Sherry Davis: The Open Fund

Short Project Title: We Are The Legacy

Project Description: We Are The Legacy (WATL) is a 6-track EP tracing a narrative arc exploring health, ancestry, and legacy at a moment when Sherry is shifting from being a live performer to creating work that is digitally driven and accessible. Having spent many years undertaking community-focused work and commissions to contribute to other artists’ projects, WATL marks her first release as an independent solo creator while navigating severe health challenges. In 2024 Sherry developed a chronic illness and is now largely housebound and unable to tour or perform. Support from the Open Fund means she is now able to gain essential experience of self-releasing that will inform future projects, building long-term sustainability for her career. Creatively the project is a significant step in her practice, fusing soul with classical and traditional African sounds drawn from Sherry’s research into Giriama music from her mother’s tribe in Kenya.

Bio: Sherry is a London-based composer and vocalist working at the intersection of soul, African traditional music, and orchestral composition. After studying Contemporary Jazz Piano at Goldsmiths, University of London, she gained international recognition as a touring vocalist and co-writer with electronic artists such as Netsky and Shadow Child, performing to audiences of up to 40,000 on major global stages. Sherry now focuses on composition, developing a cross-cultural practice that connects African musical heritage with contemporary concert music. Her 2024 project Ode to the Ancestors grew from a composition into a multidisciplinary exhibition presented at the Horniman Museum