Shade

Shade Media was founded in 2019 by photographer Lou Mensah to create a space for Black artists and creative practitioners to talk about their work in their own way. This critically acclaimed podcast features interviews with artists, critics, writers and visionaries including John Akomfrah, Amy Sherald, Lauren Michele Jackson and Ekow Eshun. It's host Lou has been nominated as Best Arts and Culture Producer and also for the Grassroots Production Award in the 2024 AudioUK awards. She was named Producer of the Year by the UK Audio Network in 2024. Shade Podcast further garnered the Best Art Podcast gong at the 2021 British Podcast Awards. Shade Art Review, which debuted in September 2023, is a biweekly arts and culture magazine on Substack.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last refreshed: July 11th, 2025 at 10:35 PM ⓘ

Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.

Follow on

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

SOCIAL MEDIA ALLYSHIP with Guest Sophie Williams. Author 'Anti Racist Ally' & 'Millennial Black'

Guest Sophie Williams Author Anti Racist Ally & Millennial Black Sophie had a career in advertising, before she left to create her own business, working with clients such as Netflix on projects combining her professional advertising experience with active anti-racism work. In the summer of 2020, Sophie posted 10 slides to Instagram outlining how to be an anti-racist ally. Her slides, which were created in response to those outside the Black community wanting to help and be allies, went viral...

Feb 08, 2021•29 min•Season 4Ep. 5

SYMBOLS OF PROTEST - Edward Colston statue

Image Focus (click on link below to view image) Protestors remove statue of Slave Trader, Edward Colston. June 7, 2020, Bristol, UK Guests Joshua Virasami, BLM UK Member & Author George Osei-Prempeh , The Photographers Gallery London Guests share their personal responses to the statue removal and it’s symbolism within the wider context of the civil rights movement Shade is produced and hosted by Lou Mensah Please support this work by becoming a Shade Patron Full season music is composed by B...

Feb 01, 2021•50 min•Season 4Ep. 4

PRESS PHOTOS - UK BLM Protests - Patrick Hutchinson

UK BLM Protests Press Photos Image Focus: Patrick Hutchinson BLM Protest Image REUTERS/Dylan Martinez June 13 2020 We discuss the impact of the image from social, cultural and art history perspective Guests Lanre Bakare. Arts & Culture correspondent, The Guardian Carey Robinson. Head of Education, The South London Gallery Patrick Hutchinson Shade is produced and hosted by Lou Mensah Please support this work by becoming a Shade Patreon Patron Full season music is composed by Brian Jackson Epi...

Jan 25, 2021•50 min•Season 4Ep. 3

BONUS EPISODE Shade + South London Gallery (Convergence) co-curated conversations 'Does the media have the potential to challenge racism?'

This bonus series of four co-curated conversations between Shade and Convergence - the South London Gallery’s platform for critical conversations, screenings and written commissions - explores anti-racism and the arts. This first episode features Kevin Morosky , filmmaker, advertising creative director and co-founder of We are Pocc (the creative network accelerating equality and equity, for culturally and ethnically diverse people in the creative industries) who speaks to Lou Mensah about the ro...

Jan 23, 2021•28 min

VOGUE Magazine BLM 'Hope' Covers

Fashion & the BLM uprisings Image Focus: British Vogue Cover, The September Issue 2020 American Vogue Covers, The September Issue 2020 Guests Osman Ahmed, Fashion Features Editor i-D Magazine Mariel Tyler, Photographer (Former Photo Editor of ELLE.COM & Getty) Shade is produced and hosted by Lou Mensah Please support this work by becoming a Shade Patron Full season music is composed by Brian Jackson Episode Two additional music by Luke Cage Mixing & sound design CA Davis Thank you Kl...

Jan 18, 2021•35 min•Season 4Ep. 2

TIME Magazine 'The Overdue Awakening'

Guest Paul Moakley Editor at Large, Special projects TIME Magazine Image ‘The Overdue Awakening’ TIME, June 2020 Photographer Devin Allen Produced and hosted by Lou Mensah Music composed for Shade Podcast by Brian Jackson Copyright Brian Jackson/Shade Podcast Mixing & sound design CA Davis Available on all podcast apps & Shade Website Please support this work by becoming a Shade Patron Season 4 is supported by Kloris Thank you so much Kloris for supporting Shade this season! Sign up to S...

Jan 11, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 1

Season Four Trailer - 'Black Images Matter' Launching 11 Jan 2021

Shade returns for a new season, reflecting on the images and stories that emerged from the 2020 BLM uprisings. Join Lou, along with the trailblazers and change-makers from the worlds of magazine & book publishing, photography, art, journalism and activism, to consider the effect of the summer 2020 uprisings on our visual and social cultures. Music has been composed for Shade this season by musician Brian Jackson (of Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson). The duo composed the politically reson...

Dec 08, 2020•2 min

← Prev

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android