Usurp Art, a BAME led arts group, launched its arts space and studios in 2010, the first public art gallery and affordable artist studios in Harrow. We create experiences for culturally and neurodiverse communities, artists, musicians, scientists, poets, filmmakers, activists, writers, performers and designers to come together and create. Open to experimental ideas in all media, we support creatives to collaborate in research and action, and actively encourage a wide range of audiences to participate in the creation of artworks that challenge conformity, prejudice and discrimination. Regenerating and converting a classic suburban 1930’s butcher’s shop, we have created an arts hub for meeting, learning, empowering, exchange and thinking. Usurp is the only professional artist-led, multi art form venue in Harrow, a London borough with a dynamic demographic of the most diverse languages spoken in the UK and over 60% BAME population. We are proud of our broad diversity and are led by a queer, black / Asian founder. Since 2012, Usurp is an accredited member of, Film Hub London, Grow Wild, the BFI Audience Network and is a BFI neighbourhood cinema. It was the first to introduce Arts Award to the borough, training 12 people as accredited Advisers and our creative learning projects have been graded by Ofsted as “excellent and outstanding”.
Trustees: Denesh Bhabuta, Poulomi Desai, Manjit Rooprah, Margaret Trotter, Simon Underwood.
Administrator: Kiran Shah
Associate Artists and gallery support group: Najma Akhtar, Seth Ayyaz, Steve Beresford, Neelu Bhuman, Paul Chivers, Suman Buchar, Kwesi Darko, Aniruddha Das, Jonas Gustafsson, James Holcombe, Reynir Hutber, Matt Jordan, Natalie Leer, Nikki Lucas, Sba Shaikh, Seema Sodhi, Simon Underwood.
Our aims are to:
- Support and nurture artistic experimentation and exploration.
- Facilitate collaborations and discussions between artists and communities.
- Provide facilities and genuine affordable studio space for artists to work individually and collaboratively across art forms and discourses.
- Offer training and professional development to artists and organisations.
- Engage audiences with diverse and risk-taking arts practices.
- Challenge prejudice and discrimination, and make a positive contribution to our environment.
- Provide creative learning opportunities to local people of all ages and from a range of economic, social and cultural backgrounds.
Usurp Art thanks all the partners, communities, schools and organisations we have worked with for their support. Usurp Art is a registered charity – number: 1183720.