#BGFCreativefund is a grant programme supporting Black women and non-binary UK based creatives to encourage the development of creative ideas by supporting the continuation of projects and concepts.

Rochelle Fullarton is a Bajan artist and founder of RochelleCreative; a creative studio specialising in minimalist abstract design, oil paintings and illustration, rooted in the free expression of black women, nature and self-care. She shares with us her journey through self-acceptance.

Can you tell us about your project?

The project is called ‘My Sister’s Keeper’. It’s an exploration of self-acceptance through the lens of sisterhood. I’ve been creating a series of paintings…

#BGFCreativefund is a grant programme supporting Black women and non-binary UK based creatives to encourage the development of creative ideas by supporting the continuation of projects and concepts.

Remi Graves is a drummer and writer, born and raised in West London to Ghanain and Jamaican parents. She shared her work and inspiration with us and told us how the creative fund has supported her.

Can you tell us about your project?

I’m working on a video poem looking at my search for a queer Ghanaian archive. The working title is ‘(un)natural carnal knowledge’ — directly taken from section 104 of…

#BGFCreativefund is a grant programme supporting Black women and non-binary UK based creatives to encourage the development of creative ideas by supporting the continuation of projects and concepts.

Jamila Dankaro is a Nigerian-born writer. She works with African start-up companies, and a group called Black Girl Heard; a space for black women to share and tackle challenges faced in the workplace.

Jamila shares her inspiration, motivation and plans for the future of her latest project, a short animation that shines a light on the events of the ‘end SARS’ and Lekki Massacre.

Tell us more about your project

Being of…

On January 30, 2021, Black Girl Fest and Stories of YOUNG hosted Women Rise — an event connecting African women entrepreneurs held at Sun City Apartments in Ghana.

With the 2020 Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs ranking Ghana as having the third-highest rate of women-owned businesses in the world, Nicole Crentsil (CEO of Black Girl Fest) and Ashlee Janelle Danso (Founder of Stories of YOUNG) both found a grounded purpose to celebrate and appreciate Ghanaian women.

The intimate event, filled with African women entrepreneurs based in Ghana and the wider Diaspora, highlighted subject matters such as innovation, individuality and…

#BGFCommunity is our spotlight series featuring brands and businesses led by Black women and non-binary people.

This month we meet Amira Rasool founder of The Folklore an innovative online retail concept based in New York City.

Amira shares more about the idea behind The Folklore and some of the challenges she’s faced in the early stages of the business.

Can you tell us about The Folklore?

The Folklore is a direct-to-consumer multi-brand eCommerce platform that sells luxury and emerging designers from Africa and the Diaspora to global customers. The Folklore launched in 2017 after taking a trip to South Africa…

#BGFCommunity is our spotlight series featuring brands and businesses led by Black women and non-binary people.

This month we meet Abena Boamah, creative entrepreneur, mental health advocate + founder of Hanahana Beauty a consciously clean beauty + wellness brand that empowers Black women globally.

Abena shares more about how she maintains balance, the importance of her community and her future plans for Hanahana Beauty.

Can you tell us about Hanahana Beauty?

Hanahana Beauty is conscious clean skincare, beauty and wellness brand. Overall what we do is look at how we can create sustainable paths from the producers that we source…

A Letter from Nicole Crentsil, co-founder & CEO

2020 was a weird year for all of us. I spent a large part of it feeling super anxious but trying to remain positive and hopeful.

I remember feeling despondent and generally low amidst the global lockdown, BLM and #ENDSARS protests. However, one thing I appreciated was the space to think about Black Girl Fest. Although we had announced a break at the start of the year (which in hindsight was so lucky) I still had no idea if we could ever run large scale events anytime soon. …

Black Girl Fest Academy is a seven-month community-focused creative programme, created by Black Girl Festival, in association with Today at Apple and The Mayor of London.

Over the past few months, we’ve supported 30 Black women aged 17–25, equipping them with the tools to create events for their local communities. We’re excited to introduce our Academy Alumni sharing more about their event ideas.

Meet Bola Akanni, founder of Kwanzaa—A series of events to educate the African diaspora in London about African political history.

Tell us more about your event, How did you come up with it? What impact do you hope it makes for your community?

Studying African Politics at SOAS, I noticed a lack of Black British students studying at the institution…