Working for the BBC’s Washington DC bureau in 2014 inspired journalist and curator Chrystal Genesis to question how she wanted to hear stories being told. Genesis had been at the BBC for eight years, but this was different: “I felt what I was hearing was missing voices and perspectives,” she says.
The city itself also offered a rich source of inspiration. “I love DC. There is so much art there, it’s got a massive African-American community, a huge intellectual community, and it’s great for jazz and dance music.”
After that six-month trip, Genesis, 33, returned to London and founded her arts and culture podcast Stance. “I’ve always liked the immediacy of sound. You can really tell stories with radio,” she says. “Our listeners tend to be people who love arts and culture but like it to be grounded in something real. We love extraordinary stories.”
Voices and stories from around the world are something Genesis says she grew up immersed in on her estate in Brixton. “We had Asian neighbours, South American, English, West African, Eastern European – friends from all around. It’s part of who I am. And it makes me curious about different cultures, ideas and experiences.”
Genesis’s grandfather moved to Brixton from Jamaica in 1952. “My nan was white British and my grandad was Jamaican – my mum and her siblings were some of the first mixed-race kids around our area,” she says. “Growing up in that culture had a real impact on me.”
There is a significant part of Jamaican culture that is associated with Clarks. “Clarks is such a staple for Jamaican people. When we’d visit, we would bring shoes for the family and they would love you forever,” says Genesis. “My late dad had amazing style and he would wear Clarks desert boots that he’d get from their Brixton store. I actually have an amazing book called Clarks in Jamaica by Al Fingers and I love that book. There is also the Vybz Kartel tune called Clarks, which is on a lot of playlists in my house. Clarks has a special place in the hearts of Jamaicans.”
When asked how she would describe her everyday style, Genesis considers for a moment before deciding on “layers and layers of black”. But, she adds, she does love to change it up when she can with colourful clothing, shoes and jewellery, which she finds on her travels, mostly in secondhand shops in the US.
The power of travel is deeply woven into Genesis’s storytelling. “Sitting in a studio isn’t how I prefer to tell stories; I love to take the listeners with me. I recently went to Manchester to make a show about the city’s LGBTQ story. We visited Mumbai in India as well as LA, New York and Philadelphia in the USA. We covered a band based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who use found objects to make their sound – that innovation was incredible.
“I’m lucky because I’ve got family and friends all around the world, and I’m always talking to them, or visiting,” she says, adding that this is reflected in her style and her work.
My cultural niche
Reading
Ponti by Sharlene Teo – the way she portrays girlhood is refreshing. Also, Mothers: An Essay on Love and Cruelty by Jacqueline Rose. As a mum of two, this is the first book I’ve read on motherhood and it’s great: angry, accurate and brilliant.
Photograph: Majestic Disorder
Following
@MajesticDisorder (pictured) on Instagram. I regularly buy this magazine for its beautiful imagery and I always learn something new when I read it.
Downloading
The BBC’s From Our Own Correspondent, a news and culture podcast with deep context. It’s beautifully scripted and tells stories from the ground up.
Watching
Years and Years. Russell T Davies created Queer As Folk 20 years ago. To continue creating such groundbreaking TV is awe-inspiring.
Inspired by
Video artist Arthur Jafar. He mixes things I love – such as politics, sound, archive and music – to create something highly original.
Listening to
Lizzo. The flute, lyrics, clothes, beats: all perfect. I regret giving up my flute lessons now.
Whether you’re looking for rugged outdoor styles, casual dress, or tailored workwear, Clarks has the right styles, with comfort built in that you can rely on. Shop in-store or online at clarks.co.uk
