Are you aged 16-30 and interested in making or curating film? Would you like to learn more about Black culture and history, and the role of archives?

ICA Youth Collective is a six-month programme offering paid opportunities for young people aged 16–30. Comprising five members, the Collective is designed to amplify youth voices and increase their visibility within arts institutions. Members will collaborate with artists, facilitators and ICA staff to shape the interpretation and perception of the ICA’s artistic programme through public-facing projects.

Here at the ICA, we recognise that young communities are often excluded from the arts, with their perspectives and priorities underrepresented. This programme seeks to address that gap by building creative and critical skills, sparking intergenerational dialogue, and exploring how young people can actively shape the cultural landscape. Through a structured series of sessions, participants will gain an understanding of archival theory and practice, histories of Black British and Pan-African filmmaking, and the ways moving images circulate beyond the screen through print, design and curatorial contexts.

More info

The 2026 Youth Collective is developed in partnership with iniva and the June Givanni Pan-African Cinema Archive (JGPACA). This year focuses on reimagining the archive and exploring how moving image translates into print and material culture. Sessions will take place across iniva, JGPACA and the ICA, combining discussions, film viewings, practical exercises and case studies. Key outputs include a public programme event presented in collaboration with JGPACA and the ICA, alongside the collective production of a zine.

Youth Collective 2026 will run from February to July and comprises ten sessions in total. Participants will meet twice monthly on Wednesday evenings. Sessions at iniva will run from 5–7pm, while sessions at JGPACA will run from 6–8pm.

Please see our full programme schedule. If you would like further information or have any questions, please contact Eray Yilmaz, Talks & Engagement Assistant Producer (Eray.Yilmaz@ica.art).

Application Info

This is a paid role with a fee of £450. This is set at London Living Wage for the hours of engagement.

Please note that those applying as residents in the London Borough of Westminster will be given priority.

We encourage people from all sections of our community to apply within the ages of 16-30. However, our highest priority is to hear from applicants who come from structurally underserved communities across race, class, gender and accessibility. We also prioritise applicants without previous access to higher education.

Bios

The June Givanni PanAfrican Cinema Archive (JGPACA) holds a unique collection of artefacts and archival material, with a core focus on PanAfrican cinema and its relationship to Black British cinema and culture. Through its events and projects, JGPACA reveals histories and ideas in African and African diasporic film, bringing together the work of filmmakers, artists, and writers across a wide range of themes, debates, and interests. As a “living archive,” it aims to make these valuable resources—films, audio recordings, photographs, scripts, posters, documents, publications, and memorabilia—accessible and to provide a nurturing environment for their exploration by scholars, cultural activists, and the wider community. The archive, located at the MayDay Rooms, provides a welcoming space for the exploration of these materials. JGPACA runs a programme of regular events, including free film screenings, public debates, and community-based projects, with a mission to safeguard marginalised histories expressed through the moving image and related materials, and to re-activate them in contemporary contexts.

JGPACA is based on the collections of Dr June Givanni, a BAFTA Award-winning international film curator with over 30 years of experience in film and broadcasting. Dr Givanni has been involved in key developments in Black British and PanAfrican cinema, including London’s Festival of Third World Cinema, the African Caribbean Film Unit, Black Film Bulletin, and programming Planet Africa at the Toronto International Film Festival. Her motivation for the archive is to make this rich heritage widely accessible and ensure the continued recognition of PanAfrican cinema globally.

The archive is directed by Dr June Givanni, Imruh Bakari, and Dr Emma Sandon and supported by a dedicated staff team: Benjin, Damilola Lemomu, and Phoebe Beckett Chingono.

Institute of International Visual Arts (iniva) was founded in 1994 as a not-for-profit organisation to address the new internationalism of the visual arts in the United Kingdom and the broad and multi-cultural artistic communities contributing to the cultural landscape. Today our work primarily focuses on centring the voices of an emerging generation of artists while maintaining a dialogue with artists who are now seen as more established. Nurturing, supporting and developing artists through building networks that build communities of practice where ideas from altering perspectives is still at the heart of our work. We do this through maintaining a library and archive collection as well as organising programmes for artists and communities.

Institute of International Visual Arts (iniva) was founded in 1994 as a not-for-profit organisation to address the new internationalism of the visual arts in the United Kingdom and the broad and multi-cultural artistic communities contributing to the cultural landscape. Today our work primarily focuses on centring the voices of an emerging generation of artists while maintaining a dialogue with artists who are now seen as more established. Nurturing, supporting and developing artists through building networks that build communities of practice where ideas from altering perspectives is still at the heart of our work. We do this through maintaining a library and archive collection as well as organising programmes for artists and communities.

Applications are now open

Deadline: Sun 18 Jan
Applicants notified: Thu 22 Jan

Please make sure you are available for all sessions before applying.



Wed 4 Feb, 5 – 7pm (iniva): Introduction to Archives & iniva
An introduction to archives and their role in preserving culture and history, with a focus on underrepresented stories.

Wed 11 Feb, 5 – 7pm (iniva): Ghosts – Exploring Omissions in the Archives
Examining gaps, silences, and lack of representation in archive and library collections, and how art and creativity can challenge these absences through visual art, writing, and moving image.

Wed 25 Feb, 5 – 7pm (iniva): Histories of Black British Filmmaking
Exploring the history and cultural significance of Black British cinema, its socio-political contexts, and its role in challenging mainstream narratives around race, identity, and culture.

Wed 4 Mar, 5 – 7pm (iniva): Moving Image as Print Culture
From Film to Visual Communication
Investigating how moving images translate into print media such as posters, promotional materials, and exhibition catalogues, including case studies and an introduction to zines.

Wed 18 Mar, 5 – 7pm (iniva): Cataloguing and Curating
Bringing Film and Archive Materials Together. An introduction to organising and cataloguing archival materials and curating film programmes to create engaging narratives for audiences.

Wed 8 Apr, 6 – 8pm (JGPACA): Introduction to the June Givanni Pan-African Cinema Archive
An overview of JGPACA’s origins, scope, and significance, including film viewings and discussions of diasporic knowledge, geography, history, and subjectivity.

Wed 22 Apr, 6 – 8pm (JGPACA): Cataloguing and Contextualisation
Exploring digitisation, metadata, and collaborative collection summaries, and how archival knowledge can be shared and made accessible.

Wed 6 May, 6 – 8pm (JGPACA): Festivals as Sites of Organising – Foundations and Networks
An analysis of Pan-African film festivals such as FESPACO and JCC as key sites of organisation within film production, distribution, and exhibition.

Wed 20 May, 6 – 8pm (JGPACA): Festivals as Sites of Organising – FESPACO Resonances and Municipal Anti-Racism
Tracing the influence of Pan-African film festivals and Third Cinema gatherings on UK movements, including key symposiums and the Greater London Council’s Anti-Racist Film Programme.

Wed 3 Jun, 6 – 8pm (JGPACA): Where to Exhibit? How to Exhibit?

Using case studies from JGPACA, including Tate Modern and Brixton Community Cinema, to explore the complexities of curating film in institutional and community contexts.