À Propos

Journal du Pôle is a hybrid atelier and creative technology enterprise founded in London, inspired by the practice of pole dance as a radical act of self-determination.

We honour our roots with Ambre, artisanal grip, made in Kenya for hot climate. Each bottle supports our commitment to Community Inclusion, Social Impact, and Sustainability. We donate ten percent of our profits from each Batch to the Trans & Queer Solidarity Fund Kenya.

As an AWS Activate Startup we are in early stage research & development of movement technology intelligence solutions, with B2C and B2B SaaS utility.

A.T., our founder is a queer Kenyan transdisciplinary artist, from a career in law & financial technology, recently based in London. They are better known for training with FKA Twigs as a pole dance & fitness instructor, cinematographer, and headlining the Blackstage Show at the Clapham Grand. Originally trained as a vocalist & violinist, their work extends to film, photography, pole performance, and oil painting.

In residence, their current research interests straddle Arts and Sciences. They explore immersive media experiences: extended reality (XR) and augmented reality (AR) as frontier channels for stories that achieve lasting social impact through the cognitive reform of narratives that perpetuate structural inequities.

Ritually, A.T.’s movement is rooted in expressionism and the practice of pole dance as a radical act of self love. Ultimately, they are inspired by the idea that pole dance is a metaphor for gender & sexuality, innocent, yet stigmatised.

Ritually, A.T.’s movement is rooted in expressionism and the practice of pole dance as a radical act of self love. “ Ĩgũa” is a word in Kikuyu, A.T.’s mother tongue, a verb meaning both “to feel" and “to listen”, in Swahili it roughly translates to “sikia”, and in French to “sentir”. By analogy, the point isn’t just to move, but to connect intimately with ourselves.

Ultimately, they are inspired by the idea that pole dance is a metaphor for gender & sexuality. It is innocent, yet socially, stigma attaches to it.

On the digital catwalk, they headlined Roker Atelier’s AW 2023 documentary debut at London Fashion Week and fronted a fashion campaign for Lilabare, a sustainable Kenyan designer

As a dancer, they featured in a music film by acclaimed Vogue editorial photographer Harley Weir.

Artistically, they have also collaborated with acclaimed interdisciplinary visual artist Hamilton on set.

Behind the camera, they directed and filmed Bloom, a short motion picture commissioned by Fringe of Colour Films and curated by award-winning film director Campbell X for Sheffield Doc Fest.

Musically, A.T. performed at the Bristol Hate Crime and Discrimination Services Launch 2018 in City Hall; in Girona & Barcelona on tour with the Bristol University Music Society; and performed a solo adaptation of Warsan Shire’s ‘Home’ at the FUZE Show: the biggest student-run charity event in the U.K. which helped raise over £9000 for Bristol Refugee Rights. A.T. also played a lead role in the Bristol Operatic Society’s winter opera: A Pared Vow, and performed Puccini’s Nessun Dorma at the Society’s Arias Concert later that year.

Before Law School, A.T. attended the Berklee College of Music Summer Performance Programme as a lead vocalist and violinist, shortly after they won Operatic Soloist of the Year at Kenya National Music Festivals.

As a law student, they graduated at the top of their Clinical Legal Studies class at University of Bristol Law School.

A.T. is open to creative opportunities, performances, and partnerships with inclusive, sustainable & ethical brands.