For emerging creatives, gaining visibility within any industry is a constant challenge. Many artists can often be overlooked and left to navigate the complexities of their industry alone. Yet, hope remains, thanks to collectives like KUMO, who stand out for their visionary approach to showcasing and uplifting creative voices across a myriad of platforms.
Since its inception in 2020, Kumo has been on a mission to weave together a network of creators, ultimately forming a web of collaboration and support that now spans across the globe. This November, Kumo held its debut party in New York at Public Records, a revered, music-driven community space in Brooklyn. Featuring an eclectic lineup of both local and global DJs, I made my way to Public Records to experience one of KUMO’s events firsthand.
The undisputed highlight of the night was seeing Laila Amira’s set. A powerhouse in Brooklyn’s underground electronic music scene, Laila has a track record of playing at some of the top venues across NYC, and has expanded her reach to Paris, London, and Montreal. She mentioned that she had locked herself away the week before her set in preparation, as she does for many of her gigs. Every one of her sets are uniquely modified to her vision for how the night should go rhythmically. Her dedication to her craft and general love for music was evident, as there was never a minute that the crowd wasn’t dancing along with her. Her set even had the lighting technician dancing, and Laila joked that she wished he would have been on the dance floor.
The Brooklyn creative community is tight knit, so after Laila’s set, many spilled outside to catch up and take a second off the dance floor. I started talking to the videographer for the event, Bernardo Gasparini. After living in the United States for 11 years, he mentioned to me that he had given up his apartment just earlier that Monday and decided to make the move back to Brazil as he works on his next project, which surrounds the fight for land and territory, and how cocoa influences this economic endeavor. His story perfectly illustrates KUMO’s ethos of fostering a network that transcends geographic boundaries.
Fueled by a dedication to fostering an interconnected creative community, I had the opportunity to catch up with one of KUMO’s founders, Emma Neveux, to delve deeper into the collective’s foundation and mission.
What inspired you to create KUMO?
What inspired us to create the collective was the lack of social media platforms truly highlighting emerging talents. The founders studied together in Montreal, a vibrant hub where many of our friends and ourselves were creating but struggling to gain visibility. This inspired us to launch a media platform dedicated to showcasing young talent from all mediums and every corner of the globe. Our diverse backgrounds reflect this mission: Chris is from Paris and London, Kata from Serbia and Tokyo, and Alfred from Paris, New York, and Lisbon. With such an international perspective, it felt natural for us to champion global culture and support young artists worldwide.
What are your overall goals for the collective?
We don’t want to reveal too much now, where would the element of surprise be otherwise? That said, our vision goes beyond just being a collective. We aspire to represent artists in a more comprehensive, 360-degree way.
For now, our focus is on becoming more present and relevant, particularly in key cities. We’re also working on developing our social platforms to establish ourselves as leaders in showcasing and elevating emerging talents. Our goal is to provide a strong platform for artists, not only digitally but also through physical opportunities that help them reach new heights.
What challenges have you faced in building and growing the collective, and how have you overcome them?
The biggest challenges, without a doubt, are time and finances. Balancing the demands of building and maintaining consistency is incredibly complex. Each team member has a 9-to-5 job or studies, making it difficult to carve out time in already packed schedules. Coordinating multiple events across different countries while ensuring high-quality marketing and social media management adds another layer of complexity. However, this is a challenge we fully anticipated, and we’re confident that, with time, our efforts will pay off.
How do you cultivate a sense of community among your audience and artists?
Honestly, I think it comes down to being ourselves. We’re genuinely close with many of the artists we work with, and even when we’re not, we have a deep appreciation for their work, and the feeling is mutual. We promote people simply because we connect with their art; it’s as simple as that.
Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. We love working with others, and we’re always open to listening. When we organize events, we make a point of involving our artists in the process, asking them plenty of questions and ensuring they have a say in decisions that directly affect them. There’s a strong sense of mutual respect between us, our community, and the artists we collaborate with.
It’s this love and respect that creates the unique atmosphere at our events. You can feel it in the room, no one is pompous or acts superior. Everyone is there with the same goal: to have fun, meet new and inspiring people, and discover beautiful art.
How do you go about choosing venues and talent to feature in different locations?
That’s a bit of a trade secret, haha! Honestly, we just dig à lot. Each of us has unique tastes, we listen to different music, attend various expos, and participate in workshops all the time. This naturally allows us to discover a wide range of profiles and creative spaces.
It really comes down to being open-minded and recognizing the beauty in something that might not resonate with us personally but could have a meaningful impact on others. It’s all about staying curious and embracing diverse perspectives.
Are there any specific milestones or moments from KUMO’s journey so far that stand out to you?
Yeah, honestly, our first event, back-to-back in Paris and Tokyo, was pretty insane for us at the time. The Float festivals have always been a highlight and have kind of become our trademark. Then there was our first event in Brussels, which was absolutely crazy, a wild adventure for the entire team.
I’d say every time we launch in a new city, it’s a standout moment, hahaha. But more recently, our last KUMO Expo in Paris really stood out. The gallery was packed, the energy was off the charts, and we truly felt the strength of our community that day. It was such a fun and rewarding experience! We’re also really looking forward to our first event in Egypt happening this December!
How do you stay inspired and keep evolving creatively as a collective?
I think it’s really about ambition and the constant drive to outdo ourselves. We feel like we’re just getting started. Even though it’s been five years since we created the collective, the actual time and effort we’ve put in so far don’t even add up to two full years of work. That’s why we’re always growing, and drawing inspiration not only from the artists around us but also from other collectives and magazines we admire.
We dive into archives to shape our artistic direction because we want to stand out and carve out our own unique identity, and I think we’ve been able to achieve that so far. Inspiration comes from everyday life and, most importantly, from our close-knit community. They’re never shy about sharing their thoughts on our work and events, and that kind of honest feedback is invaluable. Having a support system of people who genuinely want to see you grow is such a blessing, because constructive criticism only makes you stronger.
Going into 2025, what can we expect to see from the collective?
Big things are definitely on the horizon! We’re working on a lot of exciting projects with some amazing teams. For the first time, we’re diving into collaborations, which is something we’ve wanted to do for so long. We’re also planning a ton of events, bigger and better ones with incredible lineups. Some of our classic events are getting a fresh revamp, and we’re introducing new formats that we hope our community will love, while also attracting new faces.
One final thought: even if we had to stop now, we’d already be incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved as a team. Most of all, we’re proud of the artists who’ve worked with us, whether up close or from afar, because they are the heart of the collective. We wouldn’t be anything without them. And to our community, thank you. It’s incredible to see something born from passion and love be embraced by so many. This is just the beginning, and we’re so grateful for your support!