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Little Black Book: Film Screening and Panel Discussion

Little Black Book: Film Screening and Panel Discussion

Join us for the screening of ‘Little Black Book’; 3 short films produced by ThePalaceOfTheDogs and poet Brisbon Kofi, that explores the black queer narrative. A journey of self discovery to activism.

The films will be accompanied by a discussion that explores topics in the visuals, punctuated by our invited guest panel and Little Black Book creative time.

DJ set featuring A.MEN Music.

Jo…

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PoetInDaKennel: SPACE by Noor Taymah

PoetInDaKennel: SPACE by Noor Taymah

ThePalaceOfTheDogs is back with another PoetInDaKennal collaboration with artist/poet out Noor Taymah, with visuals by Daniel Bailey and featuring Nicholle Cherrie. Check it out below

Space 

The sun and salt burnt it away.

The quiet gave space to the loud voice, the cacophony of ugliness she didn’t know she had hidden.

She was beautiful, with enough smiling she might convince…

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EVENT: TAKE AIR

TAKE AIR: Spiritual & Emotional Healing In The Black Community.

FINDING EMPOWERING WAYS FOR BLACK ARTISTS, INFLUENCERS & FACILITATORS TO HEAL COLLECTIVE TRAUMA WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.

Panel discussion with, spiritual mentor and creative activist, Chia Phoenix and, journalist and curator, Karina H Maynard; Discussing the neccesity of spiritual healing when dealing with black trauma and the methods of navigating in white spaces.

Presentations from : Andre…

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Creatives Unlocked(DWN) Ep. 2

Creatives Unlocked(DWN) Ep. 2

ThePalaceOfTheDogs collaborates with Madevu Entertainment to combine creative voices from the UK and South Africa during the pandemic. In this 2nd instalment we are joined by, multifaceted artist, Cassie Clare and, singer/songwriter, Dionne Song; To discuss black trauma, social media and Lockdown restrictions.

Directed by:…

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EVENT: TAKE AIR

EVENT: TAKE AIR Finding Empowering Ways For Black Artists, Influencers & Facilitators To Heal Collective Trauma Within Our Community.

FINDING EMPOWERING WAYS FOR BLACK ARTISTS, INFLUENCERS & FACILITATORS TO HEAL COLLECTIVE TRAUMA WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.

Panel discussion hosted by Jess Mally. Panelist & Presentations by: Andre Bright, Karina Maynard, Cherelle Skeete, Daniel Bailey, Chia Phoenix, Vanessa Fisher, Kieran Mcginn ,

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SELFIE 2 SELF-PORTRAIT: @FLAKESOFAFEATHER on Afro-futurism.

SELFIE 2 SELF-PORTRAIT: @FLAKESOFAFEATHER on Afro-futurism.

I had the pleasure of sitting down (virtually) with the Queen of Green, Flakes aka Afolake. We created a safe space to discuss pretty much everything from the inevitable “how are you finding lockdown?” to the governments attempts to test for covid-19 vaccines in our precious Africa. Many eye rolls, many laughs and for me, a deeper understanding into how this young black Queen garnered the…

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TPOTD MEETS NATE SIMPSON

TPOTD MEETS NATE SIMPSON ThePalaceOfTheDogs is back with an Interview with singer/songwriter Nate Simpson and his new single ‘Better’.

ThePalaceOfTheDogs is back with an Interview with singer/songwriter Nate Simpson and his new single ‘Better’. Taking full advantage of lockdown, the singer has been using this time to connect to his inner voice and refine his skills as an artist. The purposeful single ‘Better’ is a timeless anthem for anyone who has overcome adversity, perfectly timed as we begin to step out from the limitation…

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Instagram as an artistic medium? I guess it’s a polarising debate. What transforms a selfie, click bait and ‘likes’ into works of art? In reality every high-brow art form had it’s time in the low art realm, and by injecting an unexpected sophistication these forms are developed. The selfie and classic portraiture have parallels. Rules that define form, colour and subject can be explored or flouted in the same way as sculpture and painting. So, what keeps Instagram art out of the curated gallery? Artistic snobbery? Elitism? Perhaps. Maybe the dogma that low art is for the masses sticks to selfie-based art, by its very nature it is elementally entwined with mass communication, but what if it contains a more indefinable quality? Something that only a small percentage of the viewership could understand, appreciate, and relate to?   

