Close to home

We are a creative agency made up of performance artists, textile makers and musicians who are building a shared space for the collective goal of liberation through various art forms.

Our focus is on artist development and community-oriented creative workshops and events. With our shared experience, our goal is to support artists to go after their dreams in a nourishing, supportive environment.

Hackney home coming soon♥︎

We will be launching our activities in June 2026☀︎

Our team

Elle - CHALANT

CHALANT - Home for the creatively ambitious people is an event platform working with global artists and brands. Led by Elle Shimada - an artist, violinist, producer, and composer working internationally across music and performance. Elle has toured globally, including a 20-date Asia tour and performances across the UK, Europe, and the US. She was awarded ‘Best Creative Artist’ at the Golden Indie Music Awards, and her debut album HOME ≠ LOCATION was named one of the best Australian albums by The Guardian. Elle has worked in music programming with major cultural institutions and taught music production to queer youth as an Ableton Certified Trainer.

Recent work:

CHALANT ll Chiang Mai Chapter featuring Hmong Indigenous textile x music performance residency hosted by Kalm Villege, February, 2026

CHALANT ll Tokyo Chapter hosts discussion panel & two stage music event featuring 22 fem artists shaping the Tokyo underground 

Fa-zah - Close-knit

Fa‑Zah Raha is a Dalston-based community organiser, facilitator and artist working at the intersection of grassroots music, care and access. They are developing Close Knit, a community-rooted programme helping musicians create not just music but interweaving all forms of artistic mediums). The participants will collaborate and share work—centering Dalston’s local community, especially migrant queer communities, and supporting low-income artists.

Recent work:

The Body Knows with SLEEC - facilitated workshop that explores voice as a vessel of release, grounding, and resistance.

Collective Dreaming at Groove Biennal - hosted a workshop/discussion of what it means to have a dream queer club experience.

BB ARC Artist recovery club - led an 8-week artistic development course applying a for 15 BPOC women.

Reem - Communitea

Reem is a project coordinator and social entrepreneur. They founded and ran Communitea Cafe for seven years, turning an empty unit into a thriving community hub and gaining hands-on experience running a space. They also led Yalla Hub, a migrant women’s collective, supporting members with mentorship, marketing support, free space, shared resources, and micro-funding. Reem brings strong operational leadership, community-centred practice, and a track record of delivering sustainable, high-impact programmes through the lens of community engagement and collective solidarity. 

Recent works:

Yalla Hub - project manager for community hub that incubated creative projects led by over 15 migrant and BIPOC people.

Communitea Cafe - managed cafe space for seven years delivering food service, events, and community gatherings