Right now the whole world’s eyes are on African creativity as African content dominates airwaves, concert stages, film screens, and fashion runways. What Marcus Garvey once called “the mainland and the diaspora” it’s a living, pulsing exchange of ideas, style, and sound that’s reshaping the global cultural map. And while the continent burns brightest at the source, the diaspora has been throwing kerosene on the fire, pushing African artistry into new spaces and contexts.
Norman Busigu, a British-Ugandan filmmaker who, in his own words, is “100% Ugandan by heritage” but whose lived reality has been shaped by growing up in Colindale, North-West London. His earliest lessons in culture came not in classrooms but in his parents’ council flat, which doubled as an unofficial embassy of Ugandan joy.
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“I grew up in a party house, looking back now, it was pretty wild,” he laughs. “Every weekend without fail, my parents would throw these big gatherings. The smells of muchomo, matooke, and malwa in the air, Awilo and ‘Premier Gaou’ blasting, Swahili and Luganda bouncing around the room. I think those house parties planted the seed for my curiosity about African cultures.” That curiosity has grown into a career that spans documentaries, cultural commentary, and an expanding creative empire, with Norman now seen as part of a new vanguard shaping global African cinema. But if you ask him, African creativity today is beyond labels. “Things can’t be siloed into singular disciplines,” he says. “That’s the beauty of it, we can’t be easily boxed. We’re seeing music, film, fashion, and luxury blending in ways that would’ve been unthinkable a decade ago. Tems at Aston Martin’s F1 unveiling, Tyla at Mercedes Benz in Rome, Wizkid premiering at Tribeca… Our culture isn’t asking to be let in anymore, it’s centre stage.”
For Norman, the lines between “continent” and “diaspora” are blurring. “Over time, it’s becoming harder to contrast the two because bridges are being built,” he says. “We’re working more collaboratively, and I think that’s a good thing. It means we can start to move in one unified direction.”
His next big step is proof of that bridge-building: a third film, set to shoot in Jamaica next year, in collaboration with British Airways. Titled Jamaica: Africa’s Close Cousin?, the docu-film will explore the historic and cultural ties between the Caribbean and Africa. “I’ve always felt there are deep connections between the two worlds that aren’t really spoken about,” Norman says. “I want to offer a fresh perspective on identity, heritage, and global Black consciousness.” The project will be produced with Jamaican partners, local leaders, and long-time collaborator Violet Palmer, who’s working on the transformation of Montego Bay into a smart city. And thanks to British Airways, Norman’s crew will fly on subsidized media rates, something he hopes will become the norm. “It shows progress,” he says. “Global entities are seeing the value in what we’re doing.”
But Norman’s vision extends beyond film. This year, he’s hard-launching Postcards From the Diaspora (PFTD), a youth-led media platform that “brings us closer to home” by modernizing how African and Caribbean news is shared with diaspora audiences. “Right now, news platforms don’t account for our declining attention spans or the way young people consume media,” he says. “We need something factual, punchy, and fun, that still keeps the integrity of our stories.”
Already, PFTD has been granted press access to Afro Nation Portugal, Africa Fashion Week London, and the EMY Africa Rising Symposium at the LSE, events Norman has covered with a mix of cultural insight and sharp reporting. He’s also been behind the lens at Cannes Lions, where he learned a key creative truth: “The world isn’t as big as it seems. You can make deep relationships with strangers very quickly if you listen.” His approach to storytelling is rooted in respect. “I focus on listening more than speaking,” he says. “If you don’t work alongside the communities you’re filming, the story won’t be authentic. I never want to lose the childlike wonder I had watching my parents and their friends celebrate our culture.”
From modelling at London Fashion Week ( On-Schedule) for Gert-Johan Coetzee to producing films that criss-cross continents, Norman treats visual aesthetics with the same care he gives to his narratives. “Fashion, colour, lighting, they’re all part of how you tell a story,” he says. “The story isn’t complete if those elements are neglected.” Norman is balancing ambition with sustainability, attending the Forbes BLK Summit in Atlanta, developing PFTD, and pushing forward on the Jamaica film. His dream collaborations spanmusic, fashion, and politics: Ayra Starr, Ozwald Boateng, Mia Mottley, Wizkid. And while his schedule is relentless, his mission is focused: “We need to build transgenerational infrastructures for storytelling. Systems that will last decades and protect the authenticity of our narratives.”
