We are delighted to announce the artists selected for the (Algo|Afro) Futures programme, which goes live at Vivid Projects this May.

Rosa Francesca, Emily Mulenga, Samir Saunders and Jae Tallawah are the four artists who will be approaching live coding from a diverse range of practices including spoken word, digital art and electronic music, mentored by the fantastic duo Antonio Roberts and Alex Maclean.

Meet the artists…

Rosa Francesca (she/her) is a digital artist from Leamington Spa whose work focuses on the themes of the body and accessibility. Rosa often experiments with biofeedback and facial recognition to find innovative ways for people with limited mobility to make music and art.

Emily Mulenga (she/her) is a mixed media artist using visuals and sound that draw upon video games, cartoons and the internet. Her practice explores themes of capitalism, feminism, technology and existential anxieties.

Samir Saunders (he/they) is a mixed media poet based in Birmingham. Their work consists of experimental digital, page and video poetry, and spoken word performance, examining the tension between a desire to communicate authentically and the limitations of technology

Jae Tallawah (they/them) is a ferociously Brummy, Neurodivergent, Non-binary, Queer, multidisciplinary artist. Jae’s practice explores the transformative power of affirmations  – through music production, visual art and bespoke workshops tailored to communities that need it the most.

The project runs here at Vivid Projects in Birmingham and online. It was developed and is being delivered by mentors Antonio Roberts and Alex McLean, two leading artists within the UK and international live coding scene.

(Algo | Afro) Futures is organised with Foam Kernow and Vivid Projects, in collaboration with and funded by the UKRI research project ‘Music and the Internet: Towards a Digital Sociology of Music’.