© Photograph: MISAN HARRIMAN
NEWS
Black Child Down Syndrome Project
Lights Up Piccadilly
From gallery walls to one of the world’s most iconic screens,
a historic moment in visibility and representation unfolds.
Live at 5pm 6th October.
On 6th October 2025 at 5pm, the Piccadilly Lights, one of the world’s most iconic public platforms, will shine with a message of hope, representation, and visibility. Foxglove is deeply privileged to have designed the OOH artwork for this landmark moment, supporting the Black Child Down Syndrome Project (BCDS) as it takes its powerful narrative from gallery walls to the heart of London. This project not only highlights the importance of visibility for Black children with Down syndrome but also reflects our ongoing commitment to working with communities and organisations that challenge stereotypes and drive cultural change.
The Black Child Down Syndrome Project was founded by four remarkable SEND mothers, Tonye Faloughi-Ekezie, Marsha Martin, Danise B. Grant, and Oneness Sankara, who recognised that their children’s stories were absent from public view. What began as conversations around invisibility and isolation has become a movement for representation and dignity. Earlier this year, BCDS launched Reflecting Radiance at Hope 93 Gallery, an exhibition of portraits captured by world-renowned photographer Misan Harriman. His evocative imagery, marked by intimacy and strength, celebrated the beauty and individuality of Black children with Down syndrome. The exhibition ignited conversation and positioned these children as visible, valued, and full of potential.
Now, that collection will radiate across London’s most recognisable screen, in partnership with Hope 93 Gallery, supported by consulting partner Demi Abiola, and amplified by the creative production of Foxglove.
The children at the heart of this campaign are not symbols; they are individuals with joy, creativity, and boundless
Each portrait tells a story that disrupts invisibility and affirms presence. Together, they form a powerful counter-narrative to the stereotypes that too often marginalised children with Down syndrome.
The children at the heart of this campaign are not symbols; they are individuals with joy, creativity, and boundless spirit:
Abigail (6): loves to run, take part in gymnastics, and spend time with family and friends.
Alex (9): passionate about football, wrestling, games, and music, happiest when surrounded by loved ones.
Apedemak (7): an emerging performer who loves to rap, sing, and beatbox.
Arelyse (6): currently immersed in gymnastics and swimming, with a natural love for singing.
Ayah (3): cherishes being read to, soft toys, and dancing.
Clayton (5): thrives in books, music, and dancing, singing the alphabet with delight.
Josiah (5): happiest in music, movement, and the outdoors.
Simone (10): an artist in her own right, painting and singing as ways of self-expression, and represented by The Children’s Art Gallery, Lagos.
Zephy (8): enjoys swimming, slapstick humour, potatoes in all forms, and is learning the violin.
For families raising Black children with Down syndrome, visibility is more than symbolic, it is transformative. As BCDS Co-Founder Tonye Faloughi-Ekezie explains, “Being visible, truly seen, isn’t optional, it’s life-changing. For Black children with Down syndrome and their families, visibility is the difference between stigma and dignity, between exclusion and belonging.”
Harriman echoes this sentiment: “My lens is there to give a voice to those that do not have one. I hope this project will be able to do that.”
At Foxglove, we believe in creativity rooted in cultural intelligence. Our role in shaping the Piccadilly Lights display is not simply about design, but about amplifying a vital message: that every child deserves to be seen, celebrated, and represented. Collaborating with Hope 93 Gallery and Demi Abiola, we are honoured to support a campaign that combines art, advocacy, and community at a global scale.
The Piccadilly Lights takeover is not an ending but a milestone. BCDS continues to build towards future initiatives, including a week-long mini-fest for World Down Syndrome Day in March 2026, in collaboration with London Libraries and London Archives. Each step expands visibility, ensuring these children and their families are not only represented but central to reshaping narratives around race, disability, and inclusion.
As the lights rise over Piccadilly Circus this Black History Month and World Down Syndrome Awareness Month, they illuminate more than faces, they illuminate futures.
