2024 This year saw 2 performances (with puff puff and sorrel drink accompanying salon discussions) of Perception Gap at The Lab - Experiment strand at Theatre Royal Plymouth, a performance of Memory is a Weapon Forgetting is a Betrayal at The House Stage University of Plymouth, Drumming for Families and Well-Being sessions at The Plot and Tree Project at Stonehouse.
Audience members have been in touch with lab project intentions including a great idea around The making of Plymouth by maps.
We have engaged courses on 360degree film-making and looking forward to some exciting Interdisciplinary and diaspora performance labs in 2025.
I also initiated, co-financed and produced 4 short films documenting the wonderful work Trees of Hope CiC are doing in Chinyere village in Zimbabwe. Denzil Mhondiwa filmed, presented workshops and photographed the progress on the project. Denzil was one of the 12 strong Gospel of Othello ensemble in 2009 - 2012 - it's great to see how he has turned into a brilliant photographer and film-maker. We are committed to community engagement, sustainable livelihoods, providing opportunities for each other to grow as artists and maintaining relationships. Great work Denzil!
In 2024 I shall be pressing on with Perception Gap, Diaspora Storytelling - Performance Fundamentals for Artists and Citizens and Memory Is A Weapon, Forgetting a Betrayal - a Griot-Docu performance piece about The Dullay Family's contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle and exile experience.
I have been encouraged by the way young actors took to my Diaspora Performance approach in workshops last year - so more of this frame to come.
Testimonial from
Claudette Williams BA Hons Acting Course Leader Dec 2023 Central School of Speech and Drama
‘I want to express my sincere gratitude for your exceptional work with Y1 students. Your brilliance in offering insightful sessions has not only instilled greater confidence in them but has also significantly contributed to their growth as actors’
Sept 14th (15th Workshop)
Perception Gap played at Lewisham Youth Theatre
Ric White and I continued to develop PG using The Imagined Script method. That is I have done away with the conventional writing/rehearsal process. There is a preparation process and prior dialogue between us and then the performance is 80% improvised. We had a great stage manager in Anna - a luxury for us. She joined in as a collaborator not a technician - now we have a clip board and a new character - the museum cleaner who articulates details on the Black Artist painting the Queen of Portugal. The work ran to 75mins. The show is lit by a torch and thanks to Anna we now have a large picture of King Charles overseeing the Home Office Indefinite Leave To Remain scene.
The Imagined Script model has fruitful implications for Lab work, Culture-preneurial and Training paradigms. It frees the performer to test ideas, skills set, text, live art possibilities etc without the time consuming funding process or critical aesthetics hoops one might have to jump through. It does not do away with the fiscal conundrum but the storyteller is firmly in the driving seat of their vision. For an artist with immigrant consciousness living in the west, dignity is everything.
The workshop on the 15th engaged participants with reflections on Perception Gap themes, story-making and orality to writing techniques.
MAY 26th
The Decolonial Salon Presents 'It's A Wonderful World' at The Arcola Theatre
An evening with Ayodele Edwards and Gwen Jay Allen
Here we presented songs and stories in the key of Diaspora Life
Faith Drama Productions very kindly supported as sponsors. We look forward to developing collaborations with FDP.
In the Lab at the moment:
Work continues on the text for Here I Stand and editing of the footage for archival purposes. I hope to be back on the road with a more etched experimental draft elaborating on Paul Robeson's stance as an artist-activist and his tragic silencing.
The challenge remains - how to financially develop an Experimental Diaspora Performance Lab space with multi-modular benefits - training, community and life experience transfer of embedded knowledge to citizens - master artists to emerging artists -
Here I Stand had to be attempted without recourse to funding conventional routes due to the highly competitive nature of the funding world and the schedules of the artists that could attempt this type of work- there are simply not that many artists experienced in African Diaspora Performance Aesthetics or African Theatre. So I had to press on with my own funds and resources - this choice placed a massive strain on the work itself - working without a producer, stage manager etc...
Nevertheless the feedback from audiences has been encouraging - some insightful and mindful of a two days in the lab and then a sharing others expecting the conventional polish of productions that have been funded to the tune of 100's of thousands of pounds. Still, in the opinion of Kwame Kwei-Armah it was 'a successful experiment'. Further lessons have been notched up for the development of Culturepreneurship, in promoting the Marronage Space so audience's expectation are better managed and composing a rehearsal score for artists to work nimbly when preparing for a sharing in a short space of time.
HERE I STAND April 8th 7pm
was a wonderful rare opportunity for me to have in the same creative space Harold George, Paolo Forcellatti and Kimi Durosinmi - all specialists in Diaspora Performance Aesthetics. They joined Ric White Devon Sax and Live Sound Design Artist and myself in an experimental dance theatre piece. We will create a Remembrance Ode for Paul Robeson a hugely influential artist-activist in the 20th Century who rehearsed and played Othello 15 mins drive from where I live in Devon - at Dartington Estate. We are investing in MEMORY, REMEMBERING AS A HEALING OPPORTUNITY. Healing from what? Well, from the invisible wounds that emanate from erasure and silencing.
