Creating GUAP Gala is an answer to the Met Gala

Nadine White, The Independent

Two Black men who were inspired to create a London rival to the Met Gala, celebrating unsung heroes in the creative industries, have described the “courage” it took to pull off the event. GUAP Gala was launched by Ibrahim Kamara and Jide Adetunji to recognise underrepresented figures across the arts and culture sectors, including those who work behind the scenes and in front of the camera. The Black-led annual spectacle was held for the second time at the Natural History Museum, drawing huge crowds. Guests wore flamboyant outfits in keeping with the event’s Cosmic Dreams theme.

Speaking to The Independent, Kamara and Adetunji– who also run the video-led GUAP Magazine, which is dedicated to showcasing “emerging creative talent” — described how the event was borne of a desire to ramp up representation for those who are often overlooked in their respective industries. The duo said they wanted to create “an inclusive space” for them to “thrive, grow, celebrate and honour each other”.

“We felt like there are loads of cool people doing amazing things within the creative industry, but they do it individually in little silos,” Kamara, 29, said. Explaining how he and Adetunji want to inspire future generations, he added: “A lot of time, as a young person, you’re pushed into more traditional roles like accounting or medicine. “Loads of people have more creative dreams beyond acting, for example. So, we wanted to provide a bit more visibility to some of the roles behind the scenes – like being a stylist or a make-up artist, photographer or producer – so young people can aspire to be those things as well.”

The award show, supported by BBC Radio 1Xtra, cover various professions and sectors, as well as those in front and behind the cameras, including writers, DJs, make up artists and stylists. The event’s success has featured in a documentary exploring the contribution of Black culture to mainstream British fashion. “Guap Gala is different to other award shows,” Kamara told The Independent. “Here, you will find individuals from industry professionals to cultural heroes being put on the same pedestal as music artists or actors, mixing that with the extravagant outlook similar to a Met Gala.” But pulling off the operation was no small feat: “We have quite a reputation within the creative industry as being able to break amazing talent and being tastemakers within the space,” Adetunji, 29, said.

“To take that from a digital space to a physical space – and to a venue like the Natural History Museum – is quite an audacious and courageous act. So, I think gathering up the audacity to undertake such a feat was the first challenge.

“Then, as you can imagine, it is incredibly expensive to pull off an event at this scale at such an amazing venue, so being able to find sponsors and to convince them to kind of back you, when it’s your first time doing something like that was incredibly hard.” The duo had harboured an aspiration to arrange an event in London since 2017. It took five years and, in September 2022, it came to fruition. Fast forward to September 2023 and the great and the good of Britain’s creative industries descended upon the venue for the invite-only event, which now has the backing of Lionsgate, Instagram, WhatsApp and BBX 1Xtra.

“This year’s event surpassed my expectations,” Adetunji added. “Everything was perfect from the outfits and performances to the food, afterparty and more. It was a euphoric experience.” The guestlist included the likes of author Yomi Adegoke, artist, novelist and presenter Monikah Lee, campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa, media personality Zeze Millz and rapper Kojey Radical. Hosted by comedian Munya Chawawa and BBC Radio 1Xtra presenter Remi Burgz, the event included performances from singer Sekou, rapper Unknown T, violinist J Hope and more. Writer Sophia Thakur, presenter Harry Pinero and makeup artist Sharmaine Roper were among the evening’s winners, while Luther star Idris Elba was bestowed with the Legacy Award.

“Guap” or “Gwop” is a colloquial term of reference to money, which was the initial inspiration behind the magazine’s brand after it launched, with Kamara and Adetunji confident their brand would make them millionaires. But this soon expanded into a more meaningful concept. “We realised that money isn’t the be all and end all of owning a business,” Adetunji said. “In this day and age, to thrive as a business, especially with a younger demographic, you need to have a deeper purpose.

“We figured out that our purpose was going to be an uplifting one and came up with the acronym: ‘Great Understanding And Power’, purely because we want to instil our audience with the knowledge, drive and inspiration to go on and fulfil their dreams within the creative industry. “We want it to ultimately have a legacy and to last long after we’re gone.”

There is something poetic about such a seminal event as GUAP Gala, dear in the hearts of Black British creatives in particular, taking place in a centuries-old British institution that has colonial origins.