In Scotland's creative scene, there's a crucial gap: spaces owned by and designed for Black and Global Majority creatives.
Join host Ica Headlam as he explores inspiring Black and Global Majority-led venues and cultural centres from the UK to international destinations. Each episode uncovers the stories behind these spaces—the vision, the struggle, and the profound impact on wellbeing and artistic expression.
We'll meet fearless founders breaking barriers, discover innovative funding models, and explore how creative spaces become lifelines for community and mental health. AND, what it could look like for Scotland.
Because creative spaces aren't just about art—they're about belonging, wellbeing, and creating foundations where communities can truly thrive.
New episodes weekly. A We Are Here Scotland production.
Credits
Producer & Technical Producer: Halina Rifai
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Host Ica Headlam speaks with Sadiki Harris from Black Thrive Lambeth about how the organisation supports Black communities in Brixton through a backbone model that props up grassroots work rather than trying to do everything itself. They talk about real co-production, community assemblies that get people's voices in front of council, and why leading with wellbeing instead of crisis actually shifts how people show up. They discuss Project Hill, stories of people who've moved through serious trauma without letting it define them, and why it matters that Black organisations employ Black people. Sadiki shares the Black Man Toolkit coming this year, a practical guide for young Black men navigating life after systems stop supporting them, and how Black Thrive is looking to Scotland carefully, working with organisations already doing the work rather than imposing a London model.
Find out more: Black Thrive Lambeth: www.blackthrive.org.uk (http://www.blackthrive.org.uk)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
31 Dec 2025
Scottish BPOC Writers Network & Project X
Host Ica Headlam speaks with sisters Rhea Lewis (Project X Dance) and Jeda Pearl (Scottish Black and POC Writers Network) about supporting Black and POC artists in Scotland. They chat about growing up in a creative household in Edinburgh, how 2020 completely shifted their approach towards artist development and care, and the ongoing challenges of exploitation and tokenisation in the creative industries. The conversation gets into what real support actually looks like – from proper commissions to rehearsal spaces to mental health support for artists making work about trauma. They also celebrate both organisations receiving Creative Scotland's Multi-Year Funding, which is a massive deal. And they dream about creating Black cultural centres in Scotland with archives, libraries, rehearsal spaces, and cafés – taking inspiration from London's Black Cultural Archives whilst imagining a community-owned Scottish approach with satellite locations across the country.
Find out more:
Project X Dance: www.projectxdance.com (http://www.projectxdance.com) (sign up for their artist newsletter – for Black & POC artists only)
Scottish Black and POC Writers Network: www.scottishpocwritersnetwork.com (http://www.scottishpocwritersnetwork.com)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
20 Nov 2025
Black Psychotherapy
Host Ica Headlam speaks with Kim Loliya, founder and director of Black Psychotherapy in London, about culturally attuned mental health support for Black and Global Majority communities. Kim discusses how they've grown from a solo practice to a team of 31 practitioners, the problems with Eurocentric therapy models, and why mainstream NHS provision often fails racialised communities. The conversation explores generational trauma, the fears many hold about accessing mental health services (including higher rates of sectioning and restraint), and the power of community healing through care circles. Kim also shares their vision for abolishing Western therapy models in favour of more indigenous approaches to healing, the importance of anti-oppressive practice embedded throughout training curricula, and Black Psychotherapy's work from their shipping container therapy space in the heart of Brixton. This episode examines what real healing looks like when it's designed for us, by us.
Find out more: Black Psychotherapy - www.blackpsychotherapy.com (http://www.blackpsychotherapy.com)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
31 Jul 2025
Pass the Mic
Host Ica Headlam speaks with Talat Yaqoob, founder of Pass the Mic, about the gap between Scotland's progressive rhetoric and actual investment in change for communities of colour. They discuss creating your own spaces versus engaging with existing systems, the extractive nature of unpaid labour in media and activism, and how austerity has decimated the community centres and youth clubs that once anchored Black and Brown communities. Talat shares how Pass the Mic has grown from a desktop spreadsheet to a database of over 300 women of colour experts, and why sustained prioritisation matters more than reactive responses to trending moments.
Visit Pass the Mic - https://passthemicscotland.org
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
18 Jun 2025
2. Creative Balance
Host Ica interviews Matthew Hickman and Loa Pour Mirza about the Creative Balance project, which researches wellbeing among Black and racialised creatives facing systemic barriers in Scotland's cultural sector.
10 Jun 2025
1. Foundations
Host Ica Headlam interviews Rupa Mooker, an employment lawyer and radio presenter, about the experiences of BPOC creatives in Scotland, highlighting the importance of community-led spaces and addressing exclusion in creative industries.
22 May 2025
INTRODUCING: Well-founded
Host Ica Headlam introduces Well-founded, a podcast exploring spaces that nurture creativity, support mental health, and foster community for Black and Global Majority creatives in Scotland.
Who has been a guest on Well-founded
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Matthew Hickman
Loa Pour Mirza
Rupa Mooker
Podcast Authority Score: 19 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
38
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
Contact Well-founded
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Well-founded
Who hosts Well-founded?
Ica Headlam host the show. Published by We Are Here Scotland.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes monthly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Well-founded take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Host of Well-founded?
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