Redefining the Narrative
“Staffs taught me to be bold, courageous, and to stay true to my faith, passions, and beliefs,” says Nompumelelo ‘Nom’ Ncube.
As a lens-based artist and the creative producer behind Mabuza Studio, Nom uses photography, film, and fashion to document African heritage and challenge colonial narratives. Her work is a blend of public history and artistic advocacy, dedicated to reclaiming Black identities and diversifying British cultural memory.
“I work with memories and communities to advocate for past injustices,” she explains. “I want to forge new narratives that celebrate our full humanity.”
A Change of Perspective
Nom didn’t always plan on becoming a photojournalist. Growing up inspired by shows like That’s So Raven and Bratz, she initially set her sights on fashion journalism, dreaming of shooting for Vogue.
“I thought I could influence change through fashion,” Nom recalls. However, a pivotal conversation with the head of the Photojournalism program at University of Staffordshire changed everything. “She told me my ambitions were better suited for photojournalism. I didn’t know then that my degree would birth an artistic practice rooted in public history.”
The true "spiritual shift" occurred during her final-year project at Lesedi Cultural Village in South Africa. Immersed in Southern African traditions, Nom connected deeply with her roots.
Nom still remembers the stark proverb: "A man without culture is like a zebra without stripes."
Being immersed in Southern African culture through dance, oral traditions, food, fashion, architecture, and design gave them a deep sense of belonging - not the vague in-between they had often felt as a child of the diaspora.
Building a Foundation
Before graduating in 2020, Nom threw herself into every opportunity available at Staffs. During her first year she was one of the Universities Student and Communications Ambassadors, and this prepared her for project management and events – ultimately kickstarting her career in Community Engagement.
Nom also interned at Fuzzy Duck in Media City, where she photographed behind-the-scenes imagery of sets while supporting film director Anderson West in creating a period piece inspired by the 1919 race riots in Britain.
Even her first graduate role at Johnson Tiles, while technical and product-focused, served a purpose. “Documenting inanimate objects forced me to perfect my lighting techniques,” she says. “Architectural and interior design photography requires a precision that makes you technical.” The role was to produce content for social media, from photographing products, flat-lays, and sets, as well as live events like the Pantone Colour release, ultimately having her work feature in the Mixed Interiors magazine.
Her "big break" in the arts scene came through the Kwanzaa Collective UK, where she exhibited her Paper Bag Test portraits – a series of beauty portraits exploring colourism, reflecting on Gordon Parks' dolls test in 1947 in the context of Eurocentric beauty standards. Since then, her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including a permanent display at Aston Hall Museum in Birmingham.
Mabuza Studio and Beyond
Today, Nom founded and manages Mabuza Studio, a social enterprise start-up, photographing Black communities and artists, and fundraising. They work with archival material, collections, and other ways of remembering outside the institution - like songs, oral traditions, the environment - to narrate past and present truths through photography, film, and fashion. Nom collaborates with other Black practitioners to tell these histories and stories, and creatively produce heritage programmes, projects, and events that work towards diversifying British cultural memory and championing an inclusive and accessible heritage sector. Her expertise in decoloniality has made her a sought-after consultant for grassroots cultural organisations.
Her impact hasn’t gone unnoticed. Nom was named one of BBC Radio Stoke’s ‘Ones to Watch’ on their Young, Gifted and Black list, and she recently secured a prestigious scholarship for a Masters in Public History at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Looking back at her time at Staffs, Nom was taught to be ‘bold, courageous, and to stay true to her faith, passions and beliefs.’ With a dream to one day have a studio that would involve fashion and representation – and this is exactly what she has gone on to do.
What is your advice to anyone looking to join Staffs or who is already here?
“Please play! Have fun experimenting,” she says. “The campus is your oyster. Even though I didn't study fashion or film, I collaborated with those students on assignments. Don't be afraid to explore subject matters that make you uncomfortable - that is where the growth happens.”
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