A freelance worker from Elephant and Castle set up a new online hub for women, queer, and non-binary artists to learn from each other while weathering the impact of the pandemic.
Veronica Asenso Afriyie said the idea behind the network had been ‘lingering’ for over a year but COVID-19 was the ‘spark’ that finally saw her put it into action.
STUDIO 27° is a growing community of people from backgrounds traditionally under-represented in the creative industries.
She says her aims for the platform are to help tackle racial and gender inequalities, and for freelancers and small businesses to support each other and share tools and learning resources.
It is also a way for beneficiaries or booking agents to find artists to commission, and provide support during the continued impact of COVID-19 on creative sectors.
“My experience working as a freelancer has been a bumpy ride and the pandemic was merely a grave reminder that things needed to change drastically,” she told the News.
“My desire to feel a sense of belonging during this uncertain time made me realise that creatives need each other more than ever before.”
The platform is already used by artists all over the world with people signing up in the UK, Netherlands, New York, Oslo & Bergen in Norway, Italy, France, Belgium, Romania and India.
Veronica is part of the Crowdfund for Change programme from Business Launchpad UK and Crowdfund 360.
Her Crowdfunder launched on Tuesday, October 6, to help develop the platform further and support its running costs.
Follow her on Instagram to find out more @27de.grees