As the year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the many forms resistance can take. For some, simply rising each morning is an act of defiance against systems that would prefer us invisible. For others, choosing rest and nourishment is equally radical, as Sepake reminded us so beautifully in her Note on Rest
Ashley Holmes with Skylarking vinyl
Right now, my favourite acts of resistance are twofold: one rooted in community, the other deeply personal. Both are bound by the possibility of transformation.
In a climate of fear, hatred and division, particularly for Black and Global Majority peoples, building community is a way to save ourselves. As bell hooks wrote, “One of the most vital ways we sustain ourselves is by building communities of resistance, places where we know we are not alone.” Walking into iniva’s doors this year, I felt this truth immediately.
The Stuart Hall Library embodies this spirit. Surrounded by its world-class collection, you cannot help but feel changed, physically, emotionally, even at the level of DNA. The shelves speak across generations and geographies, reminding us of the vital role Black and Global Majority artists have played in shaping the global arts ecology. You don’t even need to read (though you’ll want to); simply being there is nourishment.
This year has been one of transitions and transformations. I was honoured to step into the role of Interim Artistic Director while Sepake takes a well-earned sabbatical. She will return in the spring to lead a major new project, but until then I have been immersed in the extraordinary work of iniva.
Among this year’s highlights are:
Visitor reading a zine from the Global Resiliencies showcase
- The Stuart Hall Library’s New Vinyl Collection Project launched in March, exploring experimental sound, cultural narratives, and sonic art expressions. The collection includes rare vinyl by the likes of Linton Kwesi Johnson, Shamica Ruddock, and Brazilian punk-funk duo Tetine, bringing new energy to our archive.
- Visualising Contemporary Art Histories, supported by the BFI National Lottery Screen Heritage Fund, illuminating underrepresented voices from the Global Majority, particularly the Global South, while preserving iniva’s rich moving image archive.
- Global Resiliencies, which centred on activist zines produced between 2010 and 2022. An evolving showcase rather than a static exhibition, this programme included a powerful collaboration with the RCA Palestine Society, and created a new zine documenting efforts for Palestinian liberation and resistance to genocide (curated by Beatriz Lobo and Charlotte Mui, on until February 2025).
- Dub Encyclopaedia by Antonio José Guzman and Iva Jankovic, an immersive installation that wove indigo‑dyed textiles, sound, and performance into a living archive of diasporic memory. The show, which also formed part of the Concrete Roots series for Liverpool Biennial 2025, became a constellation of storytelling, pedagogy, and resistance, leaving a lasting imprint in the Stuart Hall Library collection and reminding us that archives are not static, but living spaces of transformation.
Dub Encyclopaedia closing performance ‘AfroBinary: Sonic Memories & Diasporic Data’ by artists Antonio José Guzman and Iva Jankovic at the Stuart Hall Library.
These projects remind us that it is not enough to write, perform or even imagine ourselves into history, we must also archive ourselves, ensuring our voices endure.
We need to hold close the themes of alignment, resistance, and archive. They are not just ideas but practices that sustain us, individually and collectively. Whether through community, rest, or creative expression, each act of resistance is also an act of care.
Thank you to all of our audiences/supporters, artists and partners for being part of iniva’s journey this year. The iniva team is small but mighty, and we need your support. Please do also consider donating to help to secure our future.
iniva staff & artists Antonio José Guzman and Iva Jankovic at Dub Encyclopaedia
May this season bring you warmth, nourishment, and the courage to continue transforming the world around us.
Azieb Pool, Interim Artistic Director
