UNVEILING 2020 Participating Artist

MariSongs is a singer-songwriter and guitarist hailing from south London. Her sweet vocals, which have been described as ‘atmospheric soul’, fill your earlobes with a blend of pop, soul, folk and alternative music. MariSongs writes songs with thought provoking lyrics that will get you thinking and bopping your head.

She is a consummate storyteller who released her debut EP ‘Heart to heart’ to a sold out audience at her launch. MariSongs has also played in countries such as France, Australia, Argentina and Switzerland. In addition, she has performed live in Tokyo, where she toured with other UNVEILING artists. This was then followed by two artfully crafted music videos. ‘Without You’ features breathtaking scenery and dramatic effects. Whereas ‘Running’ is an epic merge of visuals in a timeless lyric video.

MariSongs is a unique and unrelenting performer who keeps herself busy. She has shared a platform with artists like Tokio Myers (Britain’s Got Talent winner) and Samm Henshaw. MariSongs is also a member of the infamous Kingdom Choir. Their rendition of ‘Stand by Me’ at the royal wedding, has been viewed across the world, over 10 million times. Likewise, she is part of The London Community Gospel Choir, which has performed with the likes of the 1975 and Justin Timberlake. They have appeared on The Graham Norton Show, at the Royal Albert Hall, the Jazz Cafe and the O2. Furthermore, MariSongs is the featured vocalist on popular house track by Kitsch, ‘Say You’re Mine’. This track has over 2 million streams and has received credit from Example.

MariSongs is releasing her latest single ‘Long Time Coming’ with James O’Keeffe and is set to release more music this year.

UNVEILING 2020 Participating Artist

Winnie Lau is a Hong Kong-born, London-raised British visual artist.  She is largely self-taught and began to paint when she was just 4 years old. Winnie has a strong interest in the use of vibrant colours in her paintings. This serves to bring out the beauty of what she sees, experiences and feels through her daily life and travels.  In particular, she is passionate about translating God’s beautiful creations (wildlife, people and places) onto canvas. To this end, her medium of choice is acrylic paint. She recently showcased a selection of her artwork at St Stephen Walbrook Church. This was a joint art exhibition with Charlotte Chan, entitled  “Truth & Light”.

Winnie has a professional background in medicine. Whilst training, she experienced a personal journey of holistic healing. In the wake of this, she received a sign from God directing her to “heal people’s hearts and minds using the artistic talents I have given you”.  Winnie believes in the therapeutic benefits of creating art. Specifically, that the process of self-expression helps to relax the mind, resolve internal emotional conflicts and restore cognitive function. She has since been building up a personal art portfolio and started volunteering as an art therapist for vulnerable adults.

UNVEILING 2019 Workshop Leader

Mandy Harris is a professional singer and vocal tutor from east London. Her background is in performing arts, music, youth & childrens work and informal &  higher education. Mandy teaches vocal technique and expression to individuals / groups as well as running vocal workshops, group vocal training and singing courses via her training organisation, Amaris Arts. She loves troubleshooting & fixing voices, equipping people with the tools they need to sing better and more freely. Mandy has a knack for spotting and drawing out the best in people; helping them find their voice and reach their potential.

Mandy is a backing singer for Christian music artist Noel Robinson (signed internationally to Integrity music) and as one of the Kingdom Worship Movement singers has vocally backed Israel Houghton, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Graham Kendrick, Martin Smith, Hillsong,  Noel Richards and many others. She also sings in Visual Ministry choir, House of Troops and the Support UK Gospel band (Led by Paul Watson) and Sound of tha Saintz (founded by Solomon Facey). Mandy has sung before Prince Charles, Ruby Wax, Richard Branson and performed at the Royal Albert hall, the Palladium and the Jazz café.

Mandy also runs community choirs where she enjoys combining various styles and musical feels, leaning mostly towards soul, neo soul, jazz, gospel and RnB. She creates a friendly, supportive group atmosphere, with lots of fun and enough gentle challenges to ensure steady growth as individual singers and as a community of singers. We are delighted to invite her to host a Scratch Choir workshop at UNVEILING 2019.

UNVEILING 2020 Participating Artist

Charlotte is an emerging artist who has answered the call to create. On her travels, she had the revelation that it’s not the world that qualifies but God. In light of this, Charlotte has been stepping out to share her artwork. Charlotte’s art has developed over the years through the practice of ‘urban sketching’ and countless sketchbooks filled on her travels.

