Forging a career in culture

London Borough of Culture can empower emerging creatives and help them carve bold career  pathways. After graduating from Manchester School of Art, Warren Reilly was awarded a Culture Fund grant for his project, as part of Brent's year as London Borough of Culture in 2020. Warren went on to collaborate with heritage professionals and is now working at the Mixed Museum. We caught up with him to discuss his journey.

Fashioning our History was your first independent project after graduating from university. Tell us about that experience and how you developed the project idea.

My project was unapologetically myself and connected directly to my studies. I grew up on the Churchend Estate in Brent. When I came back from university I wanted to help celebrate culture and creativity in my area, through practical community engagement. I ‘d been interested in fashion from an early age, but found it challenging to connect with other creative people in the area. Brent is very diverse, but some aspects are not as liberated, so this seemed to provide the perfect opportunity to open up certain conversations.

I was 23 when I applied for a £3000 grant from the 2020 Culture Funds, and I was fortunate to be awarded it! It was my first creative project out of university, and there was a certain freedom to it. The project ran from February 2020 until the summer of 2021.

The exhibition was all about celebrating diverse histories through fashion. It was an chance to use my area to highlight a topic that was local yet far-reaching.

The main concept was to develop a mural that became a dress. The original plan was for the community to come and illustrate it themselves. However, it had to be adapted because of COVID, so we gathered community input and interpreted that visually in a smaller group, which included my mother. The mural was brought together local knowledge and artistic expression and transformed into a gown inspired by the Victorian era.

What insights did you come away with from Fashioning Our History?

I was straight out of university and didn't know much about budgeting and managing projects, so this project allowed me to learn by doing.

The experience increased my confidence in bid writing and project management. Safe to say, I now very much understand the importance of being reimbursed for my time!

How did the local community react to the project?

 The community had never seen anything like the exhibition before. I am a queer mixed-race boy from Brent showcasing academia, aristocratic history and multiculturalism through fashion. It was definitely something different.

The project was also designed to build up the confidence of the project team and participants, while shaping and celebrating the community with a series of fashion illustration workshops, and a public exhibition at Willesden Green Library.

The success of Fashioning Our History secured my next role. Dr Chamion Cabellero approached me at a talk I hosted at Willesden Library and asked to collaborate on a project with the Mixed Museum to continue my work exploring marginalised social histories called By The Cut of Their Cloth.

This seems like a perfect fit and stepping stone. Could you tell us more about your position at the Mixed Museum?

Yes, the exhibition explores the 300-year history of mixed racial heritage and multiculturalism in Brent through art, photography and fashion. As one of the project leads, I developed Brent's cultural archives while working as part of a creative team within a museum institution, focusing on multicultural communities and the colonial history of the borough.

Following the success of that project, I started as Assistant Creative Director at the Mixed Museum last October, which has been a great experience. Dr Chamion Cabellero has become a guiding figure over the last few years, and we work really well together!

It is great to see how the London Borough of Culture has positively contributed to your curatorial journey and professional growth. You'e been busy expanding your textile brand over the last three years. Can you tell us about the journey?

Yes, London Borough of Culture was a springboard - it gave me the courage to apply for other opportunities and empowered me to put myself out there. Since Fashioning Our History, I have been fortunate to have successfully applied for different initiatives that have allowed me to build my business to where it is today.

In 2021 I was awarded a free studio space within Artist's Studio Company in Alperton for two years. I have received support from the Highstreet Challenge in Church End to develop my fashion textile portfolio incorporating diverse histories and designs to grow my sustainable business model.

Warren’s work over the last three years has led to notable contributions to the understanding of Brent's diverse history and fashion. His London Borough of Culture project empowered him to build his brand, and was a catalyst in his career path as a recognised artist and maker - check out Warren’s work.

The Mayor’s London Borough of Culture programme creates opportunities for emerging creatives to reach their next steps in their career. 

Find out more about the call for London Boroughs to bid to be the next Borough of Culture.