If you find yourself wondering “what can I do?” while witnessing the uprise of voices and protests in support of Black lives in the UK and around the world. The answer is simple – an endless amount. Get vocal and protest, donate to charities and organisations challenging racism, educate yourself on the vast history of racial injustice institutionally and beyond, and of course, spend your money on Black businesses.
Best of all, Brighton is an abundant source of Black talent. From business owners to musicians, photographers, artists, writers, poets, and creatives. And it doesn’t take more than a quick glance to see how the Brighton Black community sticks together to uplift one another and fight for their rights. Support this community right now by checking out their work online, investing in their businesses, or at the very least supporting their socials by following them. We know we have just scratched the surface of Brighton’s Black community of creators and entrepreneurs, so please send your suggestions our way as we will be updating this post regularly.
Black Talent to Support in Brighton
Seigfried Seigfried is “an independent music + art start-up composed of like-minded creatives, DJs & producers based/commuting between Brighton & London” whose “aim is to connect people by offering unforgettable experiences through meaningful music without losing the fun.” You can easily check out some of their incredible podcasts and radios here, or better yet buy their merch here.
Artist Anon Created in 2012, Artist Anon prides itself on “representing Brighton through branded apparel and clothing.” According to Danny Passey, “owner Mars is as awesome as his products.” Purchase Artist Anon’s bamboo and wood sunglasses, men, women, and kid apparel and accessories online here.
QM Records QM Records is “a Brighton based label/events company founded and ran by Ned and Nicholson from the band Normanton Street.” You can find the label’s events in local music venues like “Green Door Store, Mesmerist, Patterns, Rialto Theatre, Old Blue Last, Hoxton Bar and Grill.” Also, “2020 saw the label get behind Brighton based Dutch future star Kymara launching her debut single ‘You.’” Check out their upcoming events here, and you can book their music studio & rehearsal space for just 10 pounds an hour once it is running as usual again.
MMW Studios Run by the talented artist Mrisi, MMW Studios offers a recording studio to hire, piano tutoring, and logic x, rap/songwriting, and live performance workshops. This studio company has it all. Interested in booking your space? Send them a DM on Instagram or on their Facebook page.
Star Performance Founder Tara Elie wants to boost your confidence in every way possible through her Star Performance business. From offering businesses professional development training courses, to coaching one-on-one, to even offering personal fitness training. Tara utilises her “performance background to make engaging and valuable workshops” that create “lasting change in individuals and organisations.”
Tough Cookie Magazine This mixed-media magazine gives “a platform to marginalized voices & minorities to share their stories & art” in order to “talk about & tackle Stigma-Smashing Subjects and push forward an open & judgement-free conversation across the board.” Not only is the content hard-hitting and engrossing, but it is also beautifully illustrated. The magazine has just released more copies to purchase – yay! You can buy the Tough Cookie Mag here.
Mobile App Solutions “Mobile App Solutions is making mobile apps affordable and simple for small businesses. They are a do-it-yourself iPhone, iPad, HTML5, and Android app platform that allows any small business to simultaneously create, edit, and manage mobile apps online without any programming knowledge needed.” If you are interested in learning more about the business you can request a free demo app here.
Dough Lover Diner Dough Lover Diner does things differently. They ensure every aspect of their business is approached with careful consideration. For example, they make their own organic nut milk, only use coconut oil and butter for frying, and use a fraction of the sugar traditionally to make their cakes, biscuits and cookies. Not to mention, “everything is gluten free even [their] sourdough bread.” The list goes on and on. But “what really makes [them] unique” is their team. Their tenacity to make great work inspires us and we can’t wait to try their food via home deliveries soon.
Burger Brothers The burgers coming out of this joint are legendary. They are rated a perfect five stars with 1,377 reviews! Multiple reviews refer to the burger as the “best ever.” Furthermore, read this hilarious, yet insightful, review to fully understand what makes them so great. Personally, I can’t wait to stand in line when they open again in the next couple of weeks to try one myself.
Dutch Pot Dutch Pot owner Luke “found a love for the Caribbean through [his Jamaican born] Grandfather.” With visits to Jamaica to learn “authentic Caribbean cooking techniques; spices, flavours, ingredients, meat smoking” and his background in catering, Luke has been able to bring delicious food to Brightonians. He makes it his mission to “not be beaten on price, customer service, value for money” when “providing an authentic Caribbean experience.”
Le Baobab Cuisine Offering “a taste of gourmet cuisine from Senegal, all prepared on-site by Chef Abdoulaye Gaye,” Le Baobab’s food is made with “special African ingredients – from smoked fish to gombos, yam, peppers and spices.” Also, La Baobab Cuisine prides itself on its hospitality, after all, “Senegal is the country of Teranga, meaning hospitality.” Manager Julia informed me that the team is currently considering how they can utilise outdoor spaces to cater to social distancing measures and fill the bellies of their customers who they miss dearly. They promise to keep their customers up to date on when they will reopen via their Facebook page.
