Last week marked the soft launch of AFRICA HOUSE, an event that brought together over 300 industry leaders, artists, and cultural tastemakers for a night that celebrated the bridge between Africa, the Caribbean, and the diaspora.
AFRICA HOUSE opened its doors to a select circle of cultural shapers and creative minds at the event that coincided with the famous Notting Hill Carnival. The soft launch in London was a celebration of connection — between Africa and the Caribbean, between legacy and innovation, between the diaspora and the continent.
The Manor caught up with Jade Kelly Wilson, Head of Music & Culture at Africa Creative Agency, to delve deeper into what AFRICA HOUSE is all about.
The Manor: What inspired the Africa House concept and how does it stand out from other pop-ups?
Jade Kelly Wilson: Africa House has launched as the culture arm of Africa Creative Agency, an entertainment and talent management company based in South Africa but which has a presence in LA, Kenya, London and Lagos. As someone who has spent a lot of time in other African countries, I recognise that the need for cross-collaboration is more important than ever. Africa House is a space for African creatives to connect and build long-lasting bridges where we can explore what creative exchanges look like right now, but also in future.
It’s great that the global appetite for what’s happening on the continent is bigger than ever, but we have a responsibility to build infrastructure that honours and preserves the culture and people at the heart of this movement. Africa House is not one place or a once-off event, but instead a nomadic cultural hub that will continue to build and grow as we take it all over the world.
Although referred to as a “members club”, it is not meant to exclude or limit access. Instead we are building a place for African creatives to band together and establish an increasingly impactful presence across the continent, but also in the global west.
The Manor: What made London during Notting Hill Carnival weekend the right moment for the soft launch?
JKW: At the core of what we do at ACA is developing and exporting African talent. The need for cultural collectives and hubs that not only focus on the extraction of talent but more on the exchange of ideas is something that we have always wanted to create. AFRICA HOUSE is the perfect vehicle for us to do that.
Activating in a different country also means joining hands with partners who not only understand your vision, but who are entrenched in the region you want to connect with. High Roller is a London-based agency (Recessland, No Signal) who have been pioneers for the last decade when it comes to live events in London. For us, LVRN have already been great partners for us on the continent and have done their fair share of building African talent in the UK market. Audiomack has been a frontrunner in providing access to African talent and audiences alike as our genres have exploded in the global market.
The Manor: What were some of the standout moments of the night for you personally?
JKW: The mix of people in the room truly made me feel like our vision had come to life, that what we are building is something special. We had artists and DJs from South Africa, Lagos, Ghana and Kenya, every DSP in the room, executives from several majors and game-changing distributors, creative directors, photographers and event organisers. People from the sports and finance world who are at the forefront of funding and exporting African stars and ideas. Our community not only showed up but showed out when it came to the launch and this is only the beginning.
The Manor: Music, food, and drinks were all curated elements of the launch. How important is it to create a holistic experience?
JKW: Musically, we were so blessed to have a taste of everything, we had Kwamzy from Ghana who is just incredible when it comes to dance music, Jazmine Nikitta blessed us all the way from Australia who played during the most gorgeous sunset, Lucia Kaila kicked us off with some sexy Alte sounds and Super Mids (UK) had guests dancing the night away to end the event.
For the food, we had The Suya Pit come in and create a delicious Afro-canape menu, and Hennessy had us covered on the bar with a range of carnival-inspired cocktails. Creating a space where tastes, sounds and sights remind guests of home, regardless of where they are in the world, is central to the Africa House experience. We want to offer the known with the new, and throw in something unexpected to top it all off.
