Image via Instagram
A growing concern in both online and offline spaces of late is that Black creatives who continue to lead the way in music, fashion, pop culture, and online trends rarely get the credit they deserve. We’ve seen it countless times and it’s an imbalance that is sorely in need of addressing. With that in mind, Instagram have been working closely with four of the UK’s most influential Black creatives to begin work on that as part of their Black Perspectives initiative.
At the start of the year, the social media platform linked up with Kiss FM presenter Henrie Kwushue, GUAP co-founder Ibrahim Kamara, leading lifestyle influencer Estare Areola, and LGBTQ+ youth worker and community builder Tanya Compas to support them in working on projects that helped boost their position in online spaces while also empowering their own communities—either through education, networking, or offering opportunities to those who might otherwise be overlooked.
The four creatives have been working on their respective projects throughout the summer and have since seen their hard work come to fruition. In the case of Tanya Compas’ ERASURE project, which kicked the whole series off in April, that meant bringing together young LGBTQ+ to give them the practical tools, skills and confidence to tell their own stories through content creation. It was a broad spread of talents and when we caught up with her recently to ask how it all went, she explained that storytelling for them meant everything from DJing to photography and, in one case, landing their first editorial commission in Gay Times.
Later that month, Ibrahim Kamara launched #TheBrief, a six-week workshop for five Black creatives to work closely with him on a creative campaign where they got the chance to deliver a mix of editorial, video and images that centered on the themes of ‘Legacy’ and ‘Community’. Most importantly, however, it also gave them the chance to broaden their skillset and bolster their own portfolios in ways they simply couldn’t have done without Ibrahim.
In July, Henrie took things in a different direction again, launching Free Game with Henrie, an interview series hosted exclusively on her Instagram Reels where she drew from her extensive contact list to interview big-name talents from across the entertainment industry like Unknown T and Poet. A big part of the series was stripping away the gatekeeping which often stops new faces from breaking into the industry. It’s not just about sharing information that people withhold for their own sakes, it’s about breaking down difficult or uncomfortable topics like how much money people make and those early days in their career when things weren’t going so well.
The fourth and final project in the series was Estare’s The Creator Quest. For this one, Estare handed four aspiring content creators a real brand brief to see how they handled it. Taking a bit of inspiration from her favourite TV show America’s Top Model, Estare handed the creatives their brief and a time limit. Far from dropping them in it, she worked closely with each of them to help them meet their deadline and then brought in PAUSE founder Johnson Gold and YouTuber Aminato drop by and share some invaluable knowledge with the young creatives.
We caught up with Henrie, Ibrahim, Estare and Tanya to discuss their projects, their impact, and what they learned from the whole process.
Henrie Kwushue
How did Instagram help you make your project happen?
Instagram really helped by providing Black creative agencies I could work with and giving an idea of the talent I could potentially use for this series. Furthermore, it was super easy to do, because where I had other work on, Instagram would step in and help me take the reins of the project, ensuring it’s going in the right direction.
Obviously, this was more about you sharing your expertise and giving tools to the next generation, but what did you learn from this process?
I learned that, in this business, your experience is what you make it. Even though the project in itself is entertaining to watch, I do think that it’s an insight into what people have gone through, overcome and enjoyed. You see that even though there may be some similarities, no journey is exactly the same.
How did your project evolve as you took it from your initial concept to the finished outcome? Or did it turn out as expected?
I only had an initial idea when I first started and Instagram really helped to flesh it out in terms of how it actually looked on screen, and also what questions for the guests we would go for.
Who did you most enjoy speaking to and what made them stand out?
I honestly loved speaking to them all, but I really think Unknown T was my favourite. I think, sometimes, there’s a misconception of him, but to see him so open and honest in this space and showing off his personality was my favourite thing.
Follow Henrie on Instagram: @HenrieVIII.
Ibrahaim Kamara
How did Instagram help you make your project happen?
The team really supported me in bringing this to life. They allowed my project to be led from my own vision and just supported me in making it happen. I have a busy schedule, and the team worked alongside me to make sure that I had the right people around me to support. The main aim was to support my community, and Insta did everything they could to make sure that was the focus throughout.
Obviously, this was more about you sharing your expertise and giving tools to the next generation, but what did you learn from this process?
The main thing I learned was that everyone has a story to tell and that a lot of the tribulations we face, as people, can be used to make great work.
How did your project evolve as you took it from your initial concept to the finished outcome? Or did it turn out as expected?
I think the project went exactly how I planned for it to go, however I didn’t plan for it to go so deep [laughs]. The stories shared were really touching and I loved the way the creative on The Brief managed to tap into themselves to create such great pieces. They used the resources they were provided and made magic.
Follow Ibrahim on Instagram: @ibrahimkamara_.
Estare Areola
How did Instagram help you make your project happen?
