Our HeartBeats, spearheaded by Lead Artist and producer/DJ Kensaye alongside Counterpoints’ Senior Producer Dijana Rakovic, is an initiative designed to empower individuals from sanctuary-seeking backgrounds. More than a DJ Crew, Our HeartBeats is a movement. Rooted in the belief that music has the power to unite, empower and challenge narratives, Our HeartBeats creates spaces where culture, migration and identity collide on the dance floor.
Championing DJs from displaced and underrepresented backgrounds, the collective curates line-ups that transcend borders, blending sounds from home with the sonic influences of London’s ever-evolving music scene. This summer, the collective takes on a new residency at Southbank Centre, Unity in Motion. With the Our HeartBeats DJs setting the tone each night, join us for a journey through electronic music, Amapiano, Afrobeats, dancehall, and house music, with headline DJs joining to amplify the energy.
More than just a party, this residency is about reclaiming civic and cultural spaces, building bridges and understanding about who we are, shifting narratives and finding out ‘what makes us move’ – welcoming both music lovers and those looking to connect through culture. The collective will be performing at The Space Between, a living, breathing installation at Southbank Centre produced by creative practice Beyond the Box.
Dates & times
Thu 31 Jul 2025, 6pm
Thu 7 Aug 2025, 6pm
Thu 14 Aug 2025, 6pm
Thu 21 Aug 2025, 6pm
Run time
4 hours (approx)
Standard entry
Free – no ticket required
Headliners
Thu 31 Jul: Gaby D’Annunzio & Ornella Mutoni
DJ, radio host, and an audio producer Gaby D’Annunzio has long been a key player in Berlin community music, both as the co-founder of Open Music Lab and community organiser at Refuge Worldwide. Counterpoints’ Pop Culture Change Producer Ornella Mutoni is a documentary filmmaker & DJ, with previous shows on Balalmii, Voices Radio and lsslss radio.
Thu 7 Aug: Ivicore
Explosive Venezuelan DJ Ivicore brings the heat with her spicy upbeat tunes inspired by the vibrant rhythms of LatinX Caribbean music. She meshes smash remixes, timeless classics and the latest global hits into her own signature sound she calls ‘Elektro Afro Perreo’. Ivicore’s electrifying performances have graced the stages of major festivals including Glastonbury, Boomtown and Mighty Hoopla.
Thu 14 Aug: Black Obsidian Sound System
Black Obsidian Sound System (B.O.S.S.) was established in the summer of 2018 with the intention of bringing together a community of queer, trans and non-binary black and people of colour involved in art, sound and radical activism. Following in the legacies of sound system culture they wanted to learn, build and sustain a resource for our collective struggles.
Thu 21 Aug: Mina & Bryte
Mina & Bryte first met in Accra, Ghana in 2017, and instantly connected over their shared love of club music. Since then they have released many tracks, and appeared at festivals including Glastonbury, Nuites Sonores and Nyege Nyege Festival. Together they have an infectious energy, with a sound that fuses together styles from the UK, Ghana and around the world.
Our HeartBeats’ is led by Music Producer Kensaye, produced by Counterpoints Arts. It is a partnership with Babylon Migrants Project and Compass Collective, supported by the Southbank Centre and Roundhouse.
