I am a dreamer of postwork anarchy, a writer of things, and a visionary thinker working across film, social sciences, and media. Currently stationed at Felix Meritis, I curate interdisciplinary programs on abolition, community, and speculative futures.

I hold a BA in Religious Studies (VU University Amsterdam), a MA in gender and diversity studies (Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University) and a PhD in media and communication studies (Ghent University). My earliest work dealt with the potentiality of Indigenous spiritual belief systems in today’s quest for biodiversity preservation and climate justice in Ghana. Over the years, my research has shifted toward questions of blackness, memory, and discourse in media and culture. My writing and research have appeared in academic journals, newspapers, magazines, and across platforms, film festivals, and conferences, including Feminist Media Studies, African Diaspora, Tijdschrift voor Genderstudies, De Standaard, Knack, OneWorld, Rekto:Verso, History Workshop, the Pan-African Film and Arts Festival, Argos vzw, and IAMCR.

As a founding member of 'Black Speaks Back,' I have been involved in various projects on blackness and belonging in Belgium and The Netherlands. I produced the world’s first Afrofuturistic musical EUphoria (2018, dir. Robert-Jonathan Koeyers) and directed several experimental short films among which the award-winning Zwarte Ibis (Black Ibis, 2024). 

Get in touch for collaborations, consultation or other inquires.

Emma-Lee Amponsah by Irate Alvarez Hernandez