As part Diasporas Now year-long residency, we are presenting a series of work-in-progress (WIP) performances, led by Diasporas Now artists in collaboration with emerging ICA Creatives. These evenings provide a platform to share work in development, emphasising the value of witnessing art in its transitional stage. 

The third instalment of the series will be led by Paola Estrella, a Mexico-born, London-based multimedia artist whose practice spans painting, video, installation, and performance. Frequently drawing on speculative fiction, Estrella’s work explores how imagination, technology, and belief systems shape identity, social norms, and perceptions of reality. Through her practice, she encourages reflection on the complex interplay between personal and collective worldviews. 

In the lead-up to this iteration, Paola will collaborate with ICA Creatives Elie Arden, Jiho Lee, and Sofia Pomeroy, fostering mentorship, skill-sharing, and creative dialogue. Celebrating works in progress, this event fosters dialogue between artists and invites audience feedback as an integral part of the creative process. 

WIP: Sharing Space highlights the importance of engaging with work that is unfinished and in progress. It celebrates dialogue and collaboration, inviting feedback from audiences, and fostering conversations between artists. For this year’s edition we are pairing ICA Creatives with artists from Diasporas Now to encourage skill-sharing, mentorship, and creative exchange among emerging artists. 
 
ICA Creatives is our core youth programme for young people age 16-30. Using the ICA as a resource and the urban environment as inspiration, the programme supports young people in learning various ways of making, gathering, and producing to engage with photographic, sound, and film-focused audio-visual practices.   
 
To find out more about the Speaking Futures x Diasporas Now collaboration, click here.