Y.S.F. and G.A.S. Impact Report 2024-25

As we enter three years of programming and residencies at G.A.S. Foundation, we are thrilled to present our second Impact Report. It chronicles our journey from digital programming to welcoming our 85th G.A.S. resident in June 2025. Throughout this transformative period, we have remained committed to facilitating global cultural exchange and building a resilient cultural infrastructure. The outcomes speak to the tangible value of our work: supporting artists, researchers, and creative practitioners across disciplines, fostering collaboration and mentorship, and expanding access to resources, networks, and opportunities that enable creative risk-taking, innovation, and growth.

"Welcome to our second Impact Report charting the past 18 months from January 2024 to June 2025. Highlights include Annotations in 2024, reflecting on legacy, memory and the politics of preservation in African and diaspora contexts. Broadening the Farm Residency, which has opened vital conversations on ecology, food security and regenerative land use. Rooted in both our urban hub in Lagos and our rural farm in Ikise, these strands intersect to foster critical engagement with urban–rural dynamics and to envision diverse, evolving African futures."

Belinda Holden, CEO Yinka Shonibare Foundation

"Stepping into the role of Executive Director of G.A.S. in March 2024 has been a transformative experience, I did so with equal parts excitement and humility, deeply aware of the privilege of stewarding an organisation with such a vital mission. Over this period, we have focused on deepening our local footprint by embedding ourselves more fully within the communities that sustain us while continuing to connect outward across borders."

Moni Aisida, Executive Director Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation

Read the Impact Report

Our Founder Reflects On Y.S.F. and G.A.S. Foundation's Impact

"Three years on, it is hard to believe that G.A.S. has already welcomed over 85 residents to Lagos and the farm in Ikise. What began as an idea has become a living experiment in cultural exchange, research, and community engagement. What once felt utopian is now a working reality, and one we continue to build upon with curiosity and determination.

This work is made possible thanks to our committed partners. The Terra Foundation for American Arts has enabled ten American artists to spend time on the farm over two years. Deutsche Bank is supporting a three-year programme of professional development and residencies for creative communities in Lagos and Ikise. Our patron Olufemi Akinsanya has generously supported the archiving and opening of the library as a resource for residents and the wider community. I am also grateful to our American Friends Circle, inaugurated by Kent Kelley, and the Global Circle, launched in June with Osahon Okunbo."

Yinka Shonibare CBE, Founder and Chair Y.S.F. and G.A.S. Foundation

Impact in Numbers: Residents, Events, and Community Engagement

Between January 2024 and June 2025, G.A.S. Foundation hosted 42 residents, held 56 events across our two residency sites, and welcomed 2,097 visitors. From our inception in May 2022 to June 2025, we have hosted 85 residents, held 111 events, and welcomed a total of 4,047 visitors.

"This year, we focused on strengthening our immediate art community through targeted resident events, educational development sessions and collaborations with schools and local organisations. Partnerships with St. John’s Primary School, Wecyclers, BASF, and the warm welcome extended by the Ayobo ceramic artists during the residencies of Katesi Kalenge and Bisila Noha, reminded us of the power of shared knowledge and collective creativity. We also continued to build a strong and supportive local donor and patron community, whose commitment underpins the sustainability of our mission."

Moni Aisida, Executive Director Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation

Our Residents and Partners Share Their Reflections

Yinka Shonibare’s vision for G.A.S. and Y.S.F. is to support the development of new work and ideas, foster cross-cultural understanding, expand access to resources and opportunities, and create pathways for education and professional growth. The Foundations aim to forge networks and a resilient cultural infrastructure that enables artists, researchers, and cultural practitioners to thrive, take creative risks, and shape more equitable futures, ensuring the next generation of creators can flourish, not just survive.

Our Impact Report highlights the experiences of residents and partners, showing the value of mentorship, collaboration, and cross-cultural exchange. Read reflections from Emily Moore (Chair, RCA Black), G.A.S. Alumna Amanda Iheme, and Tunji Akintokun MBE of the Ilesha Charitable Trust on teaching, artistic growth, and creating pathways for education, empowerment, and global connection.

Spotlighting Our Farm Residencies

Since its inception in 2018, the G.A.S. Foundation Farm in Ijebu has become an invaluable site for artistic inquiry, ecological engagement and community exchange. The residency programme brings together local and international artists whose practices intersect with farming, food systems, craft, ecology and sustainable futures.

We are also pleased to share that the Terra Foundation for American Art awarded $149,000 to support CULTIVATION: Art, Environment & Materiality, a two-year residency programme piloted on our working farm. It brings together artists, researchers, farmers, and artisans to explore the intersections of ecology, food, agriculture, and traditional craft with contemporary art.

Building Connections at Home and Abroad

At the heart of G.A.S.’s mission is a commitment to building bridges between institutions, communities and individuals. In 2024, G.A.S. deepened its role as a convener in Lagos and Ijebu, hosting a wide range of public programmes that extended residencies beyond the studio into community engagement. These events allowed residents to share research, test ideas and connect with audiences, while also reflecting G.A.S.’s role as a convener of urgent conversations in contemporary art and society.

Supported by local donors such as Femi Akinsanya and Shamballa FZE, residencies generate trust, resources and ambition for bold projects. Collaborations with organisations such as the Goethe-Institut and Tiwani Contemporary gave residents visibility, networks, and public platforms, while a partnership with CBAAC and Olongo Africa brought the full Black Orpheus archive into the G.A.S. Library, linking residents’ work with critical African and diasporic histories.

Thank You

We extend our utmost thanks to our committed donors and funders for their belief in our work at Y.S.F. and G.A.S. Foundation in Lagos and Farm House in Ikise, Nigeria.

What began as an initiative for artists has grown to address pressing issues of food security, climate change, identity and intergenerational material and archival practices. It has attracted researchers, academics, curators and practitioners from across diverse disciplines to our spaces. Collectively, we are shaping the creative infrastructure for generations to come.

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