Charlotte is drawn to using the simplest of materials (pen and paper), to illustrate the world around her. She hopes her art brings life and sheds light on the glory and goodness of God.

UNVEILING 2020 Workshop Leader

Richard Lalchan has been a most enthusiastic supporter of the UNVEILING Arts Festival from the very beginning. The UNVEILING Founder was a member of one of Richard’s Creative Hubs (accountability group for creatives / small business owners) and shared the concept with this group. The Creatives Hub was a fantastic incubator for such an emerging project. Richard compered this group expertly and created an environment in which members enjoyed mutual encouragement, practical aid, knowledge sharing, constructive feedback and creative development. It is no surprise he has become a fully-fledged coach.

It is our pleasure to welcome Richard back as a 2020 workshop leader. He will host a workshop entitled ‘Digital Distraction’. If you are a budding creative and/or entrepreneur, we highly recommend that you attend his workshop.

Richard’s mission is to encourage, equip and motivate creatives and entrepreneurs to fulfil their true potential.

UNVEILING 2020 Participating Artist

Feed’Em is an up and coming independent artist and entrepreneur. His passion and innovation has created a number of platforms for fellow creative artists in the scene, whilst carving a lane for his own artistry. Feed’Em aims to feed the culture with substantial content. His style of music is a seamless blend of the UK Grime and Hip-Hop; you can expect to hear some hard hitting beats, complex rhymes and captivating lyrics.

Murder The Flesh (MTF) is the debut EP by British Hip-Hop / Grime artist Feed’Em. “Murder the Flesh” is a deeper metaphor for internal turmoil. The 7-track EP is a narrative on the challenges people face and how they can overcome them. With songs such as “NBD” (Never Back Down) and “No Way”, Feed’Em delves into his faith and life experiences to encourage listeners to stand tall. The overall sound of the EP is lyrical and hard-hitting, which leads you to a soothing and introspective ending in the form of “Casting Crownz”. There are songs you can chill to, get hyper to, work out to, and some lyrically intriguing music to add to your playlist. MTF was solely released on Feed’Em’s artist website and was soon picked up by regional radio stations and online publication such as Westside Radio, Pulse88 Radio, Rapzilla, AstepFWD, KCMIX, and Cross Rhythms.

UNVEILING 2020 Participating Artist

Jo Faith Habershon is a talented actress, (folk) musician, writer and freelance English language teacher. She has worked across these diverse streams in all sorts of capacities and on a wide range of projects for many years.

Creativity is Jo’s passion. She loves that we are created beings and have this longing in our very DNA. Jo completed her first full length play, “The White Room”, in 2015. One of her plays, “Soft, The Moon Rose” was highlighted by LondonTheatre1.com as one of the Camden Fringe 2016 top picks. Furthermore, Jo collaborated on a play in 2018, which she then took to Edinburgh. She has also done some film work and recorded a couple of albums.

Jo teaches English to business students and is assessing how to get the flexibility to pursue her creative goals effectively.

UNVEILING 2018 Associate Artist

Diary of a Dreamer is a new production presented by Kamiji Ebun-Cole (creative director), Chris Sweetman and Hulya Levent: also featuring Cath Sweetman (live painting) and David Brussee (drums). It combines elements of Music, Dance and Drama.

Kamiji is the founder of SOWSOA ARTS, a well-being arts company. She has a heart to see her work, inspire, heal and transform those who encounter it. In addition to being a wonderful performer, Kamiji has great skill as a teacher. Her indefatigable enthusiasm is infectious and young people cannot help but be inspired.

Chris is first and foremost husband and father; family is extremely important to him. His personal mission is to help people be the best they can be. Chris is passionate about creativity in everything from maths to performing arts and loves to entertain. He is a story-teller and musician full of life and love, now pursuing his life-long dream in the performing arts.

Hulya is a professional contemporary ballet dancer based in London, characterised by an electrifying passion. For Hulya, dance is more than just an art form, it is a powerful language used to connect people, spirit to spirit. Her drive for excellence has led to her dancing with companies such as MCDC, Allegrodance Touring Company, as well as in high profile events such as London Fashion Week. Hulya’s Dance tells a story whilst inspiring joy and hope.

