6.30 –8.30pm
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97-99 Hoxton Street, London N1 6QL
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In association with Onyeka Igwe’s exhibition history is a living weapon in yr hand, Peer hosted a conversation with film curator Dr June Givanni and filmmaker, curator, and DJ, Rabz Lansiquot about the role film has played in Black British activism.

This event was as part of Peer’s academic partnership with MA Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Art, University of the Arts London.


Biographies:

Dr June Givanni is a pioneering international film curator who has considerable experience in film and broadcasting for over 40 years and she is regarded as a resource for African and African diaspora cinema. The development of the June Givanni Pan African Cinema Archive (JGPACA) is based on her collections from years of working in the field of cinema. Her motivation for the archive is to make this valuable heritage collection as widely accessible as possible. Notable works include the JGPACA's major exhibition, PerAnkh, at Raven Row Gallery. In 2023, June received a BAFTA for her outstanding contribution to British Cinema in February 2024.

Rabz Lansiquot is a filmmaker, programmer, curator, and DJ. They are one half of Languid Hands, a London-based artistic and curatorial collaboration alongside artist and writer Imani Mason Jordan. The duo explore collaboration, curation, black study and experimentation across exhibitions, moving image, text, performance, publications and public programming. In 2023, Rabz curated Across-Over-Beyond, a group exhibition showcasing the work of 20 trans* artists at SS65, London, as part of the extended programme for Fringe Queer Film & Arts Festival. Rabz is currently convener of the BA module Diversity in British Film & Media with the University of Pittsburgh at Birkbeck (2023/4) and has previously lectured on Black Liberatory Cinema for the MFA at Goldsmiths UoL (2022/3). They are the author of ‘Circumventing the Spectacle of Black Trauma In Practice’ published in Black Film British Cinema II (Goldsmiths Press, 2021).

Mahalia Sobers: The politics, cultures, and creative outlets of the Black diaspora, in particular the Black British diaspora are at the foundation of Mahalia’s curatorial practice. She strives to uplift the community through curation, facilitation, collaboration and education. With a particular interest in addressing the intersectional identities within the diaspora, acknowledging stories that are misunderstood or misrepresented.

Lily Tanprasert graduated from BFA Communication Design at Chulalongkorn University. Currently continuing her studies in MA Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Art – University of the Arts London. She is currently an independent curator based in Bangkok, Thailand. She mainly focuses and works with diaspora artists, culture, and identity.
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Wanjing Lin is a curator, graduated from China Academy of Art and is currently studying MA Curating and Collections at UAL. Her work focuses on curating moving image art, with a particular interest in exploring diasporic experiences, decolonial theory, and the identity politics of marginalised communities. In 2023, her team curatorial project was shortlisted for the Mead Fellowship and the Apex International Open Call.

Yining Bai graduated from Ewha Womans University in South Korea with a bachelor's degree in fashion industry and is currently studying for a master's degree (MA Curating and Collections). She is interested in textile art, especially the combination of traditional handicrafts and contemporary art, and hopes to explore the possibilities of textile art in cultural inheritance and innovation through curation.