Origins Creatives 2025: Ivan Michael Blackstock

Introducing our Origins Creatives 2025 guest speaker: Ivan Michael Blackstock

As we count down the weeks to Origins Creatives 2025, we are thrilled to announce this year’s guest speaker: Ivan Michael Blackstock. An artist and cultural innovator, Ivan continues to leave his mark on the creative field through his bold multidisciplinary approach.

Ivan’s journey began in South London – where he was shaped by both the challenges of his environment and a desire to create. While he didn’t exactly flourish in formal education, his struggles with his school curriculum led him to the dynamic world of the arts. Dance, especially, became a form of exploring identity and building community. His passion extended into a career as an award-winning choreographer and filmmaker, being showcased on stages like Sadler’s Wells and La Villette in Paris.

He has co-founded BirdGang Dance Company, led productions like TRAPLORD – an exploration of masculinity and mental health- and founded CRXSS PLATFXRM, an organisation built to celebrate repressed voices often overlooked by the mainstream. Alongside this, he has also won an award for Breakthrough Cultural Excellence in Film and Video (Nowness Awards 2019) and appeared in the Dazed 100 shortlist in 2021.

That commitment to platforming the unseen is what continues to drive Ivan’s work, a message that resonates deeply with the spirit of Origins Creatives. His presence as this year’s guest speaker allows student exhibitors the opportunity to connect with someone who has risen above challenges within traditional settings.

How do you balance making work that is deeply personal with making it engaging for a wide audience?

I’ve learned that the more personal and honest I am in my work, the more it resonates. We all carry emotions, grief, joy, rage, love and when I root my storytelling in truth, even if it’s specific to my lived experience, it opens a door for others to see themselves in it. It’s about finding that human thread. At the same time, I think about rhythm, pace, visuals and how to sculpt the experience so people feel it in their bodies. I want the work to be alive, not just watched.

What do you think is missing in how young, especially marginalised, creatives are supported today – and how can organisations like UAL Awarding Body help close that gap?

What’s missing is sustained, holistic support, not just in access, but in care. Marginalised creatives often carry more than just the weight of making the work; they’re navigating systems that weren’t designed for them. That’s emotionally and mentally taxing. We need support that addresses not just skill-building, but mental health, confidence, and networks. UAL Awarding Body has the potential to go beyond awarding qualifications - to be a bridge into the industry, a connector of communities, and a space that actively listens and evolves with the needs of young people.

What role does community play in your creative process, and how do you choose the people you build with?

Community is the heartbeat of what I do. I come from dance battles, from the streets, gathering with people to make something out of nothing. That spirit never left me. The people I build with share values, curiosity, generosity and boldness. I look for those who aren’t just technically brilliant but who bring soul and care to the table. And honestly, I’m drawn to people who challenge me to think differently, who bring perspectives outside my own. That’s where the growth happens.

What’s one thing you’d want the students exhibiting at Origins Creatives 2025 to take away from your journey?

Your journey is valid, messy, magical, nonlinear. You don’t have to fit a mould to make something meaningful. Stay curious, stay rooted in your truth, and don’t be afraid to experiment. The industry might not always see you straight away, but if you keep showing up for yourself and your art, the right eyes and ears will find you. Keep planting seeds you don’t know yet what will bloom.

It is the last week to submit for Origins Creatives 2025, open until Friday 20 June! We look forward to receiving your submissions and can't wait to see what your students have been working on over the year.