Directors Notes Tessa Ambrosio recommended Director Notes to us as it has “been a lifesaver for [her] through lockdown.” Since 2006, Directors Notes has “scoured the globe for the very best that independent cinema has to offer, whilst sharing the inspiration and production stories behind the filmmaking of some of the world’s most talented directors. Eclectic in its tastes, Directors Notes is where you can find the most cutting-edge films regardless of genre, length or technique.” Tessa also pointed out how the company is currently “doing a series of curated shorts that revolve around a certain theme (cults, etc),” and that this past weekend it addressed the Black Lives Matter movement.
Africa House Personally, having been to Africa House many times, I can confidently say this coffee shop is amazing. Not only is the space gorgeous in design, but the staff is also so kind and welcoming. “Where possible, everything is either sustainably sourced from Africa or is made according to traditional African recipes.” Their team wants to share “a part of Africa with you” and they believe “a single sip or bite can transport you to another world.” We can’t wait to “enjoy the many tastes of Africa” again. Best of all, they even have a library of books “available to all who visit.”
G&K Heating With a 4.9/5 star Google review rating, G&K Heating is definitely the busness you want to use for your heating and plumbing needs. Their “team of certified, qualified, and highly professional installation engineers work throughout the Brighton area to install brand new boilers” with both commercial and domestic customers. Give them a ring at 01273 457742 to get a boiler quote right away.
Mama Bubble’s Kitchen Mama Bubble’s Kitchen delivers “delicious home-cooked meals to your home in Brighton & Hove.” Their food is “lovingly made from scratch” and looks absolutely divine. With menu options ranging from African soups (like Egusi, Okro, and Ogbono) to chicken served with coconut, jollof, or fried rice – you will feel so fulfilled. Owner Winnie deeply “enjoys feeding people [as she] think that’s [her] way of nurturing relationships, showing warmth, being there for [her] loved ones in times of happiness or sadness” and we are certain that rings true in her food.
Streetfunk Streetfunk “is the South Coast’s biggest and most successful street dance school based in Sussex from 4yrs+.” The school “teaches Streetdance and Hip Hop to over 450 students weekly with the core values of dance, fun and energy.” And with street dance crews like “Young at Heart” led by 50 yrs+ and “Mums Da Word” run by mums of Brighton, it’s not hard to see why so many people love it. Learn more about their online dance tutorial package here and sign up so you can get yourself prepped to return to the studio a master.
Thirty10 Arts This multi-media production company offering services ranging from “videography, cinematography, photography, and social media marketing.” Well-known for their impressive dance videos, this talented business is definitely one to watch. You can reach them by their various social media channels including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Jade Hylton @the_hylton Self-proclaimed “BTN GAL” this writer, artist, photographer does it all and then some. Jade not only has done a truly stunning photography series “Black Brighton/Hei Chengdu” that helped me source some of the talented artists below, but she is also currently capturing the Black Lives Matter movement in Brighton. Make sure to check out her inspiring work here.
Cave Dappelle @cavedappelle With hilarious names like “LOL iS THiS A DiSCO MiX #001” and “LOL WHAT iS THiS MiX #002,” you can listen to and support Cave’s uplifting mixes here, or book this talented DJ by emailing him.
Nelson Navarro @nelsonnavarrouk Nelson recently released his amazing tune Kingdom Come he worked on with his “bandmate Brandon.” He points out “with all this quarantine jazz going on it’s nice having some goals to work towards.” It is such a jam and you can access all of his other music via his Instagram bio.
Sylvia Mwenze @sylviamwenze Craving a sexy dreamy song to slow dance to? Look no further than Sylvia’s newest release on Spotify: Alarm. If you are interested in booking this talented singer/songwriter just email here.
Subira Joy @subi_ra This talented spoken word artist and activist just wrapped their award-winning show “Joy Nduku.” It was a “poetic exploration of gender, sexuality, blackness, and what it means to be twins in a world governed by the push and pull politics of assimilation and individualism.” You can check out what they are up to now on their Instagram.
TAFF @taffmusic1 Without a doubt, TAFF’s newest song Yesterday will be playing on repeat in my personal playlist. Check out the recently released official video, and see if you can recognize your favourite Brighton spots in it here.
Darren @d.kwakuadje When Darren isn’t protesting at a Black Lives Matter march, this talented drummer/producer can be found jamming with artists like Talulah Ruby, Mrisi, and Francesca Fulmini.
Khanyisa @_khanyisajoy You can check out this impressive singer/songwriter via their Instagram and listen to them perform live during this empowering online protest hosted by BBC Music’s A.N.G. called “Black Dialogue.” Shout out to them for also helping me research local Brighton artists via their wonderfully curated “Greatness” highlight.
Please let us know of any businesses or creatives we did not include in this list, by emailing us: hello@projectsclub.co.uk