By Sara Scheeres
In the vibrant streets of London, where creativity thrives and dreams take shape, an innovative collective called BATA (Born Artistic to Achieve) is emerging as a bridge-building organization poised to shake the earth under the feet of the city’s underground music scene.
Led by the dynamic duo of London-bred artists Tino Gee and Piers James, BATA is on a mission to create a better world for artists, offering them support, mentorship, and a platform to showcase their talent.
Origins of BATA
After meeting at Bournemouth University, Cosmic Arcade, more than just a collective, formed a brotherhood. With members from diverse backgrounds and influences including Zimbabwe, Trinidad and Tobago, Surinam, and Bournemouth, they came together in student accommodations-turned-studios to create unique music. Their journey transitioned from bedroom beats to a prime era of music creation when three of them moved to London together, joined by new members.
“We lived in a warehouse, almost bigger than this,” shared Chase Paul, known as Chase Tha Worst, a member of Cosmic, and Tino’s best friend. “We converted our house into a party venue, basically. We built a stage in the house, we did our own gigs and had like 200 people in a day.”
The glory days abruptly ended when the pandemic hit, leading to lost day jobs and the members of Cosmic Arcade being forced to return to their family homes.
“Adulthood man. Adulthood struck,” expressed Tha Worst. “Covid, and then trying to support ourselves, get jobs and stuff, slowly trying to find our way to comfortably be able to just create and produce.”
Despite facing the challenges alone, without external support, Cosmic Arcade is now regaining momentum. They are holding concerts in London, making up for the lost years and finding themselves in a different place.
Tino Gee
“I found my purpose,” exclaimed Tinotenda Gwashavanhu – stage name Tino Gee – with a sense of conviction in his voice. Tino’s journey had led him to a place of deep fulfilment. “It’s not just about success, but about finding something that truly matters, something others can relate to,” Tino emphasized.
The fusion of Tino’s passions, energy, and a greater cause had brought him to this pivotal moment. It wasn’t just a personal breakthrough, but a realization that his purpose transcended himself.
Tino spoke of the need to break free from societal expectations, urging others to seek something they love, something that pays them, and something that benefits the world. His journey had unveiled a thread, weaving together his innate inclination to support, curate, and nurture people.
Through Cosmic Arcade, Lotus Nova, and the formation of an organization, Tino had discovered the means to intertwine these multifaceted aspects.
Tino’s purpose extended beyond personal fulfilment. It resonated with the concept of community, the preservation of diverse spaces, and the protection of creative havens. He voiced his concern about gentrification eroding cultural intersections, highlighting the importance of community spaces where people from various backgrounds and experiences could coexist.
Tino’s passion ignited, fueling a desire to raise awareness, create documentaries, and launch social media campaigns that would support and inspire the community he cherished.
“Authenticity is the biggest way to have an impact,” Tino remarked, acknowledging the profound influence it can have on the people around us.
The launch
The energy is a subtle buzz of excitement as the artist and sound engineers prepare for the opening of the BATA launch party, with Cosmic Arcade taking centre stage. The event is hosted, organised and partially performed by Tino Gee and Piers James, the young, expansive minds behind the BATA collective.
The two initially had similar ideas, but from different vantage points. Piers was a signed artist with a career on the map, and Gee has experience in the underground hip hop scene of London. Both shared a passion for helping artists grow with autonomy and with their mutual drive to make things happen.
On a Friday night, a free-to-all party in the basement venue of a strip club in Shoreditch, East London, the collective hosted its first event as a soft launch into the community.
The guys were feeling great. “Obviously as you know, there’s always teething issues as per, but it’s amazing because the amount of people who called me up today, saying ‘how can I get my friend in? Can I get my friend in?’” said James.
“The mission is there, the purpose is there, and we are gonna disrupt this thing differently.”
Big ideas ahead
“We want to make sure that instead of putting profit first, we want to put the people first,” says Piers James. “We want to facilitate an enabling environment that allows you to feel safe, that allows you to cope with different elements of your own neurodivergence or your own different artistic practices.”
BATA has big plans to execute their vision, and bring the community closer. They outlined their plans for testing their model with close-knit artists, refining it through trial and error, and involving the community in the development process.
They spoke of upcoming talks, workshops, and events focused on mental health, holistic therapy, and artist development. Simultaneously, Tino aimed to create immersive experiences, pushing boundaries and collaborating with brands to showcase the talents within their network.
“BATA to the world, baby!” says Tino Gee, smiling with the light of someone living their purpose, fulfilled by giving that same energy back to the community, so they might live theirs, too.
For further inspiration and information, you can listen to the full interview with Tino Gee above.
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