How 10 Immigrant Artists Redefined London's Cultural Scene in 2024 🎨

Poster for the I Am London 2024 campaign

The I Am London 2024 campaign highlighted immigrant artists who turned personal journeys into cultural spaces, businesses, and community connections - changing our city's artistic landscape forever.

When Diego Cortés first arrived in London from Mexico, he brought his rhymes and rhythms with him, unsure if they'd find a home here. But in 2024, his Spanish rap compositions are winning awards and playing on CBC Radio. His journey is a testament to the resilience of immigrant artists. 'When nostalgia hits hard, you have your art, your creation, to shelter from the emotions,' he says. 'Channeling those thoughts and emotions can create something beautiful.'

Diego's story echoes through this year's I Am London campaign, where ten immigrant artists showed us how art doesn't just hang on walls - it builds businesses, creates communities, and yes, sometimes even goes viral on TikTok (looking at you, Al-Asala Dabke Group, with your casual 1.3 million followers! 🔥).

The 2024 Faces of London taken at the I Am London 2024 celebration on December 3, 2024.

The campaign, running from September to December 2024, featured artists spanning an impressive range of mediums. The selection process was rigorous, ensuring a diverse representation of immigrant artists. We met Selma Popovic, who fled Bosnia's civil war and transformed her experiences into silk paintings. Patricia Vasconcellos Medeiros launched a successful Flamenco studio while juggling her academic career. Jules Gutierrez turned their tattoo art into a powerful statement about identity: "I was done with making myself insignificant - making my immigrant identity small... I wanted to live loud and proud for all my identities!"

Why does this matter? Because these artists aren't just creating art - they're creating new cultural spaces in London. Take Camila Ariza, who discovered that clowning could cross the language gaps she faced as a newcomer. "Clowning is a magical way to connect with people because you do not need words. You just need feelings, and everybody has those."

Or consider Angela Gjurichanin, whose opera performances are about more than just music: "When I perform, it feels like I am sharing a gift to the people who are listening to me – it's not about the attention or the applause, it's about the connection; about the giving."

The numbers tell part of the story: ten artists, hundreds of performances, and thousands of audience members reached. However, the real impact lies in how these artists mix their heritage with their new home to create something new. As Wasef Yasin of the Al-Asala Dabke Group put it, "Dabke is a bridge that connects our Arab origins with our North American identities, we like to mesh both cultures together – create a new culture that we love expressing."

What's next? The 2025 campaign nominations open early next year, but the impact of this year's artists continues. They've shown us that supporting immigrant artists isn't just about cultural diversity, but economic growth, community building, and creating new ways for Londoners to connect with each other. Their work is a call to action, a reminder of the urgent need to support and celebrate London’s immigrants.

As artist Amsa Yaro reminds us, "My art tells stories in different ways – at the end, we are all human beings, and we experience this world together." In a city growing more diverse each year, these stories are essential to who we are becoming. 🌟