LAGO Collective presents (un)common ground, a podcast series on movement, borders and everything in between hosted by Marta Foresti. This series takes on new, unusual and sometimes controversial angles, building common ground where none exists.

This year, The Beauty of Movement promises to be more special than ever, hosted at the iconic Whitechapel Gallery on Thursday 6 November. We present 'The Moving City', an exploration of the metropolis as a crossroads for ideas, stories and people.

LAGO Collective & King’s College London mark the beginning of LDF25 with an exhibition in Bush House. Through visualisations and sonifications, designers Federica Fragapane & Tiziana Alocci give shape and sound to visa rejections and their costs.

In this latest blog for the Global Creative Economy Council, newly appointed Chair, Marta Foresti writes about the potential of the creative industries on a global economic scale and the value of international collaboration.

Fatuma Khaireh, in association with In The Dark and LAGO Collective, is presenting an evening of radio documentaries, sound art, music and performance which will think deeply about how we move through the world. 4th September, Oxford House, London.

At our event on global cities and borders we explored visa inequality, the diaspora and how to build alternative networks of mobility. Featuring Jinan Vyent, Amina Adebisi Odofin, Amanda Boachie, Nate Agbetu and Marta Foresti.

In this latest collaboration designer Federica Fragapane visualises the lived cost of a visa application, showing how the application fee (approx $100) translates into different realities depending on where you live. Data credit: 'Our World in Data'.

At LAGO’s 2024 Beauty of Movement event, poet and curator Lemn Sissay gave a powerful reading, confronting the racism embedded in global visa systems. Inspired by the moment, he wrote a quatrain that captures the heart of 'All Other Passports'.

Federica Fragapane updates her visualisations on passport inequalities with the most recent data (as of December 2024) highlighting rejection rates and their costs for short-term visa applications to Europe from low and middle income countries.

In this new iteration of our sonification, data artist Tiziana Alocci makes data sing once again, using the latest rejection rates for short-term visas to Europe (as of December 2024).

Our latest analysis of UK and Schengen visa applications reveals the consequences of unequal visa regimes. The full dataset on rejection rates and the associated costs is available.

LAGO’s Founder Marta Foresti spoke at Prada Frames, an initiative at the intersection of design, culture, and society. This year’s theme was ‘In Transit’ and Marta spoke on ‘Infrastructures of Migration: Borders, Routes, and Resistances.’ 

In collaboration with Oroko Radio, this short film considers how unequal visa regimes limit creative opportunities and growth in local and global arts. Shot in Kumasi and Accra, Ghana, we hear from artists about the realities of a rejected visa.

This paper, produced in collaboration with ODI Global, as part of our work for the Africa-Europe Mayors' Dialogue, explores the role of the creative sectors in building dynamic, urban economies and fostering inclusive growth.

LAGO is hosting an evening of celebrations during the London Migration Film Festival in collaboration with Moleskine Foundation and Phaidon Press. This year we explore how passports act as gateways to visit, perform, or travel - yet not for everyone.

Co-curated with the World Cities Culture Forum, Africa-Europe Mayors’ Dialogue (ODI GLOBAL), LAGO Collective & the Moleskine Foundation, this panel brought together city and cultural leaders to discuss the global influence of African creative cities.

This essay is based on a beautiful collaboration with friends and colleagues at the 'Beauty of Movement’ event during the London Migration Film Festival in November 2023.

A blog published by the Africa Centre at the London School of Economics - in our latest analysis of visa rejection rates we find that unequal visa regimes cost the world’s poorest over €100 million every year.

In this latest visualisation on visa inequality, designed in collaboration with Federica Fragapane, Marta Foresti and Otho Mantegazza, we uncover the very real costs of unequal visa regimes.

Moving across borders is much more than just crossing them. The beauty of movement is the experience shared by many, the creativity, ideas and hopes of people making these journeys. Yet, too often this beauty remains an untold migration story.

A journey of two designers from Freetown, Mumini Fashion and Mohammed Barri, to Durban Fashion Fair paving the way for talented creatives to showcase their work and highlight the incredible talents of Sierra Leone.

Europe is placing insurmountable barriers in front of Africans trying to get visas to visit. Marta Foresti and Otho Mantegazza discuss how this policy is denying people opportunities and doing Europe more harm than good - published by LSE.

Strategic advisory to the Co-Facilitators of the Global Compact on Migration throughout the negotiations

Moderation of high-level panel with global leaders at EU Development Days 2019

Marta Foresti appointed Senior Advisor to help ground the Moleskine mission of “Creativity for Social Change” in sound analysis and evidence and collaborating on various initiatives in creative sectors and economic and social change.

With the Africa Program, contribution to an edited collection of essays on rethinking Africa-Europe relations

Creative exchange between Freetown and London fashion designers and makers in September 2022. Making connections and creating opportunities for collaboration. With ODI and LABRUM London

A platform of African and European mayors working together to deliver innovative and practical solutions for sustainable urban development in and between their cities.

A blog for the London School of Economics introducing the Africa Europe Mayors' Dialogue and how mayors are collaborating to improve the lives of their residents and make their cities more welcoming.

Using data, digital design and storytelling we want to track the evolution of visas regimes in different countries, their costs, rules and time requirements as well as the lived experiences of those affected by them. Get in touch if interested!

Launched by Mayor Aki-Sawyerr a platform connecting Freetown based creatives with colleagues and investors in other African and European cities.

Data visualisation on how European feel and think about immigration. Based on individual and societal perceptions of immigration in different European countries, how they change over time and are shaped by dominant political and media narratives.

Award-winning data visualisation on the contribution of migrant workers to teh COVID-19 response. Example sand data on reforms, initiatives and campaigns to recognise and better support the value migrant essential work.

A masterclass at Palazzo Grassi in Venice dedicated to understanding and reading data and how to create impactful and beautiful data visualisations.

This artistic documentary directed by artist Julianknxx considers what it means to be free to move, not as in leave or flee, but to move. Shot in Freetown, Sierra Leone, it explores the power and immense potential of creative sectors in the city.

In this visualisation we explore rejection rates of short-term visas to EU countries in the Schengen area. The poorer a person’s country of origin, the more likely that their visa application will be rejected. Africans are disproportionately affected

A conversation at Milan Design Week 2022 between the mayors of Freetown, Yvonne Aki Sawyerr and Milan, Giuseppe Sala explaining why they work together on fashion/design and the importance of a partnership of equals between African and European cities

Event at Milan Design Week with Moleskine Foundation and Highsnobiety discussing teh power of creative brands to change the world

A public event during Milan Design Week 2023 discussing how creative minds and talents contribute to social and economic changes in global cities.

An event at V&A Dundee exploring how information design is used to communicate stories and challenge myths. With Marta Foresti, Natalie Kane, Leonardo de Vasconcelos, John Burn-Murdoch and Federica Fragapane

Launched by Mayor Aki-Sawyerr a platform connecting Freetown based creatives with colleagues and investors in other African and European cities.

A discussion at ODI with Giuseppe Sala on his vision and priorities for the city of Milan and why international cooperation matters, in particular between African and European cities.

A day of events at Milan Design Week 2022 in collaboration with ODI, IKEA Foundation and IKEA Italy on the power of ideas, creativity and talent of people who move, by need or necessity.