About Us

Solab

Solab is a culturally responsive project that will design and build the digital platform to create and host online spaces for artists living in Africa and from the African Diaspora to imagine, discuss, develop, and audition ideas through projects. Iterations of Solab development will progress the project, guided by co-designed activity with Black cultural expression central to all we do.

Solab Kenya saw us partner with arts collective Maasai Mbilli & Kazi ya Mkono project artists Wanjeri Gakuru, Bethuel Muthee, Naddya Adhiambo Oluoch-Olunya, and Kamwanji Njue, curated/project managed by Rose Jepkorir. Supported by the British Council, we were able to commission new artwork between artists based in Kenya and Northern Ireland in this key part of our R&D activity. Works interweaved Music, Visual Art, Film and Literature resulting in intercontinental collaborations.

Future Screens funding enabled us to design Solab Access. This project centred around research and developing a proof of concept, being that a digital platform specifically defined by Black culture, history, and the lived experience is viable. The platform will create a portal to a digital space that supports black creativity, enabling African artists to freely access, create and express themselves through an
online digital platform, designed specifically to be intuitive to African creatives through language, sounds and imagery, prioritising the artists experience while enabling users to create works from a palette of Black cultural expression allowing all to learn and value Black cultures and black people.

We are designing a simple prototype interface, trialling music as the art form for creatives to Connect, Create and Collaborate. Our intention is to invite artists to user test the platform and gather feedback to guide and inform the next stage of the R&D process.

Statement from SoLAB founder Kwame on Power UP though PRS for Music Foundation

“I was lucky enough to be selected as one of forty Black Musicians and Industry
Professionals for Year 1 of the Power Up programme, which, on a personal level, was the
most impactful programme I have ever taken part in. Why? The point I had reached on a
professional level combined with the timing of world events, being lockdown, the murder of
George Floyd and the resulting social and political impact of that moment meant I was ready
to contribute to the conversation positively, but needed support in figuring out what that
looked like.
Power Up provided that support, firstly providing paid time to identify potential challenges
and pull on the resources of the 40 strong network alongside the tailored expertise, shaped by
Power Up founder Ben Wynter, and project consultant Yaw Owusu.

Power Up has supported me to build a team and shape a key a digital space that promotes the breadth and depth of culture and ingenuity within the Black community for all to Connect, Create and
Collaborate.”