She Speaks: Voices from Islington is a community-led art project celebrating women’s creativity and stories. Artists are invited to create new works inspired by real women’s experiences of identity, migration, and belonging.

She Speaks: Voices from Islington is a collaborative, community-led art project celebrating the voices and creativity of women from diverse and often underrepresented backgrounds in Islington.

The project welcomes artists working in any medium who explore themes of identity, migration, belonging, and resilience.

In its first phase, the project collected deeply personal stories from local women – stories of adaptation, strength, and hope.

We are now inviting artists to create new artworks inspired by these real stories, bringing visual form to the experiences shared by the women of Islington.

Selected artists will be paired with storytellers and invited to interpret their stories through their own creative language.

The process will be documented through short filmed moments of exchange between artists and storytellers, culminating in a public exhibition at the Islington Black Culture Centre (6–13 December 2025).

Who can apply:

• Artists aged 18 or over
• Based in or able to travel regularly to London
• Working in any contemporary medium or form of expression
• Whose practice engages with themes such as identity, migration, belonging, womanhood, or minority experience
• Open to collaboration and community-based creation

Fees & Support:

• This is a non-profit, community-based project supported by a local charity.
• There are no submission or participation fees.
• Artists are kindly asked to cover their own materials and production costs.
• The project team will provide curatorial guidance and promotion as part of the exhibition process.

Benefits for Participating Artists:

• Inclusion in a public exhibition at Islington Black Culture Centre (6–13 December 2025)
• Expected audience of 300–600 visitors, including local residents, community partners, and representatives from Islington Council
• Each artist will receive 3–5 professionally photographed images of their work on display and access to a short highlight video of the exhibition
• Artists may also be featured in project updates or promotional content shared through social media and partner channels
• A public opening event on 6 December and an Artist–Storyteller talk during the exhibition week
• Opportunities to build connections with the local community and other artists

Timeline:

• Application deadline: 21 October 2025
• Artists announced: 24 October 2025
• Creation period: November 2025
• Exhibition installation: 1–5 December 2025
• Exhibition dates: 6–13 December 2025

Artwork Sales:

This project is non-commercial and not sales-oriented.

As the artworks are created in response to real women’s stories and developed through community collaboration, they will be exhibited for public sharing and documentation rather than sale.

Artists will retain ownership of their works after the exhibition.

Marketing & Publicity:

The exhibition will be promoted through the Islington Council, the Sapphire Community Group, and the local press.

Artists will also be featured in social media posts and printed promotional materials.

Additional visibility may be provided through partner communications and local community networks.

About the Organisers:

This project is co-hosted by Sapphire Community Group and Islington Council.

Sapphire Community Group is a Black-led, not-for-profit organisation based in London, committed to empowering marginalised communities through creative education, skills development, and community-led initiatives.

Since 2015, Sapphire has delivered impactful programmes supporting young people, women, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds to access opportunities, build confidence, and create change.

Islington Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Islington.

As part of its ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Council supports local arts and cultural initiatives that uplift underrepresented voices and foster community connection.

Together, we aim to create a safe, inclusive, and creative platform where women’s stories can be shared, heard, and celebrated.

Together, let’s give visual form to the voices that shape our community.