Five south London musicians have been appointed as resident artists to the Horniman’s 696 music programme:
696 aims to platform the cutting edge of south London’s music scene. The project focuses on championing music genres (and the people working in them) that have been disproportionately affected by bias in legislation.
During a year-long residency, Resident Artists will develop an artistic project in response to the Horniman’s collection of musical instruments which is one of the most comprehensive and exciting in the UK.
The 696 project will also include a series of live gigs, a major exhibition and a summer music festival.
The residency includes:
- A budget of up to £3,000 to develop a creative project
- Behind the scenes access to our Musical Instrument Collection
- One-to-one coaching sessions
- Access to free writing/rehearsal space
- Free and exclusive access to Museum gallery, work and performance spaces
- Bespoke digital content created about the artists and their work
- Potential performance slots at the Horniman’s summer festival in 2021, in partnership with Balamii in 2021
The Resident Artists
The five resident artists are:
London-based solo artist and musical collective member Afronaut Zu. Of Nigerian descent, Afronaut Zu’s sound and approach to music is largely shaped by cultural influences and life experiences growing up in Britain, whilst also being from the African diaspora.
DemiMa, an electronic soul artist and sonic-poet from South West London and South Africa’s eThekwini’s south coast. Inspired by nature and Afro-futurism, she presents a unique form of electronic soul fusing ‘voxstrumentals’ (live vocal looping with psychedelic effects) with English and isiZulu lyrics.
MC, singer, producer and rapper Eerf Evil. Eerf uses his experiences of growing up in Croydon to influence the content of his music, with a desire to share the freedom he has through the idea of living free.
Richie, a vocalist, trombonist and composer, born and raised in a British-Caribbean household in South East London. A classically trained musician, Richie has since the age of 16 been active on the London jazz scene, as well as performing as a sideman for international artists including Solange Knowles and Nick Waterhouse.
Musician, composer and performance artist Roxanne Tataei, from South London. Having supported artists on tour including Grace Jones and Florence & The Machine, collaborating with Mark Ronson, Paul Weller and more, and releasing critically acclaimed works, Roxanne is currently exploring her main instrument, the voice, through opera and free-form.
