Artists at Risk (AR) listening session
With Grammo Suspect – Rainbow Ambassador & Timeka Suspect
Monday 18 Oct 2021
2–4pm (Helsinki Time)
Please join us for our next listening session organised by Artists at Risk (AR) with Grammo Suspect – Rainbow Ambassador Kenya and Timeka Suspect. This hybrid-event takes place at PUBLICS and is also accessible via Zoom with registration (email: [email protected])
Grammo Suspect – Rainbow Ambassador Kenya is a rapper, spoken-word poet, activist and the founder of Rainbow Talent Kenya, a project which aims to uplift the voices of marginalised LGBTQI+ groups in Kenya. Timeka Suspect is a music video producer & director and works closely with Grammo as her manager, producer, director and partner.
This listening session offers an insight to Grammo’s and Timeka’s work who as lyrical and pictorial activists are fighting to give support and visibility to people who, like them, suffer for their sexuality. As openly lesbian artists in Kenya, Grammo and Timeka have faced discrimination, harassment and death threats and have been forced to repeatedly relocate for their own safety.
In addition to sharing their experiences, upcoming plans and dreams, the event on Monday includes an a capella performance by Grammo who recently released her third album SEXY featuring tracks on the topic of love and romance.
Artists at Risk (AR) is a non-profit network institution at the intersection of human rights and the arts. AR is dedicated to mapping the field of persecuted art practitioners, facilitating their safe passage from their countries of origin, hosting them at AR-Residencies and curating related projects.
Artists at Risk was invited by PUBLICS to organise a small gathering as part of the Open Up cultural project and Parahosting Laboratory including listening and reading sessions and talks with cultural workers and independent non-profit initiatives. The idea is that by gathering different individuals and organisations together to listen to each other’s concerns and points of interest, institutional knowledge can grow wider, and more sustainable collaborative methods can be found. Open Up is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme.