“I shoot fantasy. If you want reality, ride the bus.” David LaChapelle

With a growing body of work championing body positivity, racial discourse and the questioning of masculine identity, James and Jaime, partners in an artistic and relationship sense, collaborate on a fantastical world where the normalcy of a row of terraced houses can be overlooked by a phantasmagoria of pop figures, steeped in queer culture, kitsch, colour, blackness and religion. Not so much of the duck face, or a grizzly squint to camera. If reality is a bus ride according to photographer David LaChapelle, then the mode of transport we take with this duo’s work is definitely and defiantly not on wheels.   JAMES I’m a maximalist. Life in itself is quite minimal. I like art that takes the mundane, pedestrian aspects of life and presents them in a visually explosive way.

JAIME What makes you a man is more about your behaviour. It doesn’t necessarily matter what gender you identify as; I think it’s more about the way you behave and the way you treat other people.

JAMES Toxic masculinity. I’m uncomfortable with that term. We’ve been overwhelmed with hyper-masculinity and haven’t been able to express ourselves because “toxic masculinity” is so systemic.

JAMES Fortunately, growing up I was applauded for being artistic. But people have been shocked- although less to do with the display of effeminacy and more to do with the political undertones. The viewpoints that I take on things are a bit destabilising.

JAIME When I first came out to some of my family, they weren’t very accepting. But recently when I have been posting my work they respond differently. The way I dress, speak and act has changed, but it’s still me. It seems like such a dramatic change. If you have to lose friends to be authentic then so be it.

JAMES I’ve taken it for granted being a white man, that I view art with one particular lens. Over the past few years, I’ve had to undo a lot of those preconceptions and broaden my understanding and influences.

JAIME Male role models growing up? I find that hard to answer. Now as an adult I might be able to answer better. 

JAMES In lockdown there’s increased pressure to be hyper-productive with this dreamlike, furlough we’re expected to finish books, produce documentaries, write scripts and I feel impeded by that. Creativity works best in an undisciplined way.

JAIME Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’, Burna Boy’s album ‘African Giant’ and Solange’s album ‘When I Get Home’ are artworks that changed me. Visually and musically they have boosted me to explore my masculinity, femininity, race. They made me feel so confident, almost invincible.

JAMES Sometimes the references in my work are conscious, often they’re not. A product of many years absorbing things then allowing that to come out creatively. In reference to ballroom culture, religious iconography, etc., I’m taking things that are not societally reviewed positively and recontextualising them. I enjoy the disjunction. It’s disquieting to those that have never challenged their gender identity by championing the masculine and feminine all of us have.

JAIME I’ve had friends reach out from primary school who I didn’t really speak to as much. They seem to appreciate that I’m being authentic and that is more rewarding than just doing it for me. 

JAIME When I go home to Birmingham it’s so different. I feel like I have to dress down. There’s a pressure to not act differently. I might have to showcase a part of myself that I don’t necessarily want to in that particular moment. Although it’s getting better slowly, we’ve still got a long way to go.

James adjusts his black cap embroidered MCQ. And Jaime smiles at him. His self-proclaimed ‘botched’ hairstyle hidden from view. Maybe a badly executed, home-cut is one of the things that should exist solely in the domestic sphere, and stay out of the creative? This interview has certainly made us question what is and what should be. Check out @panoptistry to visit a whole world, when our own streets are currently off-limits. But, as Boris Johnson has warned us, don’t take the bus! And don’t take our word for it, you decide if it’s art and let us know why.