UNVEILING 2018 Workshop Leader

Dan Bilbrough a.k.a Sekrit is a drummer, percussionist, composer and producer. Dan was first introduced to the drums at the age of 8 by his classical percussionist mother; little did he know where that journey would take him. Being the son of a traveling gospel folk singer/songwriter certainly ensured that the journey would (at least geographically) be far and wide as he accompanied his dad on various travels across many countries. The inevitable result is that the music that he has observed and enjoyed from around the world has impacted his playing styles.

Dan has gone on to broaden his influences into his musical style, which include authentic sounds and rhythms combined with hip hop beats. This is reflected in his Sekrit projects which have received airplay on radio stations such as Rinse FM, Worldwide FM and Soho Radio. Dan has led drumming workshops for a number of years including working with Inspire Works, an occasion which led to Dan teaching material and helping to lead both the worlds largest samba band and the worlds largest drum lesson. Both achievements are Guinness World Records.

Dan has performed and recorded with the likes of Brit Award nominee Beth Rowley, Vanessa Freeman and the All Souls Orchestra, top musicians such as Raul D’Oliveira (trumpet player for Sting, George Michael, Gloria Gaynor), Steve Gregory (Sax player for George Michael’s “Careless Whisper”), Dave Markee (Eric Clapton’s former bass player). He has also performed at some of the U.Ks finest venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Jazz Cafe’ and the Union Chapel as well across Europe and Asia.

Dan brings a vast wealth of skill and experience to UNVEILING 2018. We are delighted to  welcome him as a (drumming) workshop leader.

UNVEILING 2018 Workshop Leader

Pierre Storti Trebojevic is a very passionate baker. He lives his passion for dough making and baking of all sorts of products as a way to love people and also spread the Good News. Pierre has developed his craft over the past 10 years and his vision is to share his knowledge. Hence the “Bread of Life” workshop that he will lead at UNVEILING 2018. Furthermore, Pierre Storti has a vision inspired by the way Christ shared his teaching with us. He visualises a future bakery shop where people could learn and share life as they create bread together.

Pierre proposes that we will be guided by the kindness Jesus has for us. He will lead us to make simple (nevertheless fully concentrated with love and care) loaves of sourdough bread, over the 3 days of the festival. You will then be able to take away and share this “Bread of Life” with your friends and family.

He volunteered with the NGO, “Nos do Morro”, in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil for almost 2 years.
Pierre was with a solid team of volunteers working on bringing culture and education to favela youths. They did this through training in theatre, acting, movie making, music, dance and mixing Shakespeare with a modern Afro-Brazilian influence. He learned bakery in a French ‘gastronomie’ school after meeting a French baker in Brasil in 2008.

Pierre worked in many Boulangeries in Paris where he learned to make bread. He also learned to make viennoiserie (croissant dough, brioche, sweet paste etc) when he joined “la Grande épicerie de Paris”, one of the last place in Paris where bakers are still making croissants themselves.

Pierre became head Tourier (from the French ‘to turn’, a specialized name for a chef who works with viennoiserie) for the famous French baker “Gontran Cherrier” in 2013. Monsiour Cherrier is a croissant dough maker and Godfather of Pierre’s first son, Andrea Kwaku. He decided to continue his spiritual journey with his family and left Paris for a small village in Mayenne, France. There he learned with a farmer-baker to make bread from planting wheat. Pierre and his wife decided to move to London in 2014 where he was recruited by the Ritz Hotel as Assistant head baker and Tourier. His second son Joshua was born here.

Pierre, encountered his church family at City Gates through their Living Room cafe in Soho. He is an active member of the church and serves in various ways such as visuals, street evangelism, intercession.

Pierre became Group Head Tourier for Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, owners of The Wolseley and many others restaurants in London, in 2015. He supervises all the production of the viennoiserie for the group. Pierre joined their Beaumont hotel during its opening, late 2015. He has since been promoted as head of pastry and bakery of the hotel.

Pierre Storti brings a great deal of enthusiasm, faith, experience and deep skill in his craft to the UNVEILING Arts Festival.

UNVEILING 2018 Associate Artist

The Monks are Kevin Moore and Yazz Fetto. They think they can lay claim to being the only Christian comedy sketch group in the UK. As such, they not only do shows in clubs, pubs and small sweaty comedy rooms but also chapels, churches and small sweaty vestries.

