support visa costs for an at-risk Queer Black arti

Aim: Help Aderayo stay in the UK

Hello, I'm raising funds on behalf of Adéráyọ̀, a dear friend in Glasgow who needs our help! See her message below -

"Hi, I’m Adéráyọ̀ — a queer multidisciplinary artist from a country where queerness is still illegal. 

I moved to the UK to study back in 2018, and in the past few years I have really made a home for myself here. Exploring my queerness and being able to meet other queer people has changed my life, and given me opportunities I never dreamt of having.

Scotland has become my home, a place I've found belonging and hope like I've never felt before. And where I've found a chosen family who accepts me for who I am.

But now, my visa is about to expire in July, and I’m at a crossroads.

For a long time, it felt like my only options spelled trouble: return to a place where I’d be stripped of my freedom, or seek asylum in a system that is increasingly violent to those most vulnerable. As someone with lived experience of trauma and complex health issues, neither path felt survivable — and at my lowest, I even contemplated death. But through my art, I’ve slowly begun to heal. Applying for a Global Talent Visa seems like the only achievable option to me, as an artist I want to be able to continue to explore my practice in my new home, whilst being able to contribute to my community and advocate for queer rights here and back in my birthplace through my art.

My work explores identity, queerness, grief, migration, and liberation. I wrote and directed Dissonance, an experimental short film about finding my way from shame and fear to pride and acceptance, and I’m currently developing even more pieces that I would love to have the opportunity to share. I’ve danced, sung, and collaborated my way into a small but meaningful creative life here in Glasgow. This visa is my chance to continue building on that momentum, whilst having a safe place to stay and be myself. There is nothing for me if I have to return to my birthplace - my family and the society around me do not accept who I am and I will be forced to live a life I do not want to.

I’m applying for the visa for at least two years, just to give myself a chance to breathe and build upon the life I've created here without fear. The upfront costs — visa fees, health surcharge, legal support — total £2,800 which I can’t afford alone, which is why I’m reaching out for help.

Breakdown of Costs:

• Endorsement Application: £561

• Visa Application: £205

• Immigration Health Surcharge:

◦ £2,070 for 2 years

◦ £5,175 for 5 years

• Legal Support + Buffer: £500

If you believe in the power of art, of queer freedom, and in creating new paths when all doors feel closed — please consider supporting me. Any amount helps. Thank you so much for seeing me.

With love and gratitude,

Adéráyọ̀"

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 19th July 2025 at 9:05am