At a time when many cultural institutions throughout the West are struggling to sustain artists’ freedom of expression, Ibraaz, a new arts centre in London’s Fitzrovia, is stepping in to platform their voices. And this time, the global majority will take full centre stage in the narrative, its founder say.

Founded by Tunisian art critic and curator Lina Lazaar, and funded by the Geneva-based Kamel Lazaar Foundation—a philanthropic organisation named after Lina’s father—the non-profit will occupy a 10,000-square-foot space.

“There has never been a greater need to create the conditions for genuine dialogue and a space for inquiry,” Lazaar told The Guardian. “Freedom of expression is shrinking, in the press, on campuses, and within some institutions as well. I think we’re living in a state of deep despair and inequality. Having an additional space where people can tackle difficult, urgent, important questions in a way that is open, genuinely sincere, and respectful can only be a positive.”

The centre will officially open its doors in October with a solo show by Ibrahim Mahama, featuring his ongoing, evolving work Parliament of Ghosts. A new library-in-residence will be established by the Otolith Collective (Anjalika Sagar and Kodwo Eshun), while booksellers Burley Fisher will run the centre’s bookshop, initially curated by the Palestine Festival of Literature.