The Monks have opened for the likes of Shazia Mirza, Tom Loghton, Andy Kind and appeared at Leicester Comedy Festival, Camden Fringe, Brighton Fringe Festival as well as being the featured act at London Sketchfest 2016. They have gained an impressive reputation as indicated by these testimonials:

“I expected something squeaky clean but they came up with a pretty edgy skit…a rather good one.” Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke

“…sharp, expertly delivered and hilarious” The Londonist

“The duo’s originality shone through…the audience left the show well satisfied with their uplifting experience.” Buxton Fringe Festival Review

Following the sell out success of their 2013 fringe play ‘Hallelujah House’, The Monks have put together a new sketch show called ‘The All New Ten Commandments’. These sets vary in length from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. Each of the commandments gets the comedy sketch treatment; some get more than one, making this perhaps one of the best value sketch comedy shows ever!

Watch them in action via the following clips:

• The Stand, Newcastle
• Bradford
• Comedy night in Shoreditch, London

UNVEILING 2018 Associate Artist

Music

UNVEILING 2018 Associate Artist

Sarah Téibo is a MOBO-nominated (Best Gospel Artist 2016) singer-songwriter. She won the 2017  Premier Gospel Best Album award for her debut release, ‘Walk With Me‘. Since then, Sarah has had a superb series of gigs. For instance, she sold out London’s Hard Rock Cafe at her headline gig ‘An Evening With Sarah Téibo’ (18 January 2017). On another occasion she performed along side Grammy Award winning Gospel artist Charles Jenkins.

Sarah Téibo was born in London but it seems her musical education began elsewhere. She started singing in choirs from the age of ten, while living in Nigeria. Her parents tastes shaped her love for music. Their rich vinyl collection featured Soul and R&B legends like Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross.

Sarah experienced a great deal of turmoil in her early teenage years, where her family was faced with eviction and homelessness. As a result, she learnt the importance of faith in God. She started writing music to express both her fears and her faith. These proved a great source of strength through the most trying of times.

From soulful infectious songs like ‘New Day’ to up-tempo songs like ‘Keep The Faith’, Sarah fuses her uniquely soulful yet contemporary style and powerful lyrics. Some music critics have described this new and exciting sound as ‘fresh, urban yet classic’. We look forward to presenting her at UNVEILING 2018.

UNVEILING 2018 Participating Artist

Charlotte Ashenden is a painter specialising in oil, watercolour and conté pencils. She greatly enjoys bringing out the individual character and beauty of each subject (mostly children, adults, animals and houses).  Charlotte trained in Art at Suffolk College, then subsequently attended short courses at Heatherley and St Martins art schools, London.

UNVEILING 2020 Participating Artist

Rita Tam is a singer-songwriter, visual artist, poet and maker. She is currently an English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher but has in the past worked with young adults with learning disabilities, children as a literacy tutor and a TEFL teacher.

In the past she trained as an art therapist and has run workshops. Now she is exploring her singer- songwriter roots. She released an album in 2017 called “Árboles” (Trees) and is hoping to work on new creative projects involving video, dance and whatever medium God calls her to next.

She is looking forward to taking part in the UNVEILING Arts Festival 2020 and hopes to encourage and express God’s abundant grace.

UNVEILING 2020 Participating Artist

Jemimah Paine is a singer, songwriter and worship leader based in north London. She studied Theology, Music and Worship at London School of Theology. Jemimah now teaches privately as well as doing a teaching internship with TLG in west London. This organisation gives educational hope to teenagers who have been excluded from school.

She has performed at various events / festivals across Europe such as Lifestream Europe (based in Belgium). Jemimah has also done musical outreach in Holland, France and Belgium (including an evening of sharing music with migrants in 2016) and led worship at various churches in UK and Belgium.

She really enjoys singing jazz and classical music. Jemimah is passionate about using her voice to minister to others.

UNVEILING 2019 Participating Artist

Benjamin Amponsah, aka Breb Mass, is a multi-media artist. He uses a variety of mediums from carved pieces to abstract portraits.

For the last two years, he has been volunteering at The Art Workshop at the Engine Room (Hale Village). Benjamin has assisted in supporting the children of Hale Village that have a passion for the arts. He was also given the opportunity to be a studio assistant for the internationally renowned artist Graeme Evelyn, on the “Eternal Engine” commissioned piece displayed at the Engine Room.

