The Feminine & the Foreign
by the Nest Collective
part of LIFT 2022
Films, DJs and a garden party honouring Black Activism
Nairobi meets south-London on the banks of the Thames. Kenyan multidisciplinary artists the Nest Collective are hosting a party, bringing Black sounds from the diaspora and intimate portraits of the lives of Black activists into a hidden palace in Deptford. Move from day to night in an explosion of music and film fuelled by street food and cocktails from local Black-owned businesses.
Internationally renowned filmmakers, fashion designers, visual artists and DJs the Nest Collective have collaborated with activists and artists in London and Cape Town all the way from their home in Nairobi, Kenya, to create a series of brief, evocative documentaries. Screening in the garden of Shipwright, these are intimate profiles of people who have pushed back against the forces that oppress and violate minority communities worldwide, with a focus on feminist, queer and migrant rights. The Feminine and the Foreign elicits memory, tenderness, and solidarity through evocative and expressive narration and visuals.
The garden will be brought to life by the Nest and a line-up of London DJs, including Deptford-based AAJA Radio, to soundtrack the afternoon.
Going deeper, the Nest will host a series of salons, Kitchen Conversations, in partnership with London Borough of Culture and supported by SOAS. Bringing together London’s feminist, trans, queer and ecological activists, Kitchen Conversations will connect Londoners who identify as Black, African, and African diasporic, for a series of intimate and in-depth conversations where they’ll explore activism, identity, and create new connections between the African Diaspora and people who live on, and are more connected to, the African continent.
While these salons are invite-only, they’re an example of how LIFT 2022 enables artists to connect deeper and more locally to London than ever before.
“Highly versatile, their artmaking encompasses empathetic and evocative films, provocative visual art exhibitions, and hosting must-attend parties. For LIFT 2022, the Nest will take up residency in Lewisham where they’ll bring us into their world. They’ll premiere The Feminine and the Foreign, their docu-portrait film of 18 activists across London and Cape Town, which together form intimate conversations on migrant, queer and Black experiences. And they’ll be hosting a Nairobi-meets-South London day party, joined by DJs from Deptford’s AJAA radio in an incredible garden setting.” Kris Nelson, LIFT Artistic Director
Stage: Garden Stage
Dates & Times: Sunday 2 July, 3pm
Doors open: 3pm
Running time: TBC
Covid Policy: This is an outdoor event, further precautions are taken as individual responsibility
Warnings: TBC
Access: This performance is step-free, for specific enquiries about access, email general@theshipwright.co.uk