2024 marks the 10 year anniversary of THE NEW CHIEFTAINS!

In a world of celebritydom THE NEW CHIEFTAINS are a breath of fresh air.

They’re non conformists whose instinct to succeed is driven by passion, transformation and challenge. It is these qualities that make them unconventional.

Individually they are powerful and collectively they represent a tribe of talent who embody tenacity. Validation does not come from public accolades but in the form of endeavour, creative transformation and personal achievement.

Creative storyteller Agenda Brown was compelled to capture the powerful and rich narratives of these extraordinary ordinary people. He wanted to magnify qualities that are typically overshadowed by the importance placed on fame, and to remind us all that we carry these traits in ourselves - and therefore the potential to live our own version of impactful lives. 

We will continue to unveil New Chieftains as they join the tribe.

Featured image above: YOSHI SBX LONDON. Scottish and Chinese origins.

Born 吳千宇 in Aberdeen, Scotland to Chinese parents, I go by the nickname of Yoshi SBX & have been based in London since 2011. I originally moved to London as an aspiring dancer & media producer, having 1) finished a degree in Graphic Design & Interactive Multimedia & 2) founding ‘The Jam Movement’ dance project.

These days – after a period involving psychedelics, traveling, some misfortune & lots of soul-searching – I’m a Tuina Massage Therapist & Plant-Based Nutrition Consultant. I work from home in my makeshift clinic with dancers being my main client-base. It’s a word-of-mouth operation with a little Instagram presence & 2 film promos entitled ‘Fixtape vol.1’ & ‘Fixtape vol.2’. I also recently published ‘Plant-Based 101′, to further supplement the wellbeing of my clients & small audience. A recipe book will follow up in the next few years out of this.

A TENACIOUS TRIBE

The story

THE NEW CHIEFTAINS is conceived by visual artist Agenda Brown, and was formally launched in September 2014.

THE NEW CHIEFTAINS are a tribe of talented people who have natural prowess, tenacity, leadership, and individuality. They are a growing tribe with enigmatic personalities across numerous disciplines and geographies. They can be found in many different arenas from education, design and philanthropy to food and music. From The Original Chapter and the foundation of the concept, THE NEW CHIEFTAINS has grown to include chapters on Nordic Female Power, Tenacity of Tottenham, and Black Resilience - the most recent chapter which will formally launch in 2024 in celebration of a decade’s work.

The qualities of a NEW CHIEFTAIN includes: Tenacity, Resilience, Passion, Unconventionality, Non-conformity. They are part of the tribe because of who they are, and what they do to enhance society and the human spirit.  In many cases their careers are inconsequential relative to the energies they contribute to their worlds.

THE NEW CHIEFTAINS are unlikely to identify themselves as being one. Even if they are known, they are not New Chieftains because of their celebrity!

Agenda Brown’s creative platform is the way that he interacts with clients. He has coined the following phrase that best describes his process: “I am driven by limitless possibilities of working with those who understand, together we can create something that is not possible on our own.” In this light, THE NEW CHIEFTAINS is a project that encapsulates his philosophy.

MOTIVATION

“THE NEW CHIEFTAINS were screaming out at me to be captured!” says Agenda.

“A continuous stream of these stubborn, focused, self starters, driven and tenacious people with these similar traits were crossing paths with me but they were all doing different things.  I didn’t make the connection initially but then I began to notice I was meeting more people like them. I have always been fascinated by human motivation and what drives us to achieve impact. It was becoming more and more apparent as I met these NEW CHIEFTAINS that I needed to do something about sharing their stories to inspire us to evolve our own Chieftain energy. I responded with my camera, at first unsure of what the outcome could be, but convinced that this needs to be done!

I met some NEW CHIEFTAINS through clients, friends, colleagues and now I also meet them through nominations - most recently for Black Resilience where my call for nominations was hosted on billboards across London.

Early interviews were individuals such as Lucy with her passion to empower young people, and Peter who was driven to show the world the inherent beauty in vintage clothing. Like the other NEW CHIEFTAINS they were unique individuals but collectively they shared special qualities: tenacity / drive / conviction (traits that then went on to form the DNA of a NEW CHIEFTAINS)

The project unites these people. It is my opportunity to highlight their qualities and show the similarity in difference. There is something quite amazing about this tribe of people, they choose to do what they do regardless of the challenges.  NEW CHIEFTAINS are creative and not all of them in a conventional sense.  Safe for them is never an option, they go against the tide.  With the prevalence of celebrities across all of our screens, NEW CHIEFTAINS are people in the ‘normal’ world who could easily be overlooked.  I feel that by bringing this tribe together their value is elevated.

I’m passionate about films and as time has gone by I can see that THE NEW CHIEFTAINS echoes qualities of the XMen, Marvel mutants.  They are people living in normal society with qualities that make them unique.

I hope through this project people will be inspired and will consider themselves in this context.”

LISTEN UP

THE NEW CHIEFTAINS is always associated with good music! Thank you @KMRA for the original sonic creation.

INSTAGRAM _ @THENEWCHIEFTAINS