Breb Mass is keen to widen his experience and skills in the arts so he can share with his passion for the arts and will be better equipped to mentor other young artists.

UNVEILING 2020 Participating Artist

Adukeh (which means ‘Beloved’), is a London-based artist with a Yoruba heritage. She has a passion for the arts,  particularly the ability to empower through storytelling and expression. Major themes of her work include beauty, brokenness, stillness and healing. This reflects her desire to bring others into her profound experiences of God in prayer and meditation.

Adukeh works in many mediums including spoken word, photography, poetry, music and video. Her photography was exhibited as part of the E17 Art trail. She has also presented her poetry as part of the Highams Park Festival as well as participating in local music events.

Adukeh has led participatory community workshops using video and poetry. She has also helped organise film festivals and debates on social issues; such as gun culture and deaths in police custody.

She is currently concentrating on songwriting and poetry performance. 

UNVEILING 2019 Participating Artist

Zóé:project is a musical project by Matthew and Janita Cresswell. The couple lead worship at Burn events in East London, helping other people realise God’s presence in a biblical and tangible way. The duo also play in Harvest Church London’s worship band, where Janita plays keys and Matt plays the bass.

Zōē means “life, and of absolute fullness of life” in Greek; literally translated the name of the band means Life Project. Their new songs reflect their desire for this intimacy with God combined with a more pensive feel. Their first EP was launched at the UNVEILING Arts Festival 2018.

UNVEILING 2020 Participating Artist

Nailah Daley-Allen is a visual artist who creates the most absorbing and atmospheric paintings. She grew up in a creative family. As a result, she developed a deep love for the arts. In addition, Nailah received further encouragement and exposure to the arts at secondary school. There, she took her first steps into art direction. Specifically, the production of a mural at Stamford Hill Train station.

She went on to study Art & Design and also attended LCC University of Arts to study Interior Design for retail environments. A few years later, Nailah launched NiArtFr3edom workshops. Through this project, she offers people of the community the opportunity to explore and express themselves creatively. Nailah noted that creativity can be used to help heal, showcase skills and express a vast sea of emotions. Therefore, she uses her workshops to encourage young people as part of the Engine Room project. They provide a creative outlet,  the opportunity to learn more about the creative careers and help to build life skills.

Nailah’s experience of God’s love heavily influences her work. Her paintings speak of overcoming adversity, of deep connections and how love promotes growth. We look forward to sharing her work at UNVEILING 2020.

SoulBox is a Manchester-based duo blending soul music, beatboxing, spoken word and rap for an authentic sound. The members are Jon Sewell (UNVEILING 2016 artist Just Jon) and Ben Davies.

This duo has a passion to help people engage with God. Furthermore, their personal stories of transformation (alongside their ability to communicate their faith), resonate with audiences young and old.

SoulBox have been all over the UK performing and sharing the gospel in schools, coffee houses and even in a cinema. They have seen hundreds of people make first time decisions to follow Jesus.

Recently, the duo travelled to Poland and Japan to share their faith. They have also been in the studio recording. There are whispers of an album release later on in the year.

SoulBox are part of The Message Trust and also of the Higher Tour (the largest youth mission to the UK for a generation). Ben and Jon are passionate about communicating the gospel of Jesus and seeing lives transformed.

UNVEILING 2020 Participating Artist

Alley Akoh (neé Nichols) is a visual artist with particular interest in painting (oils and acrylics), ink drawings and prints. She has been developing her sculpting skills in clay and other mixed media.

Alley studied Theology and Psychology in South Africa. She also recently obtained a Masters in Art Therapy from the University of London, Goldsmiths. Alley has a deep passion to use the visual and creative arts to work with vulnerable people. Specifically, her focus is on working with children.

Alley wants to create a sense of the deep love of God in every piece of art and to communicate this to every viewer. Her prayer is that every person would see the art and be drawn into a personal interaction.  Also, that each person would experience the love of Jesus and explore their identity in God.

UNVEILING 2020 Participating Artist

Dimitri ‘Wolfy’ McIntosh is a charismatic, passionate and determined young man. Through music and spoken word he is able to inspire by expressing his views, thoughts and ideas. Wolfy started performing because he wanted to show young people they have a voice; that they can express their beliefs in faith, life and worship. In his day job he works with young people and helps to enrich their lives.

