Thank you for this invitation to speak at this Parallel State event. In this short address I’d like to share some thoughts relating to three dimensions of the politics of human experience – the nation state, the civic, and the hyperlocal. The Nation State Setting the tone of a Nation State is part of the…
On the BGT 15,000+ complaints about Diversity’s Black Lives Matter dance performance. No matter what medium you work in, when you want to use your art to amplify the voices of oppressed people, and to speak truth to power, you will get people trying to silence you, and criticise you for politicising said platform. Do.It.Anyway!…
Pleased my mum was able to phone-Zoom into her church’s service this. Those seemingly small things which we take for granted can have huge positive impacts for our elders and their feelings of connection. I visited her and the thought back to it brought a big smile to her face. When I visited one of…
From what I’ve seen, this Tweet screengrab is pretty accurate. Even Boris himself only criticises Corbyn rather than talking about his own policies. Tory policies tend to be centred around self-interest of the wealthy, or those who want to gain wealth irrespective that it will be at the expense of others. That’s not good to…
Just trying out these sentences, seeing how it feels saying them out loud…. 1) If only we built up our own spaces, with the same energy that we try to decolonise other people’s. 2) If only we built up places that already belong to us, rather than attempting to decolonise spaces that don’t. 3) With…
In Birmingham with family. 4pm-ish. Pouring with rain, I had my hood up and an umbrella. Saw a Black boy running from a police car. They jumped out, caught him, pinned him down and cuffed him. I ran across the road to get closer to them. Told my family to keep on walking, while I…
[This introduction was delivered verbally, not reading from a script. The below speech was written up afterwards from notes and memory, with some additions placed in brackets.] Introduction by Dr Shawn Sobers to the film ‘Talking about Trees’. Afrika Eye Film Festival – 10th November 2019. Watershed, Bristol Welcome to the final film of the…
It’s little things like this that you notice. It’s petty, makes you think you’re being paranoid. The only image of a Black person in a BBC quiz is connected with a question about cheating. It chips away at your psyche. It’s these little things you notice. (For further info see ‘WEB Du Bois double consciousness’)
Today we celebrate the life of Tony Forbes. His 1998 self portrait painting ‘Sold Down The River’ is well known in Bristol, on permanent display in the MShed. A powerful visual critique of how he felt Bristol had not dealt with its history of involvement in Transatlantic Slavery. In 1999 myself and Rob Mitchell interviewed…
Trying to put limits on someone’s imagination and identity is like trying to cut water with a pizza slice.
