Be United End-of-Year Blog Post: Reflecting on a Historic Year
As 2024, our 10th anniversary year, comes to a close, we are reflecting on an incredible year of growth, milestones, and achievements. Every event we hosted was sold out, demonstrating once again the amazing support we receive from you, our community! Thank you for being part of this journey over the past decade. Together, we continue to champion Black creatives in Scotland, push boundaries, and create new opportunities.
Watch Our End-Of-Year Video
Experience the highlights of 2024 with our End-of-Year Recap video.
Our 10th Year in Review
We marked our 10th anniversary with several standout moments:
Producing the Future & Sunset Soirée
Be United’s Producing the Future (PTF) programme equips young individuals (aged 18–25) with essential skills for a successful career in event production. Designed to provide hands-on learning, the programme features a curriculum covering creative programming, technical production, project management, budgeting, and marketing, all aimed at cultivating the next generation of event producers.
This year, participants gained firsthand experience in event planning by organising the programme’s pinnacle event, Be United Presents: Sunset Soirée, which took place on 21 June 2024 at Fruitmarket in Edinburgh.
Sunset Soirée was a vibrant showcase of Scotland’s rising talent, featuring musicians Eyve and Viv Latifa, along with visual artists Gianni Esporas, Thi Aalma, and Aurelie Chan Hon Sen. The eclectic mix of visual and musical performances highlighted both the organisational prowess of the budding event producers and the creativity of Scotland’s diverse artists.
Jeenat Mohammed, a participant in the 2024 PTF cohort, shared:
“Be United’s Producing the Future programme has been instrumental in guiding and inspiring me to pursue my dream job while unlocking my inner talents. Through their supportive and intentional approach, I’ve gained the confidence to explore new avenues and build myself in ways I never thought possible.”
Jeenat has since joined Be United as a Talent Liaison, contributing to both the This is Your Fringe shows and the 10 Years of History event.
Be United Presents at the Edinburgh Fringe
On the 2nd and 3rd of August 2024, Be United’s This is Your Fringe series made an unforgettable mark at the iconic Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Held at the stunning Johnnie Walker Princes Street venue in the heart of Edinburgh, the two-night celebration showcased exceptional Black talent.
The opening night featured dynamic performances from the multicultural band Groove Down, whose blend of progressive soul, disco, house, and funk captivated the audience, alongside the Afrobeats sensation Cling, who energized the crowd with his infectious rhythms. The second night, August 3rd, continued the excitement with Eyve, whose unique fusion of hip hop, trap, jazz, and African influences shone through her passionate and authentic music. Additionally, JEmmanuel, an eight-piece powerhouse from Edinburgh, delivered a mesmerizing set, blending Retro-Soul, Blues, Jazz, and Funk with a contemporary twist.
In addition to the incredible live acts, the weekend was further enhanced by DJs Chilli Flakes and Skankerz, who brought their genre-blending sets to the stage, offering a seamless mix of Afrobeats, Amapiano, and R&B.
This is Your Fringe celebrated the incredible musical talent of the performing artists and reinforced Be United’s commitment to supporting Black creatives and transforming the landscape of the Edinburgh Fringe, making it more accessible and equitable for years to come.
Rise and Shine
This initiative supports emerging artists by providing vital resources such as rehearsal space and opportunities to translate their studio music into live performances. Be United is dedicated to transforming the music landscape for Black creatives in Scotland through professional performance opportunities, marketing training, portfolio development, and industry seminars.
In 2024, Rise and Shine created numerous performance opportunities for emerging talents Eyve and AyBagz, with appearances at esteemed venues, including Virgin Hotels, Johnnie Walker Princes Street, Fruitmarket, and the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival. This programme continues to champion artists, helping them refine their craft and thrive in Scotland’s creative sector.
Our 10th Anniversary Event
On October 25th, 2024, Be United celebrated its 10th Anniversary with the Be United Presents: 10 Years of History event at the stunning Johnnie Walker Princes Street. This event marked both Black History Month and Be United’s ten-year journey of supporting Black creatives across Scotland.
The evening featured an extraordinary line-up of talent, starting with Ziggy, a Scotland-based singer and songwriter who captivated the audience with her soulful blend of R&B, soul, and hip-hop music, infused with reggae and dancehall influences drawn from her Jamaican heritage. Known for her velvety voice and deeply honest lyrics, Ziggy, with Be United’s support, performed for the first time with a live band. “Be United is an amazing support for Black creatives, providing a platform and opportunities like no other! Can’t recommend them enough—thank you!” said Ziggy after the show.
The event’s headliner, Afro-Fusion artist Sean Focus, was next. With his melodic vocals and beats bridging the gap between Africa and the UK, Sean has quickly become one of the UK’s most promising emerging talents. Originally from Zimbabwe and now based in Edinburgh, Sean is one of Be United’s most featured artists. His performance had the entire crowd dancing, and to everyone’s surprise, special guest appearances were made by artist PILLZ THE ENERGIZER and renowned Nigerian-born Ayrshire rapper Bemz, among others.
Finally, DJ Chilli Flakes brought the night to a close, blending Afrobeats and Amapiano.
As Be United’s Creative Director, Collin Hillis, put it, “We’ve had an incredible 10 years working with the community, and this event was a celebration of everything we’ve achieved together and all that we hope to accomplish in the future.” The evening was not only a celebration of the talent on stage but also of Be United’s decade-long impact on Scotland’s cultural landscape.
Strengthening Leadership and Be United Team
As Be United celebrated its 10th anniversary, we were proud to announce the addition of two key figures to our leadership team. In this milestone year, we welcomed Zarine Manekshaw as Treasurer of the Board and Lara Banjo as Trustee of Be United. Both Zarine and Lara bring a wealth of expertise in financial strategy and governance, which will be invaluable as we continue to scale our impact in 2025 and beyond. Be United’s Board also includes Louis Parker-Evans as Interim Chair, Fiyin Fakunle as Secretary, and Dr. Thelma Okey-Adibe, Olubukola Popoola, and Ben Chinchen as Trustees, while Co-founder Boysie Gumede holds Honorary Board Member status.
The Be United operational team has also worked diligently this year, with Emma Sithole leading as Executive Director, Collin Hills as Creative Director, and Monika Navickaite working as Media and Communications Coordinator. Additionally, we welcomed Kassana Garraway as Business Development Manager and Sharon Thomas as Programme Coordinator in early 2024.
Exciting Year Ahead: Creative Partnerships Conference 2025
We are thrilled to announce that 2025 will be just as exciting, with Be United’s Creative Partnerships Conference returning and taking place in Glasgow on 21st February. As Scotland’s premier networking and professional development platform for Black creatives, this conference will provide a space for Black creatives, professionals, and industry organisations to connect, collaborate, and develop their skills.
Tickets for this exciting event are now live and, thanks to our partners and funders, are FREE! We encourage everyone from the Be United community who wants to thrive in the Scottish creative sector to be part of this important event and be in the room! We look forward to seeing you there!
Thank You and Holiday Closure
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported Be United this year—our participants, partners, audiences, and team. We’ll be taking a short break over the holidays and will return on January 6th, 2025, refreshed and ready for another amazing year.
From all of us at Be United, happy holidays, and here’s to another incredible year!