In recent years Dimitri has co-led for the New Wine festival in the acoustic venue and has been part of bands for the Impact venue. He has worked with David’s Tent and co-led for the early morning worship sessions. Wolfy has appeared on Premier Gospel Radio, “Your Shout” as both an interviewer and interviewee talking about various topics such as life, marriage, music and role models.

He does it all with zeal, a passion for God and a smile on his face. We are delighted to have him on the 2020 team as a Participating Artist.

Allan Silva is a fresh up and coming artist packed full of soul. He grew up in Brazil and moved to the UK when he was 14. His Brazilian roots give Bossa-Nova, Funk and rhythmic feel to his music whilst his English upbringing help to give a catchy rock edge.

Allan describes music as a coping mechanism, outlet for thoughts, processing pain and everything else. Furthermore, his passion for music is coupled with his passion for God. Allan’s music is deeply honest; he believes that one of the most powerful forms of inspiration is the feeling of relating to someone or something. That is why he shares his music. Allan hopes that people can relate to his songs in the same way he relates to and is inspired by the music he listens to.

While studying at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP) he was the lead singer and songwriter for the band Eden. They performed at various venues around the UK as well as releasing an EP entitled ‘Temporary Home’, which featured on ‘Premier Radio Unsigned’.

Since Eden, Allan has been on a personal journey finding his sound as a solo artist. For the last 5 years he has been writing and working on new material. His debut solo EP, Unhidden, was released in January 2018.

UNVEILING 2020 Participating Artist

Tuomo Karjalainen was born in Helsinki, Finland and moved to London in 1999.  After playing in several bands over the years he decided to leave this world behind and focus instead on writing music entirely for the guitar. Tuomo felt that this allowed for a much wider artistic expression on the instrument than was possible within a band.

Tuomo’s music has been described as visual or cinematic, but he prefers to refer to it as ‘cinematic dream guitar’.

As well as gigging regularly in London, Tuomo also produces visual art and writes poetry. Recent performances include a modern rendition of the Kalevala (a seminal work in Finnish literature) at the Finnish Church in London, combining Tuomo’s guitar playing with this ancient Finnish poetry and also regular guitar performances with the Newham Poetry Group.

Mr. K is a spoken word artist who fuses spoken word with musical genres such as Hip-Hop, Jazz and Soul to create dynamic, genre-bending spoken word music. Furthermore, Mr. K is passion is to provoke thought and inspire audiences of all ages. An explosive performer, he has taken his music to stages across the UK and Japan.

Mr. K draws from his personal story, experiences as a youth mentor and observations of societal issues to fashion music that captivates his audience whilst also inspiring and challenging. To this end, he released his debut album My Great Transition in October 2014. It is a spoken word musical journey into the themes of maturity, seeing dreams fulfilled and living with purpose.

We consider Mr. K to be a great example of what we look for in Associate Artists and a magnificent addition to the UNVEILING 2017 lineup.

Emilly Silva is a contemporary dancer & dance teacher. Her background is in rhythmic gymnastics, where she trained for 5 years and competed at national level (representing her local club) before diving into dance full time. Emilly began her professional dance training in 2010 at Middlesex University, graduating with a First Honours Degree. She joined Rebirth whilst in her second year (a hip hop/contemporary dance company), touring in various festivals across the UK. In 2015 Emilly completed her PCGE in Dance Education and has been busy teaching , delivering workshops in the community and enjoying dance herself.

As for her future ambitions, Emilly would love to develop herself to use the art of dance as a form of therapy for victims of human trafficking and other vulnerable people. She wants to help them re-gain confidence, to encourage creativity and freedom as well as providing a platform to express themselves.

We are delighted to have Emilly lead a dance workshop for the youth (11 – 18s) at UNVEILING 2017. We look forward to offering our younger guests the opportunity to express themselves creatively and receive expert tuition from a highly trained, skilful teacher.

City Gospel Choir was formed in 2015 and is directed by Dave Barker.  Singing a varied repertoire of Gospel music from negro spirituals to modern gospel, african songs to gospel classics.

The choir is primarily a fun place where people can come and sing but seeks to be more than that.  We aim to be a community that connects with one another and the spirit of the music. We are also there to benefit others whether through doing concerts to raise money for charity or helping one another out.

