2024 winners and bursaries
Ambitious Academy
Ambitious Academy is a community-based programme providing alternative mentoring, education, and personal development for today’s youth.
Founder: Shawdon Smith
DBACE funding: £5,000
Website: ambitiousacademyci.wixsite.com/ambitious-academy
Instagram: @aaislington
Twitter: @AAislington
LinkedIn: Ambitious Academy
Aunty Social
Blackpool’s Aunty Social offers a varied programme of arts and cultural activities designed to bring diverse people together in a safe, supportive and gentle creative space.
Co-founders: Louise ‘Blu’ Ashcroft and Catherine Mugonyi
DBACE funding: £10,000
Website: www.auntysocial.co.uk/
Instagram: @_auntysocial_
Twitter: @_AuntySocial_
LinkedIn: Aunty Social CIC
Intotum Adaptive Fashion
Intotum makes fashionable, functional and comfortable adaptive clothing for the disabled community, promoting independence and individuality.
Founder: Hanan Tantush
DBACE funding awarded: £15,000
Website: www.intotumfashion.com
Instagram: @intotum_fashion
LinkedIn: Intotum Fashion
Known Source
Known Source is a circular fashion platform featuring curated dealers. Find quality second-hand items and easily continue their life, creating a world where all clothing lives multiple lives.
Co-Founders: Theo El-Kattan and Henry McNeill-Njoku
DBACE funding awarded: £15,000
Website: knownsource.co.uk
Instagram: @knownsource_official
LinkedIn: Known Source
Storymix
Storymix is a fiction studio creating inclusive kid’s stories and opportunities for racially minoritized writers and illustrators. We work with children to nurture the next generation of storytellers.
Founder: Jasmine Richards
DBACE funding awarded: £15,000
Website: www.storymix.co.uk
Instagram: @storymixstudio
Twitter: @storymixstudio
LinkedIn: Storymix Studio
DBACE 2024 bursaries
As part of the DBACE programme’s wider support offering, this year an extra eight bursary memberships with
MeWe360 were offered to creative entrepreneurs who drive social impact through their enterprise. The 12-month membership provides tailored business support to develop the entrepreneur and help them achieve their enterprise’s next milestones.
ADHD Babes
ADHD Babes is a community group for Black women and non-binary people with ADHD. They create safe spaces for their community to flourish and reach their full potential.
Founder: Vivienne Isebor
Website: www.adhdbabes.com
Instagram: @adhdbabes
Twitter: @adhdbabes
LinkedIn: ADHD Babes
MIXD Reality
MIXD Reality creates interactive Augmented Reality (AR) learning experiences where students feel empowered and supported through immersive learning.
Founder: Pamela Kosminsky
Website: www.mixd-reality.com
Instagram: @mixd_realityltd
LinkedIn: Just Like Me & MIXD Reality
New Comma
New Comma is a social media platform for Black/African creative professionals. Creatives can showcase their portfolios as well as connect with businesses, job opportunities, funding, and networking; while businesses can post vacancies and hire through their website and app.
Co-founders: Natalie Narh and Nigel Atta-Mensah
Website: www.newcomma.com
Instagram: @new.comma
Twitter: @New_Comma
LinkedIn: New Comma
Purple Moon Drama
Purple Moon Drama opens doors for underrepresented emerging artists. They work to alleviate the barriers that can restrict access to creative careers or vocational artistic engagement.
Founder: Cheryl Ndione
Website: www.purplemoondrama.co.uk
Instagram: @purplemoondrama
Twitter: @PurpleMoonDrama
LinkedIn: Purple Moon Drama
CasildART Contemporary
DBACE 2023 bursary recipient CasildART Contemporary was set up to address the lack of representation for Black artists by commercial galleries and museums. Founded in 2019 by Sukai Eccleston, a former TV and media executive, their mission is to be a catalyst for change in the art world and transform the UK visual landscape by inserting Black narratives into the culture. They aim to create pathways for success that empower Black artists to earn a sustainable living from their practice.
Founder: Sukai Eccleston
Website: casildart.com
Instagram: @casildart_contemporary
Twitter: @casildart
LinkedIn: Sukai Eccleston
The Bitten Peach
DBACE 2023 winner The Bitten Peach is the UK’s first queer Pan-Asian cabaret production company, empowering the queer Asian community shows, events and collaborations. They tell Asian stories, create safe spaces, diversify Asian representation, provide platforms, and educate on racial issues.
Co-Founders: Alisa Morris, Shane ShayShay Konno and Samantha Sun
Website: www.thebittenpeach.com
Instagram: @bittenpeachuk
Twitter: @bittenpeachuk
Join our email list
Stay up to date on our latest news & events
