Nubia Way Screening & Talk with James Thormod

Nubia Way screening and talk with co-producer James Thormod to explore self-building as a site of possibility and housing in the Black Imagination.

As part of MAIA’s exploration into how the Black Imagination can create portals and prototypes for sanctuary, we’re honoured to host a screening of Nubia Way, followed by a talk with its co-producer, James Thormod. Nubia Way is a documentary film which details the story of Black-led self build housing in Lewisham during the 1990s.

After the screening, we’ll be delving into the connections between the film and the Lab, such as self-builds as a site of possibility, play, housing and architecture in the Black Imagination.

This is a hybrid event, running both online and at YARD between 6pm-8pm. Please note that there are separate in-person and Zoom tickets available. As always, we have budget to support with access, travel and childcare costs – please reach out to contact@maiagroup.co if you would like to make use of these.

James Thormod is an Architect practicing in East London, with a particular interest in timber construction, housing and self-build. In 2022, in collaboration with the Architecture Foundation, James co-produced and interviewed residents for a documentary of Nubia Way – a black-led self-build project in Downham, Lewisham built in 1997. James’ interest in Nubia Way began by producing a paper titled ‘Nubia Way: Homebuilding as Black Resistance,’ after a series of interviews with local residents and key stakeholders. James was published as part of the ‘Now You Know’ publication by Sound Advice, which challenges discrimination in the built environment.