Daughters of Davis are Hampshire sisters Fern and Adrienne Davis. In 2011, the duo stepped out in faith to take their music to the world. They have won the hearts of fans across the UK and beyond since trading the comforts of home for a never-ending tour in 2011. Selling their cars, painting houses and braving endless car boot sales, they gathered enough money for a secondhand campervan and hit the road.

They’ve taken their stylish blend of folk and soul across the UK and Europe, and toured opening for Eels, Sam Bailey and Rebecca Fergusson. They have released two acclaimed studio albums (2012’s To The Water and 2014’s British Soul, reaching the iTunes Singer/Songwriter top 10) and documented their journey in the DVD Where Do We Go?

Their newest venture is NotPlayingTheGame: A rebellious musical move against the media’s constant demands and judgements imposed on today’s society. This project sees them championing an inclusive image of beauty and strength.

Learn more about Daughters of Davis and hear their glorious sounds by watching this video clip:

DoD – The Story

“Fern and Adrienne write from the heart, and their upbeat soulful music zings with the sisters’ passion and love of life.”

– Russ Bravo, Inspire Magazine

“Enchanting performers with a true affinity and family connection that is inspiring… A magical entity of musical talent.”

– Jen La Roux, Mayhem Magazine

Freddy Gunn is a visual artist, specialising in painting and photography. He has a special stylistic interest in the space where street art meets pop art. Freddy is preparing his submission for UNVEILING 2016 along these lines. His approach to creating art is deeply immersive as well as reflecting a deep desire for truth and redemption.

Freddy has exhibited his photography on numerous occasions. His most recent exhibition was entitled ‘Marking Spaces’. This collection of paintings and photographs (featuring artists from across London) referenced places or spaces beyond the immediate environment of Maker Wharf. Freddy is particularly adept at interpreting and evoking the character of spaces. He has taken numerous photographs of lansdcapes and rooftop scenes from locations across Europe.

Freddy believes both his faith and his art are a true expression of how God made him to see the world. He is a highly creative individual with profound ideas as to how to communicate the Easter story through the arts. Specifically, Freddy has an abiding appreciation of Grace, as personified in Jesus Christ.

We look forward to unveiling his work at the UNVEILING Arts Festival 2016.

Rebekah Holden is an accomplished writer and performer. Her work is thought provoking and often explores deep themes. Rebekah has had a passion for writing from a young age and spent four years studying English Literature at the University of Glasgow before moving to London to work as an actor, teacher and writer. She is the artistic director and co-writer for a play entitled ‘Why Not Us?‘. It is a stunning production and is based on real experience, exploring some of the true, modern struggles that young men and women face.

Rebekah likes to explore different styles from witty satire to reflective poetry and draws on her different life experiences for inspiration. She sees writing as a way of exploring topics that she is passionate about. As a performer, Rebekah particularly likes writing work that can be performed or read out loud and specialises in poems, monologues and plays. She recently performed her poetry in the Book Club in Shoreditch and is currently writing a new piece of theatre in collaboration with artists from across London.

It is our pleasure to have Rebekah lead a creative writing workshop at the UNVEILING Arts Festival. We look forward to offering our guests the opportunity to express themselves creatively and receive expert tuition from an experienced, gifted practitioner.

Jules Rendell is a profoundly talented singer-songwriter sharing melodious, poetic music bubbling with joy and verve. Her musical evolution has taken her through jazz, gospel and even opera.

Her debut album, Imagine, was released in 2018 and explores the power of imagination and the battle within. She presents a vulnerable yet powerful body of work that pulls no punches but promotes hope.

“Certainly a very soulful sound with an ethereal edge.” (BBC London)

““A record like this one doused with intent, reflection and ardor separates Rendell from other musical creatives.” (Ikonic Music)

Diré is a passionate and deeply soulful singer-songwriter. He is a vivid storyteller, weaving evocative soundscapes as he navigates listeners through his life journey. Diré’s walk with God is a central and recurring thread. His infectious lyrics bring a thought provoking message of hope amidst struggle.

Diré discovered his voice (and his potential in song writing) during a difficult period in 2008. In this, he found encouragement and comfort through singing. Diré is keen to share his testimony and encourage others going through similar challenges. Naturally, we are very happy to have him on the team.

