Disrupt Space is a contemporary Black arts agency established to represent emerging visual artists. We manage artists and through our events programme, connect them to collectors and people passionate about art. Disrupt Space represents artists in business transactions and supports them on their creative journey to be the best artist they can be.
ADDRESS
Disrupt Space Ltd
81 Broadfield Road
Catford
London SE6 1NQ
FROM THE FOUNDER
The disruption has started!
Disrupt Space was founded in 2019 by Paul Reid, former Director of the UK’s first national Black heritage institution, Black Cultural Archives, and Legacy Gala Lifetime Achievement Award winner in the category of Leading Black Excellence (Cultural Custodian). As the Founder of Disrupt Space, Paul shares the philosophy and passion driving the agency:
“On a panel discussion the question to define 'Black art' was asked. An irritated Artist replied. He didn't want to be put in the 'Black artist' box. He creates what comes through him. The disruption had started!
As the appreciation of art is highly subjective, I tend to avoid purely aesthetic judgement and instead focus on the wider context; the artistic intention and whether or not I can feel the energy in the work.
Disrupt Space celebrates Artists who are on a creative journey to express themselves and do so in response to their view of the world. The Black art that is most compelling to us speaks to the politics of struggle, representation and identity. Art that has the energy to empower, to transform, to affect change.
We seek-out Artists and works of art with energy. The types of art that challenges the mainstream. Art that, by its existence, by-passes the cultural bias that otherwise has us prostrating to a European worldview.
The inspiration to create Disrupt Space is born of Black community activism. To be specific, it is the self expression of the African Diaspora through the lens of contemporary Black art. Disrupt Space is activism through art.
On a personal note, this radical streak underlying our work has been consistent throughout my entire career, hence the company name, Disrupt Space. This tendency to ‘enter’ and ‘change’ for the better is hardwired in my DNA. The collective of Artists on our books chime with these sentiments.
All the Artists championed by Disrupt Space have this transformative energy in their work. The disruption that we cause is multi-faceted. Our activation process enters, consults and re-imagines as we prepare for the memorable experiences that we carefully curate. By doing so, our guests are exposed to experiences in spaces that are not known for these activations.
We take this approach because rules can perpetuate inequality, which means that for many Black people. We often feel repelled, locked-out and not welcomed.
The change we need to make is to value our creativity and take up all the key functions in the production cycle. We need to establish a Black arts industry in the UK; to consciously construct an eco system for greater access, penetration and ownership.
Key to this is to get behind our Artists by increasing the number of people collecting Black art.
Strategically, we get behind our Artists by collecting their work to increase their profile. And in so doing, the works of art assist us to bring our stories and narrative to greater prominence, thereby fulfilling the mission”