Here’s a link to a longer edit of this interview, if some if the ideas whet your appetite and you need a little more. CLICK HERE

Words & Interview By @kieran_mcginn

Art By @panoptistry & jaaytait

  SELFIE 2 SELF PORTRAIT: Photo series by @PANOPTISTRY On Masculinity & Sexuality. Instagram as an artistic medium? I guess it’s a polarising debate. What transforms a selfie, click bait and ‘likes’ into works of art?

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BATTLE OF THOUGHTS: Exclusive video & Interview

BATTLE OF THOUGHTS: Exclusive video & Interview Interview with director, Anne-Christelle Zanzen, and choreographer, Bree Smith, on their inspiration for the motivational piece and thoughts on mental health in the theatre industry.

The effects of Covid rules has left thousands of performers unemployed indefinitely. This uncertainty, matched with the isolated nature of quarantine, has left many to deal with a myriad of turbulent thoughts and fearing the state of their mental health. ThePalaceOfTheDogs met with creators of Battle Of Thoughts, Anne-Christelle Zanzen (Director) and Bree Smith (Choreographer), to talk about…

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POET IN DA KENNEL: Real Eyes Realise Real Lies by Chia Phoenix

POET IN DA KENNEL: Real Eyes Realise Real Lies by Chia Phoenix Especially at a time like this we must connect to the third eye, so we can seek truth in all things. Dir. by Daniel Bailey

When real eyes, start to realise that the reality of what they believe they see, is real lies. Then they will realise that their real eye lays between theur real eyes.

The third eye that helps to decipher the real lies.

Real lies hidden in truth, in plain site, that convince real eyes that real lies are real and that only what we…

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NO FILTER – OUR STORY – OUR WORDS.

@ThePalaceofTheDogs Presents CREATIVES UNLOCKED(DWN) in collaboration with MADEVU ENTERTAINMENT. Connecting creative voices from Britain to South Africa to discuss how COVID-19 and quarantine has affected them as creatives/artists. In todays episode we speak with Daniel Bailey (@ThePalaceOfTheDogs) and Zolani Shangase (MADEVU ENTERTAINMENT) about the governments financial response to lockdown, the impact of social media and testing the vaccine in Africa. 

We want to hear your voice, so please comment below and share with fellow creatives across the globe. If you’d like to be considered for our next episode, give us a shout at thepalaceofthedogs@hotmail.com

photo by @BlackInMotion

Photo by @SEENBYG

Featuring: Daniel Bailey (@justbailey) & Zolani Shangase (@zolanishangase)

Directed by: Daniel Bailey

Shot by: Zolani Shangase & Daniel Bailey.

In collaboration with MADEVU Entertainment (@madevuentertainment)

  CREATIVES UNLOCKED(DWN) NO FILTER - OUR STORY - OUR WORDS. @ThePalaceofTheDogs Presents CREATIVES UNLOCKED(DWN) in collaboration with MADEVU ENTERTAINMENT.

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Two in the afternoon, two eloquent women and too much history for a two-minute interview. TPOTD’s Vanessa Fisher catches up with Alice Mensa aka DJ A.MEN. -sound girl to west-end superstars by day and DJ superstar herself by night-to talk of freeing creativity whilst trapped in quarantine.

  Are you doing any DJing while you are at home?

I had a little turn up in my room the other day. It was lit! I had a drink and everything, it was like I was in a club. But it is difficult to find the motivation. With working, you know it’s something you have to do or else you’re not gonna get paid. I grew up with a lot of fear around doing things outside of the parameters that I was given. It wasn’t until I had come to terms with the fact that I could no longer hide [being] gay. This whole world of exploration opened up to me as soon as I told my parents. But I still battle with confidence and judgement of my own personal projects because of that inherent fear that was instilled in me.

  A lot of creatives have been saying to us actors “you don’t have to write the plays guys,” and, obviously, we don’t have to write a masterpiece, but isn’t creating how we express ourselves as artists? How are you feeling about creating at this time?

This is gonna sound so corny, but creating makes me feel alive. Once I’ve got past the anxiety of accepting a gig and I’m actually doing my set, it’s like I become a completely different person. Creating and Djing literally brings me alive and affirms the fact that this is what I am meant to be doing.

