In March 2025, Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation, in partnership with the Yinka Shonibare Foundation (Y.S.F.), announced the call for the pilot edition of the Ìmòra Arts Intensive, an initiative designed to support the professional development of emerging local artists. Taking its name from the Yoruba words Ìmòra (support, guidance, mentorship) and ìmò ẹkọ (acquisition of knowledge or skill-building), the programme offers early-career visual fine artists based in Lagos a unique opportunity to gain practical knowledge, expand their networks, and refine their approach to professional practice.

The open call for its pilot edition received over 100 applications. A dedicated selection panel comprising five art professionals carefully reviewed each submission and were impressed by the breadth of talent and the quality of artistic practices presented. The selected 2025 cohort are Amadi Chukwuemeka,  Anaghoba Oluchi, Apah Benson, Bello Oladele, Emore Yoma, Jolaolu Moyosore, Nwafor Chidimma, Okwudini Noah, Lawal Ololade, and Lawal Oyewole.

The Ìmòra Arts Intensive falls under the wider scope of Project Nexus, an ambitious residency and education programme designed to nurture and empower artists, art educators, art historians, and curators through a series of residencies, professional development workshops, and educational initiatives over three years. The project embodies the spirit of collaboration and cultural exchange that lies at the heart of both Foundations’ missions, aiming to encourage and cultivate artistic excellence and curatorial innovation. 

The Ìmòra Arts Intensive is made possible through the generous support of Deutsche Bank. 

In March 2025, Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation, in partnership with the Yinka Shonibare Foundation (Y.S.F.), announced the pilot edition of the Ìmòra Arts Intensive, an initiative designed to support the professional development of emerging local artists. Taking its name from the Yoruba words Ìmòra (support, guidance, mentorship) and ìmò ẹkọ (acquisition of knowledge or skill-building), the programme offers early-career visual fine artists based in Lagos a unique opportunity to gain practical knowledge, expand their networks, and refine their approach to professional practice.

Across residencies ranging from four to six weeks, Rachel Anyo, Gaia Ozwyn, Aisha Olamide Seriki, and Joy Labinjo immersed themselves in Lagos and beyond, activating research, fieldwork, studio visits, and community dialogue as vital parts of their creative process. Their time culminated in public programs—from workshops and critique salons to artist conversations—that offered insight into evolving intersections between contemporary art, cultural heritage, and collaborative pedagogy. Collectively, their residencies marked a rich period of inquiry and exchange within the G.A.S. ecosystem, supported by Artis, the RCA BLK network, and Tiwani Contemporary.

On the morning of Thursday, 24 April 2025, Gasworks hosted a guided tour for patrons of Y.S.F. to mark the opening of throwers, the first UK solo exhibition by Nolan Oswald Dennis, a Johannesburg-based artist and G.A.S. Foundation Alumnus. The event began with opening remarks by Gasworks Director Robert Leckie, followed by an introduction to Dennis’ practice led by Gasworks Curator Rosa Tyhurst in conversation with the artist. 

On April 26th, 2025, G.A.S. Lagos hosted an information session for the 2026 edition of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) and University of the Western Cape (UWC) Museum Fellowship Programme. The session offered a valuable opportunity for aspiring museum and arts professionals to learn more about the programme’s scope, application process, and the kind of academic and professional development it supports. Designed for early-career practitioners based on the African continent, the year-long fellowship combines practical experience at Zeitz MOCAA with academic study at UWC, with a strong emphasis on curatorial practice, heritage studies, conservation, and museology.