I had been liaising with Michael Sells, a new Senior Producer at DT and we are fortunate that Dartington permitted an opportunity to present this Remembrance Ode for Paul Robeson's 125th Birthday Anniversary.
Leading Decolonial Thinkers that joined us online - Dr Walter Mignolo, Dr Rolando Vazquez, Dr Francisco Carballo, Tassiana Tome, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Bob Tafadzwa from Zimbabwe.
You will find more information about these amazing artists and scholars in the info pack above.
This is a self funded initiative - as indeed all The Decolonial Salon events have been to date.
We are grateful for the volunteering commitment from Sara Hurley, Helen Beetham, Olivia Seck, Josiah Johnson, Dr Stephen Hopwood and Jason Lisatos who provided his wonderful satire imagery.
FEB 2023
The Decolonial Salon had a great outing at Aweliscombe on the 25th Feb with Perception Gap in the Villages In Action's From Devon with Love Festival - Ric White on Sax and Live Sound Design, Sara Hurley On Torch duty - (the show is lit with a torch! ) and Josiah Johnson on stage management. The Traditional Syrian Buffet was delicious, prepared by Iman Farwan. The show itself developed fresh approaches during this outing and was well worth doing. Many thanks to Luke Weston and all at Villages In Action. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with VIA.
2022
The Decolonial Salon
will present Perception Gap with Ric White on Live Sound Design at Totnes Cinema on 16th August 2022. Tickets on sale at The Totnes Cinema website
The Decolonial Salon 16/7/22
Exile Reflections, Here On The Other Side
At Totnes Cinema - Dr Cheryl Diane Parkinson read extracts from her novel "Berthas" sold all 10 of her books. We were joined by Gwyn Jay Allen who was the guide for Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan -recent visit to Sierra Leone.
Lunch Time Sessions - NHS Mental Health Devon 15/6 - 1/7/22
Bridging the Perception Gap
These are a series of zoom lunch time 60mins sessions for NHS staff - We seek through conversation, sparked by southern narratives, a route Beyond Diversity.
The Decolonial Salon 22/3/22
Ashburton Arts Centre
Storytelling In Exile
Diaspora Artists in Conversation and Practice
I am joined by Tayo Aluko to perform extracts from our solo shows Call Mr Robeson and The Man Who Committed Thought.
We will share our experiences as migrant artists on creating solo shows, resistance and social transformation.
10/3/22
Brain Drain to Brain Gain (location utube)
A docu-fiction - A group elders meet to discuss ways in which we can encourage young Africans to value their land.
This is a citizen volunteer and self funded project co-produced with the great Cowfoot Prince Usifu Jalloh, storyteller from Sierra Leone. The project seeks to highlight the fruitful work and progressive thinking Africans have self initiated to foster progress in their homelands.
10/3/22
1. Have just finished a Hothausing Lab sessions with Razana Afrika - "Fix Your Crown" - initiated by Christelle Pellecuer and co-produced, facilitated and directed by myself. With 3 trusted master artist collaborators we shared skills and worked with 8 amazing Queens from based in Bristol to produce 8 filmed vignettes of historical African Queens that led their countries and had tremendous influence in the political and military spheres. We worked on Zoom, kicking off with a great dance and vocal workshop from the amazing African Performing Artist Grammy award winning Dobet Ghnore based in Belgium, from Ivory Coast. Harold George (Artistic Director of Dunia Dance) Ayo Edwards (Creator and Star of 'Belonging') Richard O. Baker (Master Percussionist and Maker of Instruments) were my collaborators.
More soon on the airing of the work.
17/3/21
1. Working on a Return of The Decolonial Salon at an off west end venue next year, Spring time. We will be producing an interdisciplinary version of Saltwater Runs In My Veins - The South East Asian family whose fight against apartheid and exile journey is an inspiration to all those who relentlessly strive for a fairer world.
2. In development - 'The President's Good News' - an original art film series that sees a mysterious African refugee making good news pronouncements that will lift his continent to super power status. But he has lost his memory, who is he?
3. In development - 'African Queens' a collaboration with Christelle Pellecuer's initiative. A community public participation project for early 2021.
8/11/20
1. Delivering 'An Introduction to African Diaspora Performance Series 1 on Utopia Theatre's African Theatre Online AT HOME platform.
2. Developing Saltwater Performance Initiative for site specific and lab environments.
3. Further development on Perception Gap
19/7/20
1. Researching Ways to translate Saltwater/Decolonial Salon to online platforms.
2. Researching into the knowledge transfer and return of Colonial Legacy Artefacts to Museum and Reflective spaces in Africa.
19/04/20
1. PERCEPTION GAP - a solo digital show tracing present exile predicaments against a visual backdrop of past migration experiences. It is a highly mobile piece - interactive interdisciplinary African Theatre.
2. NHS FRESH CONVERSATIONS on DIVERSITY. I have been facilitating creative strategies for stimulating innovative ways to engage shared histories and the present.
3. SALT WATER IN MY VEINS - a retelling of a true family story in collaboration with Simmi Dullay, daughter of Prizt Dullay, Anti-Apartheid Activist and Teacher, exiled for his fight against injustice.
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