About Us
What do we do?
Skin Deep makes space for Black creatives and creatives of colour to work towards justice through cultural production. Through our live events, online platform and print magazine, we build capacity for artists and activists in London and globally to think beyond crisis and survival, and dream of just futures.
Our small team of skilled writers, filmmakers, editors and artists delivers high impact, high production value work. We have been commissioned by Southbank Centre, ICA, Roundhouse, Barbican, Tate Modern and Bush Theatre.
We are a Black and POC-led creative organisation that occupies a unique space in the media and arts landscape. We produce and curate work that is hopeful and that aims to move narratives beyond short news cycles. We take the long view, tapping into deeper currents that flow from generations past to worlds yet to come, both in the stories we facilitate and tell, and in the relationships we build with contributors, partners and our wider community.
Why do we do it?
All the work that we produce, curate and support adhere to our core values at Skin Deep. We are interested in long-term meaningful change for Black communities and communities of colour that goes way beyond diversity. By connecting the work and lives of communities living in the diaspora and in the global south, we are creating a network of creatives that is generative, strengthening and nourishing.
The people we collaborate with are like our family, so our relationships are committed and reciprocal. We want the work we do to contribute to a different kind of scaffolding, the kind that builds capacity, redistributes resources, and contributes to a legacy of hope, justice and creativity.
Ultimately we do this work to create spaces where Black and POC communities can dream, vision and grow in all directions.
How do we do it?
The work we do is three-fold. We curate and produce a high quality artistic annual print publication. It may be old school but we believe in the physical archive! We want contribute to a long legacy of creative work by our communities in a form that is tangible and can’t be lost in the digital world.
Our live public events, where we bring people together in themed, collaborative knowledge-sharing spaces, are probably what we love most. We have our homegrown signature events, like our Sonic Transmissions series, but we are also commissioned by large (and small) arts institutions to curate and produce live events in their spaces.
And finally, we have our digital work, multimedia projects and stand-alone pieces that live on our website and across the internet. In the coming months, we will be working towards an online platform that best displays the expansiveness of this work.
Who do we work with?
We work collaboratively with musicians, artists, writers, dancers, poets, filmmakers, designers, architects, organisers, activists, community leaders, policy-makers and social justice workers of any kind.
No space is too big or too small for us. We’ve worked with theatres, galleries, museums, music venues, arts institutions and community-led spaces.
Who is Skin Deep for?
Although we are London-based, our community and our reach is global. The work we produce, the spaces we curate and the networks we build are for Black people, people of colour, and aspiring allies who work at the intersection of justice and culture.
Who are we?
Skin Deep has four co-directors: Anu Henriques, Sylvia Hong, Nkenna Akunna, and Georgie Johnson. See below for who to speak to about what.
We work alongside magic humans like Lina Abushouk (co-founder and editor in chief for five years, who built Skin Deep from the ground up) and Tobi Kyeremateng (our Sonic Transmissions series producer).
Special shout out to all those who have helped build Skin Deep over the years: Edna Mohamed, Mend Mariwany, Arieh Frosh and Ciáran Christopher.
(We’re assembling a board of advisors soon, watch this space!)
ANU HENRIQUES
Anu co-founded Skin Deep back in 2014. She has worked across all areas of the organisation – print, online and live events – but has a soft spot for hosting our Sonic Transmissions series. She is currently developing Skin Deep’s upcoming collaborative documentary on environmental justice. In the other half of her life she works in development for Fable Pictures. She is most proud of her role as Associate Director on Rocks (2020), a collaborative film about the joy of sisterhood.
Email me if you want to talk about… fundraising, print, events & workshops, radical visionary organisational infrastructures, or the environmental justice film.
Email: anu@skindeepmag.com
Instagram: @anuhenriques
Watch the trailer for Rocks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NULP0s2FhPE
SYLVIA HONG
Gemini sun, Sylvia has been making Skin Deep beautiful and sexy since 2014 across print, digital, and live events like Sonic Transmissions. She is currently building the video department, from rebooting the Skin Deep Meets interview series to developing new concepts. As the other twin, she works as a freelance producer for commercials and fashion editorial videos. She directs music videos, and hopefully soon feature films.
Email me if you want to talk about… anything to do with visual design (print & digital), film and video production, event curation or upgrading our website.
Email: sylvia@skindeepmag.com
Instagram: @sylviasuli
Check out Sylvia’s other work here: http://sylviasuli.com/
NKENNA AKUNNA
Nkenna has been writing and editing for Skin Deep since 2015, and working to expand the organisation’s culture networks and content since 2018. She leads online editorial, including our written interview series Skin Deep Meets. She is a playwright, currently based in Providence, Rhode Island and missing London every day.
Email me if you want to talk about… Black Creatives Fund, writing for Skin Deep online, pitching creative projects, or Skin Deep Meets
Email: nkenna@skindeepmag.com
Twitter: @nkenna_akunna
Instagram: @nkenna_akunna
nkennaakunna.com
GEORGIE JOHNSON
Georgie has been editing online and print work for Skin Deep since 2015. She loves working on the print, she ruthlessly keeps team meetings to time, and is currently working on Skin Deep’s upcoming collaborative documentary on environmental justice. In her spare time Georgie is the Multimedia Editor at Unearthed, Greenpeace’s investigative journalism unit. She’s always working at being a better ally.
Email me if you want to talk about… our environmental justice film, upgrading our website, social media, fundraising, allyship.
Email: georgie@skindeepmag.com
Twitter: @georgiefjohnson
Check out Georgie’s work at Unearthed: https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/author/georgiejohnson/
Follow Skin Deep on twitter, facebook and instagram for updates.