LONDON - Monday 25 October 2021: WeTransfer has announced a new partnership with Black culture-focused creative agency A Vibe Called Tech to showcase Black-owned media and creativity. The ongoing series launches today on WeTransfer’s digital arts platform WePresent, where the brand gives a platform to the founders and editors of Plantain Papers. An independent literary journal published annually, the collaboration highlights Black culture through African folklore. 

Presented through newly commissioned portraits, illustrations and audio clips, seven Black storytellers ranging from ages 6 to 70, in Bermuda, Brooklyn, Accra, and Toronto discuss memories of folklore passed down from elders and its influence on their conceptions of morality and identity. This piece explores Black folklore within the legacy of oral literary tradition and its influence on contemporary culture.

(Credit: Film still from ‘Black Transmission’ by Darryl Daley for WePresent x A Vibe Called Tech)

A Vibe Called Tech and WePresent have also commissioned filmmaker Darryl Daley to create Black Transmission (2021) a silent film that acts as a conceptual visual essay weaving text, choreographed movements and archival footage of ceremonial dance. Six performers are captured in a series of close-ups and expressive poses, supported by an original score by musician Melo-Zed. The short film is inspired by the earliest instances of an oral tradition centred around a drum beat, the foundation of Black communication and kinship, and will debut on WePresent alongside an essay by Kareem Reid.

Continuing WePresent’s celebration of creativity from all corners of the globe, this collaboration honours the Black creative community inspired by tales preserved throughout generations, upholding their value and impact on identity, self-expression and political consciousness. The partnership will continue throughout 2022 showcasing new collaborations with Black-owned media platforms globally. 

Holly Fraser, Editor in Chief of WePresent says, “Having showcased ideas from 1000 creatives from over 100 countries across the globe, WePresent is committed to giving a voice to a diverse range of creatives, working with them to share their stories. This partnership is about meaningfully championing the Black creative community and highlighting the importance of Black-owned media. We have been working closely with A Vibe Called Tech’s founder Charlene Prempeh and creative director Lewis Gilbert to demonstrate how we can put WeTransfer’s B Corp values into practice through innovative storytelling that holds significance for the creative community.”  

Charlene Prempeh, Founder of A Vibe Called Tech says, “Championing and exploring Black media has been a preoccupation of the agency since we launched. We are excited by the potential of Black platforms to empower communities in the telling of unheard stories as well as the historic learnings that can be gained by reconfiguring our understanding of communication in Black culture. The incredible team at Plantain Papers and their focus on literary narratives made them the perfect collaborator to launch with and we were all excited to have the opportunity to partner with WePresent who we’ve long admired for their ambitious approach to creative output.”

The editorial series will be available to read on WePresent here from Monday 25th October,  with further collaborations and events planned throughout 2022. 

About A Vibe Called Tech

A Vibe Called Tech is a new creative agency established to explore the intersection of Black creativity, culture, and innovation. As an agency, they believe in the richness of Black Culture to inform strategic thinking across all audiences and seek to deliver ambitious creative output that nourishes communities. Since inception, they have partnered with a range of clients from different categories including Gucci and Frieze and continue to collaborate with emerging creatives to produce multimedia content and events.  

About WePresent

WePresent is WeTransfer’s digital arts platform, acting as the company’s cultural torchbearer to a monthly audience of 4 million in 190 countries. Collaborating with emerging young talent to renowned artists such as Marina Abramovic, Riz Ahmed, FKA twigs or David Sedaris, WePresent showcases the best in art, photography, film, music, literature and more, championing diversity in everything it does. The platform’s commissions range from editorial features to films, illustrations, photography series, events, exhibitions and social media activations, with an aim to offer a fresh take on the magic and mystery of creative ideas. 

About WeTransfer

Having made its name in the game of quick and simple file-sharing, WeTransfer has evolved into a set of tools that streamlines the workflow process for creative professionals, enabling them to collaborate, share, and deliver their work. The company has more than 80 million monthly active users in 190 countries. 

As a certified B Corporation™, WeTransfer strives to use business as a force for good. Since the beginning WeTransfer has donated up to 30% of advertising real estate to raise awareness for artists, creative work, and the world’s most pressing issues such as climate change and gun reform. This has led to partnerships with artists and organizations like Björk, John Legend, Solange Knowles, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the UN Development Program.