Hi again. Dima here.
It’s been four months since I wrote our first blog post, sitting in front of my laptop, trying to figure out how to build a website and explaining why Crossfade needed to exist. Well, the website is still a work in progress. Some things look better now, some things have been completely redesigned about five times, and I’m still figuring out what I’m doing half the time.
But quite a lot has happened since July.
We’ve performed, collaborated with some incredible people, introduced Crossfade to new audiences, submitted what feels like a million funding applications, received some encouraging responses, and quite a few rejections.
And somewhere in between all of that, I’ve had to confront a question I wasn’t really prepared for when I started:
How do you build something sustainable when you don’t have the resources to sustain yourself while building it?
So, here’s our first proper update.
We’ve Actually Been Doing Things!
Let’s start with the good stuff, because there’s been quite a bit of it.
Over the past few months, Crossfade has slowly started moving from an idea written in funding applications and Google Docs into something people can actually see, hear and experience.
In September, we were invited to perform at BOLD MUD V at Poplar Union, organised by Bold Mellon Collective. DJ Shahrorah and I performed together as Crossfade, and we also had the opportunity to introduce the organisation, explain why we started it and talk about what we’re trying to build. That moment meant a lot. Not necessarily because we were standing on a stage, but because we were finally talking about Crossfade publicly, as something real. We spoke about the difference between participation and leadership, about how easily refugee and migrant artists can become another diversity statistic, and about why having a seat at the table isn’t quite the same as having a say in what happens around that table. And then we played some music. Obviously.
We’ve also continued building our relationship with AAJA Radio, where our radio journey began in May.
Since then, we’ve explored different sounds, shared music by refugee artists, and produced a special broadcast for Refugee Week. I’ve also started developing my own residency, using radio as a space to explore migration, identity, politics and experiences that don’t always fit into the usual conversations about refugees. Alongside that, we’ve been working on new collaborations, meeting artists and organisations, and exploring opportunities to bring Crossfade into more spaces. None of these things are enormous achievements on their own. But together, they’re helping us understand what Crossfade can become. And perhaps more importantly, they’re showing us that there’s an audience, a community and a genuine interest in what we’re trying to do.
What’s Next?
Despite everything, there’s still a lot to look forward to. We have several funding applications awaiting decisions, and I’m hoping at least one of them will give us the opportunity to move towards delivering a more structured programme.
The idea remains the same. We want to create a space where refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant artists can develop their creative practice, build connections, collaborate and eventually take on leadership roles themselves. Not just attend a workshop, receive a certificate and disappear from the programme. But actually have somewhere to go next. We’re continuing to develop our relationships with artists, venues and organisations that share that vision. We’re also thinking carefully about what a realistic first programme could look like. Something manageable, properly resourced and genuinely useful to the people taking part. And, of course, we’ll keep making music. Because sometimes, in between all the budgets, policies and funding applications, I need to remind myself that this whole thing started because of music. And the people it brought into my life.
Still Here
When I wrote the first blog post in July, I said Crossfade wasn’t born out of perfection or perfect timing. Four months later, I think I understand that sentence a little differently.
Building something from scratch is exciting. It’s also exhausting, uncertain and occasionally quite lonely. There are days when I feel incredibly proud of what we’ve managed to do. And others when I wonder whether I should just find a regular job, close all my funding application tabs and stop trying to make this work. I’m not going to pretend those days don’t happen. But then I remember the conversations we’ve had after performances. The people who have reached out. The artists we’ve met. The organisations that have trusted us with their spaces. And the reason I started Crossfade in the first place. I still believe that refugee and migrant artists deserve more than occasional opportunities to participate. We deserve the chance to create, organise, lead and build things that belong to us. I just want to make sure we’re building that in a way that can actually last.
So that’s where we are. Not quite where I hoped we’d be by November. But further than we were in July. And still here. Thanks for following along.
See you in the next update.
— Dima
Crossfade is a refugee-led community interest company supporting creative development, collaboration and leadership among refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant artists working in electronic music.
