The North East of England is becoming a quiet site of cultural invention where heritage meets new landscapes and people find ways to belong. I spoke with three creatives who are central to that change. Pearl Chukwuemeka leads SIPPAfrica UK. Tomide Joseph performs as TMJ. Georgia May, who calls herself a Nigeordian, reflects her dual Nigerian and Geordie heritage. Their voices show how community, food, music, and performance are teaching new lessons about identity and belonging.
Pearl and SIPPAfrica UK
Pearl told me her idea began after she moved to Newcastle and noticed a gap. She said she could not find regular spaces that celebrated African culture in a fun, consistent way that was not nightlife. That observation inspired her to start SIPPAfrica UK, an extension of SippAfrica, a platform where culture, food, music, and people can connect.
Her aim is clear. “Our focus is community and culture first, creating spaces where people can connect, learn, and celebrate African and Caribbean heritage through food, music, and creativity,” she said. Pearl stressed that SIPPAfrica is not primarily a nightlife brand. She sees nightlife as one possible platform, but she described community and culture as the organisation’s backbone. This is evidenced in brand partnership with Lemfi and MonieWorld.
Pearl described how she chooses themes for events. She looks to nostalgia and relatability. Nollywood connects to shared memory while Afrobeats speaks to the present. Her upcoming Jollof Connect event in October will mark Black History Month and centre African food traditions as a way to learn and to celebrate.
Impact matters to Pearl. “That feedback is the best metric, when someone says, ‘I finally feel at home here,’ or a non-African guest says, ‘I learned so much tonight,’” she told me. Those responses prove to her that SIPPAfrica is making a cultural impact and not just producing entertainment.
Practical challenges remain. Pearl said finance has been the biggest hurdle and that convincing venues about demand took time. Networking and collaboration have helped. She builds relationships by turning up at other events and inviting people into the SIPPAfrica space. Her five year vision includes a cultural festival, expansion to more UK cities, and a community café where people can gather outside events. She summed up the brand in three words: vibrant, inclusive, home.
She also noted growing recognition from local figures and institutions. MP Chi Onwurah and the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Quewone Bailey-Fleet of Hartlepool have shown support, which to Pearl is proof that SIPPAfrica is being noticed as more than a cultural events brand. She now sees it as a movement that can expand across the UK and create cultural touchpoints wherever people gather.
Northern Roots: a stage for emerging voices
Northern Roots is a vital stage for artists in the North East. The programme is known for giving visibility to underground and diasporic talent, offering mentoring, collaboration, and performance opportunities. For many performers it provides the first chance to stand on a stage where audiences are open to fresh voices and diverse stories. Artists such as TMJ and Georgia May have found in Northern Roots a place to grow, experiment, and be recognised.
TMJ: Storytelling in Sound
I spoke with TMJ about what Northern Roots means to him and how his music fits into the North East soundscape. He said Northern Roots provides exposure, legitimacy, and community for artists who otherwise might struggle to be seen. “To me Northern Roots has been a platform for expression, visibility and collaboration,” he told me. “It has helped me showcase talent and passion on a stage where other artists can only dream of.”
TMJ described music as communication. He said his sound mixes Afrobeat, soul, R&B, and pop, and that his aim is to blend those roots with what he experiences in Newcastle. “I want to add Afrobeat vibes into the sonic tapestry of Newcastle and the North East,” he said. “My goal is to pass on energy that inspires, uplifts, and connects.”
Beyond sound, TMJ reflected on influence. He hopes his presence gives younger musicians the courage to create. If seeing him on stage or at a show like Northern Roots inspires someone to pick up a mic or a pen, he said, that counts as a victory.
Georgia May
Georgia May provided a short but telling note about identity. “I call myself a Nigeordian. That reflects my dual Nigerian and Geordie heritage,” she said. Her latest release Oshun State explores longing to visit roots in Nigeria and the feeling of being in two worlds. That phrasing captures how diasporic identity adapts language and memory across place.
The hidden lessons of culture
What links Pearl, TMJ, and Georgia May is not only culture but a form of education that happens without classrooms. SIPPAfrica packages cultural learning as accessible events. TMJ’s performances teach through rhythm and story. Georgia May’s songs teach through longing and belonging. Northern Roots offers the structure that allows such voices to be heard. Each encounter creates familiarity and expands ideas about what it means to belong in the North East.
These Hidden lessons promote empathy and cross-cultural knowledge. It invites local audiences to meet food, music, and stories they might not otherwise find. It gives diaspora audiences a sense of home and continuity. That dual effect matters for the long run because it shapes how a region remembers itself and includes others.
Looking forward
Pearl’s plans for festivals, a community café, and wider collaboration point to growth that moves beyond isolated nights. TMJ’s work shows how sound can braid local feelings with diasporic memory. Georgia May’s music shows how identity holds multiple homes at once. Northern Roots shows how vital it is to sustain platforms that nurture such voices and give them visibility.
Those efforts together suggest a long term cultural shift for the North East. If community, creativity, and consistent platforms continue to expand, the region will not only host new forms of art but will also carry them into public life, civic conversation, and future generations. This is how we can blend roots, culture and belonging. It has already begun.
