1. Who are you?

I’m Nima and my pronouns are they/she, I grew up in Berlin and am mainly based in Glasgow. I am an artist in collaboration and I also advise on access for equality and diversity, though I am no expert myself other than continuing the conversations most people don’t want to have – while I’m still and always learning more about this myself as I go - yikes! I try to find humorous ways of addressing white supremacy within my own work, but transparent direct ways of doing so in the room as a consultant in order to listen and continue to decolonise my own practice and the environments I engage with.

I have a secret / not secret daydream of how incredible it would be if more (white) people engaged with refusing to identify as white and uncovering white supremacy and how it affects them. So that race is not just a subject for those who it oppresses. Maybe then also…more Black and Brown folk could choose if they wanted to make work about race… maybe then also race could become a subject that is not always the fundamentally avoided one…for me what I’ve learned is that black identity is in itself queer so for me these things are not separated and actually for a lot of people they are not. Please follow and look up these incredible artists and activists for example

Travis Alabanza, ALOK and Munroe Bergdorf …if you’re not already! I hope more young people find it exciting to talk about the complexity of identity to explore privilege and oppression as most of us are on a spectrum of both.

2. How did you get here?

I got here through Drew and Fraser, I think they thought I have something to offer :) . Usually gender is more exciting for people to talk about or think about than race, even though both are oppressive and constructed. I am interested in the really complex stuff (mainly because I didn’t have a choice) as you can tell, in order to communicate, create and be in touch with nuances, intricacies and details within identity… This informs expression impacting on resisting binary / resisting one way resolutions or identifiers of oneself and others. I try to create opportunities for other artists with most of any gigs I get, this makes sure I am creating a kind of web of abundance and sustainability as much as I can… also because my ideas usually involve creating with other creatives.

My two main big babies I’ve birthed so far are Beige B*tch which was my first solo – not solo - show and an experimental documentary performative video screening called moving through shadows for National Theatre of Scotland’s Dear Europe event. I’ve previously worked with BUZZCUT, The Work Room, Tramway, Take Me Somewhere, Project X, GSA Design Domain, RCS Fair Access, Frascati Theatre in Amsterdam, Live Art Developments Agency, Live Art UK, Diverse Actions and Arts Admin in London. In Berlin and Germany with Sophiensaele, Berliner Festspiele for the National Youth Theatre festival. I assisted Stewart Laing and Pamela Carter for The End of Eddy through an FST Bursary for assistant directors.

3. What does the concept of sanctuary mean to you?

It invokes a sense of peace and serenity as well as freedom for creative expression, a fluidity and at the same time something grounding

4. What does your sanctuary look like?

It looks like a walking up a mountain, swimming in a river and or the sea, being outside. And most of all eating and dancing together with loved ones

Photo Credit: Daniel Hughes