You work in the sound department at Hamilton the musical and theatres have been closed for the foreseeable future, are you missing work?

I miss it so much. I was completely exhausted before the lockdown and had taken a week off to recoup, then the moment I get back to work – Quarantine!!! I had just got offered the deputy-head position and so I really want to get back.

  Congratulations! I remember a friend in Motown the musical had arranged for me to watch the show from the sound desk. And so, there I was looking for this big, tall, white sound-man to show me the way and then here you come, your afro puff. I was like, “Yay a black sound-girl!!” There aren’t many black women holding these positions in theatre, how did you get into the sound industry?

By accident. From a young age my Dad noticed that I was creative and I loved music. I played clarinet classically and studied music technology at university. My aim was to work in a recording studio, but I was told you start from the bottom – like making tea bottom. I couldn’t be doing this degree to be making tea. Are you crazy? My family is African. So a friend got me some work-experience with the sound department at Hairspray the Musical. I didn’t even know about the world of theatre, let alone that it was an option for me, but by the end of that contract I was employed as part of the sound department.

What have you learnt about yourself after 4 weeks in quarantine?

I am detoxing from everybody’s energy that I do life with, detoxing from pollution and detoxing my body. This has allowed me to have really honest conversations with myself. To listen to myself.

    The interview finishes with Vanessa inquiring about Alice’s first forays into yoga and the ongoing success of her skincare brand Cure. Considering Ash Wednesday was at the start of Lent, it might be time to put in an order and cream those ashy knees before you shake a leg to DJ A.MEN’s quarantine mix in the kitchen.

Quarantine Mix By @A.menMusic

Interview By: @VanessaFisherActress

Foreword and Conclusion By: @Kieran_Mcginn

@ThePalaceOfTheDogs Presents: QUARANTINE GET DOWN Mix by DJ A.MEN. Soca, Afrobeats and an exclusive interview hosted by Vanessa Fisher. Two in the afternoon, two eloquent women and too much history for a two-minute interview. TPOTD’s Vanessa Fisher catches up with Alice Mensa aka DJ A.MEN.

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At a time when connection takes an unconventional route, our very own Daniel Bailey meets ANDRO by way of the suddenly ubiquitous ZOOM app. conducting #TPOTD’s very first ‘social-distancing compliant’ interview to discuss Lost Cause – ANDRO’s newly released E.P.

The video is ostensibly a playground where [The Artist Formerly Known As] Prince style visuals and funk, meet Maxwell reminiscent vocals and an avant-garde, contemporary dance twist. Homage is paid via cultural references, whilst subtle symbolism displays ANDRO’s complex identity posited in today’s tumultuous socio-political climate.

No handshaking necessary as Dan sits in front of his camera with the strikingly handsome, yet unassuming and engaged ANDRO on his screen. He is wearing a black-beret and an enigmatic air. His eyes are alert and intelligent, but also kind. The interview dispenses with the pleasantries to delve straight in.

In the video a white policeman is depicted as a faceless criminal, whilst we see many iterations of the black male; was there any anxiety about how white audiences would receive this and what is the meaning behind this depiction?

No, there was no anxiety about depicting the white character in this way. He remained faceless because we are oversaturated with images of white patriarchal narratives in the media and that character isn’t important in the video.

The black characters’ narratives are far more significant.

  The visual play explores the structure of racism and police brutality; what has been your experience of this?

I’ve been fortunate enough to not have had any bad experiences with the police. But that experience is a reality within my peer groups and community. I have experienced racism though, in the UK and whilst traveling in Europe, the U.S and Australia.

What specifically inspired you to comment on police brutality and why now?

I wrote this song when police brutality was very prevalent in the media. Even though we had a rise in the Black Lives Matter movement, the multitude of victims left me helpless. I believe that it’s still relevant because the relationship between black people and the authorities is still corrupt. But now because of the awareness of the issue the abuse has become more insidious.

  How do we as people of colour relieve ourselves of this oppression?

