When Tag Agency moved into Netil last year, they brought with them an energy shaped by years of working in an industry that has often pushed certain voices to the side.

Founded in 2018 by Alvin Owusu and Tumisha Balogun, the agency has always asked what it means to create work that begins with community, rather than ends with it. Their arrival through Eat Work Art’s Collaborator Programme marked the start of a new chapter, giving them the space to grow while continuing to champion underrepresented voices.

Tag’s story began in schools, colleges and youth centres across London. “We’ve always been firmly rooted within Black and working class communities,” Alvin explains. “It’s never been a talent issue but an opportunity issue. A system design issue.” He describes the creative industries in London as “deeply inaccessible, inhospitable, and the rigidity of the barriers keeps diverse creatives outside of the decision-making rooms.” Confronting those barriers has become central to Tag’s work.

One response is Irin Ajo, a year-long development programme founded by Tumisha during the pandemic. “It was about creating a soft landing space for creatives to do the heartwork while also developing their creative practice,” Alvin says. The programme provides mentoring, resources and space, acknowledging that sustainable careers require support that is both practical and emotional. “It’s about holistically supporting a new generation of Black creatives who are actively building a better industry.”

This commitment to reshaping the sector runs through their client work. Tag’s tagline, “building radical solutions with new-gen talent,” reflects how deeply young voices are embedded in their process. Ideas emerge from real conversations with communities: Snapchat group chats with teenagers about sneaker culture, hikes in Epping Forest to discuss health inequality, or visioning sessions about future hopes and fears. “We’re constantly reimagining the creative process, and optimising for access so that we can tell different and better stories,” Alvin explains.

Storytelling sits at the centre of their practice, whether working with grassroots organisations or high-profile brands. For Tag, the responsibility lies in ensuring that the stories being told are both authentic and accountable. They are acutely aware that collaboration with communities cannot be extracted or transactional, and that genuine representation requires brands to respect what they wish to engage with. As Alvin reflects, “Not all brands deserve access or a space within certain subcultures. I love our clients because often they know how to take a back seat and just invest and amplify communities without centring themselves. There is long term commercial success when you work ethically with brands, because consumers and audiences are getting smarter.”

A recent campaign for CoppaFeel! captured this approach. Tasked with increasing sign-ups for their annual school challenge, Tag shifted focus away from teachers and spoke directly to young people through tailored influencer content. The project reached its goals and demonstrated the impact of engaging audiences on their own terms.

Being based at Netil has amplified this way of working. “It’s allowed for more collaboration away from the screens,” Alvin reflects. “After Covid we all had screen fatigue. Having the space allows room for creativity, we always have people in the office and the opportunity to learn and allow creatives to come and work.” For Tag, the studio has become more than a base. It is a setting where collaboration happens naturally and their ethos takes physical form.