UNVEILING 2018 Workshop Leader

James Murray attended UNVEILING 2015 and was very quick to express his delight at what he had witnessed. Naturally, we were similarly delighted to have him join the team of Participating Artists for  2016 and 2017 editions of the UNVEILING Arts Festival. James is an accomplished and deeply conscientious freelance animator / illustrator.

His speciality is character conception via illustration, stop-motion and 2d animation. James sees animation as a study of life and takes inspiration from everyday observations. Have a look through James’ portfolio. His piece for the Royal Rangers Deutschland, ‘Aufbruch‘, highlights his ability to communicate important life lessons to younger generations through the arts.

James will share his skills in animation and storytelling as one of our UNVEILING 2018 workshop leaders.

UNVEILING 2020 Participating Artist

Hannah Whittaker is a performance artist specialising in creating interactive installations, one on one encounters and digital performances. She has turned her focus to installation and sculptural works, in particular.

Hannah’s qualifications include a Masters Degree, with Merit, in Contemporary Performance Making (Brunel University). She is currently employed as a guest lecturer at Central School of Speech and Drama.

In terms of her artwork, Hannah seeks to produce work that directly engages people (both physically and emotionally). Moreover, she strives to give them an experience that will impact lives post-performance. This makes her an ideal UNVEILING artist.

Just Jon is a deeply talented soul singer and rapper who has been developing himself as a Hip-Hop artist in recent years. He made a guest appearance on the ‘Imperfect’ album, a 2015 release by UNVEILING 2015 artist Baliva. You can hear Just Jon’s compelling vocals on the tracks  ‘Broken Home’ and ‘Got To Go’.

http://www.balivamusic.com/imperfect/

Jon works for the Eden Project, mentoring / discipling a group of young men and challenging the gang culture through music. He oversees a Hip-Hop group under the banner of the Fresh Beats initiative. They have recently released their first album and this project has seen tens of young men involved with Gang Culture engage with Christ in a real way. Fresh Beats exists to inspire and enable young people to take responsibility for their actions and community and ‘change their tune’.

We are delighted to welcome Just Jon to the team of Participating Artists creating new works of art for UNVEILING 2016.

Lape Odebode is a dancer, choreographer and trainee Dance Movement Psychotherapist. She enjoys supporting others to use dance and movement as a means of expression and as a way to connect with God. Lape believes that where words end, movement continues. This is something she has personally experienced and hopes to share with others.

Lape has experience of facilitating workshops, missionary work, leading dance projects and advocating on behalf of individuals from vulnerable backgrounds. She attended the first UNVEILING Arts Festival in July 2015. She quickly grasped the vision and nominated herself as a workshop leader there and then.

Lape will lead a dynamic dance workshop, using hip-hop and lyrical contemporary styles. The workshop will explore themes of letting go and overcoming challenges in order to enjoy hope and freedom. We are delighted to have her on the team for UNVEILING 2016.

Zanna Evans is a deeply accomplished and innovative harpist. She is also an arranger, teacher and freelance performer. Zanna has worked extensively in schools with the ARTIS organisation. In this capacity, she passed on her skills and love of the harp to the next generation of budding musicians.

Zanna trained classically but has a deep interest in cross-genre collaborations with other artists. Due to her desire for self-improvement and adventure, she spent seven months training in Brazil with Cristina Braga. Listeners can hear the latin influence on her latest album, ‘Dreams Rising’. Furthermore, she is one of the pioneers behind the new London Jazz Harpers events. This project promotes use of the harp in Jazz and improvised collaboration with various other instruments.

Zanna took part in the first UNVEILING Arts Festival. She performed original pieces exploring ideas of truth and freedom. We are delighted that she will take part in the UNVEILING Arts Festival once again.

Emily Barroso is an accomplished writer with extensive training and experience in all areas of literature and the arts. Especially, she has a keen instinct for character-based study of historic events. For instance, ‘Big Mens Boots – The Way’ is first in a series of books exploring the Welsh Revival.

Emily is highly active in supporting the creative efforts of other literary talents as editor-in-chief of Hillman Publishing. Furthermore, she is a writing coach and teacher of the arts in a therapeutic capacity.

Emily wrote and directed her first play, entitled “The Call”, for UNVEILING 2015. She called upon the formidable acting talents of Jo Faith and Sevda Levent to present this work. Since then, she launched the Fluid Theatre company.

We look forward to presenting her next artistic creation.

Full details of artists, coming soon!