Even though I wrote the song from a place of helplessness, it still has hope. We need to keep the conversation open and keep unveiling the truth about the structure of society.

The women almost serve as a greek chorus in the visual, what was the intention behind this and how do black women contribute to the conversation around police brutality?

Even though this brutality also directly effects women, I wanted to show the narrative of the mothers, the sisters and wives and their pain. There is a fear black women have of their sons being murdered for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Your music has a funk element to it, what artists inspire you?

Michael Jackson and Prince influence the funk sound, but I love Björk, Solange and Hiatus Kaiyote.

Many have said that this virus and quarantine is marking a change for the world structurally, what changes would you like to see once this is over?

I think that the position we hold our key workers in needs to be changed. Especially in regards to this pandemic. They are the pillars of our society and are holding us up. Yet, the fact that a footballer’s wage is staggeringly higher than theirs is makes no sense. The NHS is so important. If we had a healthcare system like the U.S. in this situation, the struggle would be unimaginable. The government’s priorities are not for the people and that needs to change.

What is next for ANDRO?

Who knows?! I’m just taking the time to write. I will be releasing another single and video, but I am working towards an album.

Whilst celebrity culture itself seems to be displaying some unusual symptoms with Madonna reminding us we are all equal from a bath strewn with Damascan rose petals and with facial skin pulled so taught that it’s not unremeniscent of a river dolphin, and Ellen DeGeneres telling us from her smallest mansion that self-isolating is just like prison. The celebrity pedestal seems to be lowering day by day. It’s time to start boosting some homegrown, relevant artists who are truthfully commenting on our existence. Give LOST CAUSE a listen and a watch. Maybe it really takes something to be lost for it to be found.

Interview By @JustBailey

Review & Words By @Kieran_Mcginn

TPOTD meets ANDRO Our very own Daniel Bailey meets ANDRO by way of the ZOOM app. conducting #TPOTD’s very first ‘social-distancing compliant’ interview to discuss Lost Cause - ANDRO’s newly released E.P. Words By Kieran Mcginn At a time when connection takes an unconventional route, our very own Daniel Bailey meets ANDRO by way of the suddenly ubiquitous ZOOM app.

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ARTIST'S IN RELATIONSHIPS: LOVE & HIPHOP #Heartbreak

ARTIST'S IN RELATIONSHIPS: LOVE & HIPHOP #Heartbreak Today we speak with LRO about her project 'Thank You For The Pain, I Needed It For My Art', exploring how art and music can be healing in heartbreak and trauma.

Today we speak with LRO about her project ‘Thank You For The Pain, I Needed It For My Art’, exploring how art and music can be healing in traumas and heartbreak in particular. We also discuss how we can use these traumas to fuel your art as creative. You can listen to LRO’s project below: www.mixcloud.com/LRO/thank-you-fo…d-it-for-my-art/ Instagram: @littleredonline

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ThePowerOfThePen by Elander Moore

ThePowerOfThePen A poem by Elander Moore written to inspire the his peers to rally together and vote well in the UK's coming election and his thought after the results.

Whilst on instagram yesterday I came across this piece written by Elander Moore, using his art to inspire his peers to rally together and vote well in the UK’s coming election. This morning with the votes tallied, a cloud of disappointment clouds our minds as the tories hold political standing over the UK and a resounding cry flies from the mouths of those who voted against them. I spoke to…

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During my time in Toronto I was enthused to find a piece of culture on it streets that resonated with my exploration and discovery of what black means to me. An amalgamation of afro-futurism which pertains to the education of self, community and black artistry. Kensington market, an area on the edge of gentrification, satisfied this urge and while venturing through this community, Pattie and Super-malt in hand, I was in awed by the murals adorned on its streets. The street art both romantic and surreal, but inherently black and futuristic, I later learned was by the artist, Phillip Saunders. We were lucky enough to meet with Phillip to speak on his influences, the beautification of Kensington market and his endeavour to represent black people. Check out the interview below:

A lot of people confuse Street Art with Graffiti and place both under the umbrella of vandalism, as a Street Artist what is your view on this perception and on Graffiti?

