge of her degree through her advocacy for Black disabled young people. Featured on platforms such as Buzzfeed (2016), Kandaka (2017), BBC Radio 1Xtra (2018),and TABOU Magazine (2020). Katouche is also a makeup enthusiast who creates online content to promote diversity in beauty and highlight issues of inclusion. In her downtime Katouche loves to play Sims and watch films with her siblings.

Hani Diriye recently graduated from SOAS, University of London, and holds a BA in History. Now based in Brussels, she is working closely with the Secretariat in supporting and understanding the needs of the communities in the EU affected by FGM. She is also assisting in the implementation of the Network’s projects as well as showcasing the great work of community members in ending for FGM. Her main interest lay in education, feminism, community-led activism and upholding self-critical and intersectional frameworks to drive social change.

Addie is currently working in the housing sector and is involved in projects which combine creative arts and wellbeing to unite stories from different communities. She has worked with the Royal African Society on the ‘Africa Writes’ festival, and is the standing director of the Ethiopian Literature Festival in London. Having graduated from SOAS, University of London, she has a degree in BA History and Development Studies.

Aida Abbashar is a Sudanese-American living in between London and Nairobi. She is currently completing her MPhil in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge. Some topics she focuses on include Sudanese revolutionary and political history, the American Civil Rights movement, prison reform and abolitions and Black-American art and expression with a focus on Harlem.

Collage by Yael Wagner