SOAS x LIFT x The Nest Collective: Kitchen Conversations

In partnership with SOAS University of London and LIFT (the London International Festival of Theatre), we are thrilled to be exploring current engagement with pan-Africanisms across seas and borders through a series of inquiries called the "Kitchen Conversations". With the LIFT festival last week, the F + F London co-directors Njoki Ngumi and Mars Maasai hosted a 2-night series of salon-style conversations in Lewisham, London, that convened a multigenerational gathering of artists, culture makers, academics and community members who were Black and/or of immigrant origin. Over dinner and intimate conversation, they explored diverse yet shared experiences tied to border crossing, multiple belongings and citizenships, and the future of gender expression. 

With SOAS, these Kitchen Conversations will take on an interactive, applied research angle: Mars and Njoki worked with SOAS student leader and researcher Nomfundo Dlamini to explore what connections Black SOAS students of African, Caribbean, Black British, and related self-identifications have to Pan-Africanism and Black unity. In this panel discussion, Njoki will represent the Nest in discussions with Nomfundo, moderated by transnational cultural researcher, scholar and practitioner Elizabeth Maina. They will engage around the findings from these inquiries, and potential ways forward to deepen solutions for ongoing communal yearnings.

Register here and join us virtually on Thursday 14th July 2022 from 2.15PM EAT to explore and unpack these interesting findings!