First of all I’d like to say that Graffiti is definitely an art based off of language and the manipulation of typography. Graffitis reputation of vandalism stems from its core value of free expression; whether you’re on the block, on the trains or on shop windows. It’s about dominating space with your expression. Street art has stems more from fine art, exploring figurative art, contemporary design or portraiture. Where these two art forms connect is the use of aerosol paints. Street art has more mass appeal due to the broadness of its context, where as graffiti has a niche audience that connects to that raw self expression and the evolution of the style.

    How do you think gentrification impacts street art and graffiti?

I believe it impacts the graffiti artists more, as gentrification pushes out graffiti with the street art. They pay for the street art to replace it. But I believe in collaborating with graffiti artists, I see the good high-level work as abstract art and this is the way that I pitch it when approaching communities. The collaboration of street art and graffiti can make the graffiti art form more accessible to those who do not understand the culture.

How has your exploration of human history, psychology and philosophy informed your art?

Generally I’ve always been inquisitive about what and who is God. As a black person you can become disenfranchised to the christian faith because of the depiction of the ‘white Jesus’ figure and because of this I began to look for god in other religions. My work seeks to reveal who is the God for black people and there lies my study of these subjects. But this relates to my personal work in my studio.

What have been the responses to this personal project?

A girl approached me at my show and asked “Are you afraid that your work could perceived as anti- Semitic?”.

Why is that?

The series that i’m working on is called the Hebrew nuances. It depicts black life in a way that is ambiguous in time but connects black people to their Hebrew heritage. The series shows the black people that the black jews are who are the disenfranchised western blacks today. Its very subtle because there is nothing in my pieces that staples the scenes in a specific time period.

Who is inspiring you at the moment?

Now it’s gotten a little bit more difficult as i’m in a place where I want to represent my people and educate those who don’t know about this lineage and history that is sitting there as a gold mine for us. If I could refer myself to anyone who is relevant to my work it would be Henry O Tanner. He was a black biblical painter, who despite the racism he received continued to deliver amazing work and power to black people in faith. 

Kensington market has become your stomping ground and you’re regular commissioned to do murals, how did this relationship develop?

I used to skateboard for 9 years and was sponsored, but I got injured. I came to realise that the level at which I was skating at wasn’t smart and thats when I became more invested in developing my art. So I decided one summer to pitch ideas, I was super humble with my approach and I offered my ability in new ways such as floor murals. It caught on and then I came up with an idea of a beautification project – I also enlisted artists like myself to paint here too as apart of the project.

What advice you give any young self taught artist who might aspire to have a career like yours?

Develop the fundamentals and stay keen on studying that. Don’t worry about anything else. Don’t be discouraged in your development of this, because if you continuously perfect this you will become undeniable and sound. It’ll become the foundation to which you can explore your personal style.

You can find more from Phillip Saunders on his instagram @ahayahisone and view his street art in Kensington Market, Toronto CA.

Interview by Daniel Bailey

Insta: @Justbailey

Photography by Gloria Obianyo

Insta: @glotchyobianyo

    PHILLIP SAUNDERS: Toronto Street Artist (Interview) We meet with Canadian street artist, Philip Saunders to speak on his influences, the beautification of Kensington market and his endeavour to represent black people. During my time in Toronto I was enthused to find a piece of culture on it streets that resonated with my exploration and discovery of what black means to me.

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Gloria Obianyo: Actress and Carer (Toronto)

Check out the docu-film, by Daniel Bailey, featuring actress and carer Gloria Obianyo. Gloria shares her story of caring for her mother from a young age and balancing the responsibility of being a carer.

Gloria Obianyo, multi-faceted creative and actress in Girl From The North Country, shares her experience of being an artist and a young carer for her mother. While our focus on mental health, especially in the arts industry, has been focused so much on sufferers, we can forget how these illnesses can effect family members and friends. Check out the docu-film by Daniel Bailey, shot in Toronto CA,…