Wassifa Inspire

Wassifa Inspire is one of the newest projects created under the Mykal Wassifa Brown CIC umbrella. The ethos of the project is to identify spaces not commonly accessed by the African Caribbean Community. Wassifa Inspire uses the new environment as a blank canvas, to skilfully exhibit artistic representations of iconic features and characteristics birthed within the African Caribbean Community.

Wassifa Inspired Soho House

The first space occupied by Wassifa Inspire was at Soho House; more famously known as the home to Matthew Boulton. BMAG (Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery) provided the space for Wassifa Inspire and Ladywood Arts Forum to create a community exhibition for a two month period. The project provided a platform for community artists to exhibit their work and also built a traditional front room exhibition.

Meaningful partnerships for meaningful engagement

Wassifa Inspire develops partnerships with large organisations that often face difficulty in successfully engaging the African Caribbean Community. Wassifa Inspire's role in these partnerships is to act as a gateway to encourage the African Caribbean Community to exercise its right to enjoy and participate in new spaces. Likewise, the project introduces the organisations current client base to African Caribbean heritage through high standard artistic initiatives.

Canal adoption and new partnerships

Wassifa Inspire's flagship space is situated on the British Waterways. The project has officially adopted three miles of Canal through the Canal and Rivers Trust. This beautiful stretch of Canal starts at Monumont Road Bridge on the Birmingham Mainline through to the Brasshouse Bridge in Smethwick. Within the first six months of adoption, Wassifa Inspire has developed a series of new partnerships with large organisations such as Network Rail, Fire Service and Cycle Revolution. This has seen promises of training; new bikes, environmental work, commissioned artwork and a commitment to support activities aimed at encouraging the African Caribbean Community to utilise this new space.

Nature; heritage, arts and culture

Wassifa Inspire creatively uses the waterways to develop a fusion of nature; heritage, arts and culture. This near perfect, unfamiliar space provides a peaceful space of serenity and an opportunity to build a source of holistic wellbeing within the inner-city. Wassifa Inspire is determined to create an African Caribbean Arts Exhibition on the waterways.