Our Story
We are a Creative Tech studio, building our community since 2016. We offer skills workshops, inspiring retreats and the largest event for black womxn* in the South West.
Our Mission
Black Girl Convention is a movement to ensure that ALL womxn of African and Caribbean heritage have a sense of home, by sharing, shaping and owning the Black Girl Experience.
Our Vision
To see black women flourish.
To be the lighthouse for connecting the Black Girl Experience, cross culture, cross sector and cross generation in the UK.
Our Values
Love with intention
Collaborate with intention
Create with intention
Connect with intention
Flourish with intention
What we do
Annual main event Black Girl Convention
Retreat Experiences
Training and Development
Consultancy
Where we focus our energy
Connecting our Communities
Everyday Activism
Leadership Development
Arts, Creativity and Technology Innovation
Improved Health & Wellbeing
Our community engaged with over 180 black women and girls through our events.
The story so far…
In the Autumn of 2016 Dr Mena Fombo secured small grant from Esme Fairbain to fund the first convention.
Our parent company The OJiJi Purple Project was set up informally and we held a community consultation with 25-30 women about what BGC would become.
Our first convention launched in November 2017 hosted by Arnolfini Bristol, we sold out with 60 attendees.
Spring 2018 an informal advisory board was formed of 6 core members.
Summer 2018 saw the formal registration of The OJiJi Purple project into Ltd company, non profit.
In September 2018 we launched the first How To Be A Great Ally workshop
Our second convention was hosted by We The Curious in November 2018, with over 150 attendees.
In March 2019 we launched the BGC Digi Tech retreat, for 20 women as part of the WECA funded Widjet Programme, in partnership with Knowle West Media Centre.
We were nominated for a Tech Sparkies award for the innovation behind Digi Tech Retreat!
The summer of 2019 saw our core team increase in size, and our first collaboration with TEDx Bristol for speaker workshops.
Our second How To A Great Ally Series sold out and delivered as part of Bristol Technology Festival, hosted by Watershed.
Two attendees to our TEDxBristol session went on to deliver TEDxBristol talks on the big stage!
November 2019 saw our third successful convention, hosted by the Engine Shed to a sold out audience of 150 attendees.
In spring 2020 we received our first grant from Arts Council England, to deliver our Virtual 2020 convention, the change in format due to Covid 19.
We’ve delivered leadership and rest retreats for artists, creatives and activists in 2021 and 2022.
We partnered with TEDx Bristol again in 2023 for our speaker workshop.
Summer 2023, we pivoted to officially become a Creative Tech Studio supporting our community into the world of Spatial computing and immersive.