Over the past decade, the internationally acclaimed British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE RA has tirelessly supported the development of early career and African diaspora artists through Guest Projects.

Founded by Shonibare Studio in 2006 the artist residency programme offered early-career multidisciplinary creatives and practitioners free access to a project space in which to collaborate and experiment for one month.

The studio, encompassing the ground floor of a former carpet factory in east London, was an alternative universe and playground for artists, performers and curators, encouraging them to collaborate and make new and experimental work. Over the years it evolved to become a laboratory of ideas and a testing ground for new thoughts and actions in which the possibility of failure became an opportunity for artistic growth.

In response to the global Covid crisis of 2020 Guest Projects has moved away from offering a physical project space, focusing instead on digitally enabling and supporting the creation of new works, trialling of ideas, creative programming and online community engagement. 

Guest Projects Digital has been conceived as a means of continuing to support multidisciplinary artists by providing access to digital and online resources regardless of physical and cultural barriers to collaboration and experimentation.