Book tickets
Why do we need artist collectives and how do they form? Join us for the next event in the Speaking Futures × Diasporas Now programme: an evening of conversation exploring what it means to be part of an artist collective today, featuring members from RESOLVE, Black Obsidian Sound System (B.O.S.S.) and Diasporas Now.
The panel will reflect on how collectives are formed and sustained, and consider whether artistic practice can operate as a survival strategy. Panellists from all three collectives – including Seth Scafe-Smith, director at RESOLVE, member of B.O.S.S. Raks Abdulahi and Diaspora's Now co-founder Lulu Wang – will share insights through short presentations, followed by a discussion led by Nana Opoku from The Feminist Library.
Celebrating the importance of collectivity and collaboration, this event invites you to imagine new futures for artist collectives.
Part of Diaspora’s Now yearlong residency at the ICA – which explores new ways for emerging artists and and institutions to interact – this event is presented in collaboration with the ICA as part of the first edition of Speaking Futures: a new annual flagship programme of talks, performances, and workshops celebrating artists as catalysts for imagining and shaping the future.
To explore the full programme,click here.
The panel will reflect on how collectives are formed and sustained, and consider whether artistic practice can operate as a survival strategy. Panellists from all three collectives – including Seth Scafe-Smith, director at RESOLVE, member of B.O.S.S. Raks Abdulahi and Diaspora's Now co-founder Lulu Wang – will share insights through short presentations, followed by a discussion led by Nana Opoku from The Feminist Library.
Celebrating the importance of collectivity and collaboration, this event invites you to imagine new futures for artist collectives.
Part of Diaspora’s Now yearlong residency at the ICA – which explores new ways for emerging artists and and institutions to interact – this event is presented in collaboration with the ICA as part of the first edition of Speaking Futures: a new annual flagship programme of talks, performances, and workshops celebrating artists as catalysts for imagining and shaping the future.
To explore the full programme,click here.
Bios
Nana Opoku is a cultural producer, community organiser, and workshop facilitator with a background in production and campaign strategy for international brands. Based at the Feminist Library in London, she leads The Culture Team, developing programmes that explore intersectional feminism as both methodology and praxis. Her work bridges cultural production and grassroots organising to create transformative learning spaces rooted in care, criticality, and community.
With a practice grounded in social justice and community education, Nana’s workshops address themes such as Afro-pessimism, Black feminist organising, and radical pedagogies using theory as a living tool for collective reflection and action. She also serves as Production Manager at House of Dread, where she supports projects at the intersection of heritage, culture, and grassroots organising.
Seth Scafe-Smith is a director at RESOLVE. RESOLVE is an interdisciplinary design collective that combines architecture, engineering, technology and art to address social challenges. They have delivered numerous projects, workshops, publications, and talks in the UK and across the world, all of which look toward realising just and equitable visions of change in our built environment.
Much of RESOLVE’s work aims to provide platforms for the production of new knowledge and ideas. An integral part of this way of working means designing with and for young people and under-represented groups in society. Here, ‘design’ encompasses both physical and systemic intervention, exploring ways of using a project’s site as a resource and working with different communities as stakeholders in the short and long-term management of projects. In this way, design carries more than aesthetic value; it is also a mechanism for political and socio-economic change.
Raks Abdulahi is a member of Black Obsidian Sound System (B.O.S.S.). Established in the summer of 2018, B.O.S.S brings together a community of queer, trans and non-binary black and people of colour involved in art, sound and radical activism. Following in the legacies of sound system culture ‘we wanted to learn, build and sustain a resource for our collective struggles.’ The black-led system, based in London, is available to use or rent by community groups and others with the purpose of amplifying and connecting them
Black Obsidian Sound System's (B.O.S.S.) work includes renting the system to the community at subsidised rates or for free, technical workshops, live performance events, club nights, art installations and various creative commissions including a short film ‘Collective Hum’ (2019) for LUX & the ICO and 'The Only Good System is a Sound System' for Liverpool Biennial (2020). In 2021 B.O.S.S was shortlisted for the Turner Prize and presented an exhibition at Herbert Museum and Gallery Coventry.
Diasporas Now is a live art collective founded by Rieko Whitfield, Paola Estrella and Lulu Wang. They are currently in residence at ICA and working collaboratively on ICA’s Speaking Futures programme, a yearlong series of talks, workshops and performances exploring artists as catalysts for imagining and shaping the future.
Lulu Wang is a London-based Chinese interdisciplinary artist. She draws inspiration from her heritage and digital subcultures to explore hybrid identities and connections across humanity and social relationships. Through sculpture making, installation, and immersive choreography, her practice revolves around visual work in collaboration with new technologies, fashion, and experimental music.
In partnership with AnOther Magazine.
Book tickets
07:00 pm
Wed, 29 Oct 2025
Cinema 1
Ticket information
- All tickets that do not require ID (full price, disabled, income support) can be printed at home or stored in email
- For aged-based concession tickets (under 25, student) please bring relevant ID to collect at the front desk before the event.
Access information
Cinema 1
- Both our Cinemas have step free access from The Mall and are accessible by ramp
- We have 1 wheelchair allocated space with a seat for a companion
- All seats are hard back, have a crushed velvet feel and they do not recline
- These are our seat size dimensions: W 42 x D 45 x H 52
- Arm rest either side of the seat dimensions: L 27 x W 7 x H 20
for the following requirements:
- We have unassigned seating. If you require a specific seat, please reserve this in advance
- Free for visitors where ticket prices are a barrier, please email
Members+ and all Patrons gain free entry to all cinema screenings, exhibitions, talks, and more.
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Nana Opoku. Photograph: Koice Media
B.O.S.S. Marcus and Raks
Seth Scafe-Smith
Diasporas Now x ICA Sounding Futures Lulu Wang, Joshua Woolford, RIEKO, Paola Estrella and Abi Asisa by Furmaan Ahmed
no. 236848.