When The place Are The Black Designers? (WATBD) launched in 2020, it was meant to be a single occasion. It was a one-time rallying cry for change throughout a time of world uncertainty and rising reflection on illustration and alternative.
5 years later, it has grown into one thing far larger and extra resilient: a world, volunteer-run nonprofit and neighborhood that evokes the artistic trade to higher recognise and help black expertise. Now, as WATBD prepares to host its first in-person competition in London this August, co-founders Mitzi Okou and Roshannah Bagley are taking a second to replicate on the journey thus far.
“The truth that we nonetheless exist as an entity 5 years later is an unbelievable milestone in itself,” says Roshannah. “What began as a short lived, digital occasion has grown right into a motion, and that is a testomony to the neighborhood we have constructed.”
The early days
From the outset, WATBD aimed to handle the stark underrepresentation of black designers within the artistic industries. In keeping with the 2019 AIGA Design Census, solely 3% of designers recognized as black, a statistic that highlighted long-standing structural points and limitations to entry within the discipline.
The organisation rapidly made its mark by artistic collaborations and digital initiatives. Early partnerships with manufacturers like Baggu and City Outfitters helped to amplify WATBD’s mission, but it surely was the digital exhibition constructed with Working Not Working that basically set the tone for what was to come back.
“We created a platform open to everybody, and one in every of our most memorable submissions got here from a 12-year-old aspiring graphic designer,” remembers Roshannah. “Moments like that confirmed us the sort of significant, lasting distinction we might make.”
Credit score: Somerset Home
Rising with the neighborhood
Whereas WATBD started on-line, it did not keep there. Through the years, the initiative expanded into real-world programming, internet hosting meetups and occasions throughout cities in america and the UK. Their first London meetup – initially deliberate as an intimate gathering – rapidly grew into one thing far larger and extra significant.
“There’s one thing actually particular about transitioning from digital to in-person,” says Mitzi. “Having the ability to create bodily areas the place folks really feel seen, the place they will join authentically. That is what drives us.”
One of many cornerstones of WATBD’s success has been its means to adapt and develop organically. The Slack neighborhood, launched throughout their first occasion, was meant as a short lived chat room, however right now, it boasts over 11,000 members worldwide.
“We thought folks would go away after the convention,” Mitzi laughs. “However they stayed. And so they saved constructing with us.”
Landmark moments
Through the years, WATBD has labored with quite a lot of companions, however some collaborations stand out for his or her lasting influence. The partnership with UsTwo, for example, not solely produced a sequence of occasions but additionally helped the digital company rethink and strengthen its engagement with black creatives over the long run.
“They did not simply help us all through the partnership; they made adjustments which have lasted,” says Mitzi. “They’re nonetheless internet hosting occasions and opening their doorways to new voices. That ripple impact is strictly what we hope to realize with each collaboration.”
One other standout second was the 2023 partnership with JCDecaux, which noticed WATBD produce a digital out-of-home marketing campaign showcasing work by black creatives. For most of the contributors, it was their first time seeing their work displayed at that scale.
“One photographer advised us it was an enormous turning level for his profession,” Roshannah shares. “Having that sort of visibility will be life-changing.”
The areas between
Now, WATBD is getting ready for its subsequent huge chapter: The Areas Between, a two-day competition in London this August. Held on the iconic EartH venue in Hackney, the occasion guarantees to be a celebration of black creativity in all its varieties, that includes talks, workshops, a makers’ market, reside music, and even a membership evening.
Set in opposition to the backdrop of Notting Hill Carnival – one in every of London’s most vital cultural celebrations – The Areas Between goals to construct on that power whereas carving out its personal distinctive house.
“This competition is about neighborhood in its truest sense,” says Roshannah. “Not only a buzzword, however one thing that brings folks collectively by actual connection and shared experiences.”
Importantly, the occasion may even be open to youthful audiences for the primary time, with programming appropriate for teenagers aged 14 and up. “It is important that younger black creatives see that these areas exist and that they’re welcome and valued,” Mitzi provides.
Wanting forward
As for the long run, each Mitzi and Roshannah have huge ambitions. They hope to make the competition an everyday occasion and develop it to new cities worldwide. They’re additionally centered on rising their workforce and, crucially, constructing monetary sustainability to permit WATBD to function full-time.
“In the intervening time, that is nonetheless ardour work for us,” says Mitzi. “We would like to get to some extent the place we are able to dedicate ourselves to this absolutely and create paid alternatives for others to hitch us on the journey.”
For that to occur, ongoing help from people, organisations, and buyers might be key. “Should you consider in equity and alternative, it isn’t sufficient to speak about it – it takes actual funding to create lasting change,” says Roshannah. “Supporting grassroots organisations like ours is crucial if we wish a artistic trade that really displays the world we reside in.”
A neighborhood constructed to final
5 years in, ‘The place Are The Black Designers?’ has confirmed that actual change begins with neighborhood, and that neighborhood, when nurtured with care and intention, can reshape industries. By way of platforms like their Slack group, digital talks, and now The Areas Between, they’ve created an area the place black creatives can join, develop, and be seen.
As they appear to the long run, one factor is obvious: WATBD is not simply constructing occasions or programming. They’re constructing a legacy – one grounded in creativity, connection, and goal – and you’ll be a part of that journey. To help their work and assist gas the subsequent chapter, you may donate by way of their web site.
Credit score: Somerset Home