Instagram was undoubtedly the main driving force behind the project. I was super motivated from the moment I was approached to be a part of Black Perspectives. I wanted to create something that would be highly impactful for the next generation of content creators—something that will also leave a lasting impression in the industry for years to come—and what better way to do this than working side by side with Instagram? To be trusted by Instagram with a budget and having access to their resources to help bring my ideas to life really gave me a confidence boost. I felt like my work, as a creator, has been noticed and Instagram believes in my ability to lead the next generation of creators.
Obviously, this was more about you sharing your expertise and giving tools to the next generation, but what did you learn from this process?
I learned to trust the process. I had to continuously tell myself to think positively, visualise the outcome, and believe it would work out in the end. I also learned the intricacies that go into long-term projects. I was coming from being predominantly creative, working with visuals and moving images in my day-to-day, to having meetings and putting my detailed ideas in writing onto paper—which is something I don’t do often.
How did your project evolve as you took it from your initial concept to the finished outcome? Or did it turn out as expected?
My workshop day honestly turned out way better than I had imagined. I knew how impactful The Creator Quest could be for the Black creators who would be involved, and I didn’t want to let them down—especially because if I were an emerging creator, I would seek out the valuable knowledge shared during the workshop day. I think my speaking positivity into the project really helped me prepare my mind for what would be needed. There were many things that I hoped to have included in the project, and even further down the line—ideas that I hope would leave a lasting impression in the industry—but naturally, when planning a project of this sort, there will be things you have to reimagine and rejig to avoid compromising on the bigger picture.
Of the briefs you saw, were there any in particular that really stood out to you?
Of all the briefs I had set for The Creator Quest workshop, I would have to say the Fashion brief was the most interesting. It was the first challenge of the day and really set the precedence for the challenges to come. I was intrigued to see the creators come out of their comfort zone and explore techniques that were perhaps new to them and their ways of working. Bringing some of them out of their comfort zone was most certainly one of the aims of that challenge. I truly believe great things happen outside of your comfort zone.
Follow Estare on Instagram: @estaregrams
Tanya Compas
How did Instagram help you make your project happen?
In short: funding. Funding for projects that support Black LGBTQ+ youth are already far and few between, but this number dramatically decreases when the project is working with a small number of youth and thus doesn’t look as ‘sexy’ as the projects that can state they’ve worked with hundreds or thousands of young people. My work as a youth worker has always focused on low numbers and high impact, prioritising the depth of the experience for the young person versus the amount of people that attend. So, for Instagram to trust in the process and trust in the impact that cannot be measured—as of yet—meant a lot, especially to the youth who were a part of the project.
Obviously, this was more about you sharing your expertise and giving tools to the next generation, but what did you learn from this process?
I actually learnt a lot, more specifically around project planning and management and how to map out the needs and steps of a project in a way that is clear for all parties and people involved in making the project happen. I usually work alone and because of my ADHD, I can find it hard to articulate what’s going on in my head and make it comprehensible to other people. But working so closely with the team at IG and having them take on board the areas I need support with because of my ADHD and make adjustments for it, showed me that it is possible. I’ve already seen the direct impact of this on how I work with Exist Loudly, too.
How did your project evolve as you took it from your initial concept to the finished outcome? Or did it turn out as expected?
The initial concept, in all honesty, was not too different from the outcome. In terms of the general structure, however, as with all of my youth projects, it’s only when you start mapping out the community involved that you really start to see a project come alive. I always knew I wanted to work with youth from outside of London, I also knew this was going to make it a lot harder than if I was to just deliver programming from youth from London that I already work with through Exist Loudly.
It was a challenge, but it was so worth it! ERASURE ended up being a million times better than I could have ever envisioned and the proof is in the relationships and confidence I’ve since seen grow from the project. From our creative lead, Donnie, DJing at one of our young people, Kolade Ladipo’s launch event for his Black queer collective ‘Noir Gaze’ based in Liverpool, to seeing Koi at Exist Loudly events and Nali moving to London as she took on an internship at Gay Times—honestly, it’s impact that cannot be expected nor measured, but the outcome always exceeds any expectations.
What sort of skills did you teach in the boot camp? Were there any up-and-comers that particularly impressed you?
All of the young people of the ERASURE cohort impressed us. The skills we focused on throughout the programme were confidence, community and creativity, all of which the young people grew in and excelled at. Koi is taking the social media world by storm as a face and voice of Black LGBTQ+ Gen Z’ers and is a fierce model; Kolade is doing bits with his Noire Gaze collective, and his confidence networking with the Instagram team was truly inspirational; Jesu is using his Instagram platform as a true ambassador for inter-cultural relationships and community with his collective, The Blacker The Berry Project, bringing together Black LGBTQ+ people and creatives from across the UK and Portugal through events and digital storytelling; and seeing Nali connect with other young Black LGBTQ+ creatives throughout the programme and seeing those friendships flourish whilst she took on her internship in London with Gay Times has been great to see, too.
Follow Tanya on Instagram: @tanyacompas