In response to Henry Singleton 1795 portrait of Royal Academicians, THE FUTURE IS A COMMON HISTORY is a performance directed by JA Projects in collaboration with Black Females in Architecture and Dr Adesola Akinleye.

We will perform an alternative history that champions the making of a diverse public realm via an investigation of the Royal Academy of Arts and its setting.

We will be highlighting inspiring black woman in the industry so keep an eye out for some familiar faces! Nine BFA members are taking part in the performance demanding a new dawn for the built environment profession and proposing a bright future, we’re excited to be seeing Corrinne Aubee, Joy Mulandi, Lois Innes, Nasra Abdullahi, Remi Connolly-Taylor, Sahar Ibrahim, Sedayah Simpson, Seyi Adelekun and Shamiso Oneka on screen.

The performance will be followed by a conversation between the Dr Adesola Akinleye, BFA Member Lois Innes and Kate Goodwin (RA Head of Architecture and Drue Heinz Curator), taking a closer look at the history and context of these conversations, both specific to the RA and in general.

The premise for the project is the three part performance lectures series COUNTER-FIGURES curated by @jaydenaali showcased on the University of Arts: Central Saint Martins’ YouTube channel which will explore the new heroes of our time, tell new stories, advocate new agendas, frame new questions and articulate new aesthetics.