Workshop ICA Youth Collective

Through a structured series of sessions, ICA Youth Collective 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.

This year ICA Youth Collective focuses on reimagining the archive and exploring how moving image translates into print and material culture. Sessions will take place across iniva, June Givanni Pan-African Cinema Archive (JGPACA) and the Institute of Contemporary Arts (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.

Programme

• Wed 4 February 2026, 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 February 2026, 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 February 2026, 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 March 2026, 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 March 2026, 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 April 2026, 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 April 2026, 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 2026, 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 June 2026, 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.

This programme is part of iniva’s Visualising Contemporary Art Histories project, supported by the BFI Screen Heritage Fund, awarding funds from the National Lottery.

Biographies

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.

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. The ICA 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.

Further Information

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).