Holly: Some reflections on #Headspace.

It's no surprise to hear that things have been Shaken right up once again!

The 5th Shake! intensive course began with a dive straight into the deep end, with the group discussing some of the impacts that capitalism has on society, the education system, and our relationships. This Shake! intensive focused on Headspace: from the repercussions of social media, to the influence that dominant narratives have upon the way things are viewed, to the importance of challenging these narratives, reclaiming inaccessible spaces and creating our own safe spaces. The discussion focused on how each topic affects our mental and physical well-being, and how to avoid the harms of these.

Just a few of the fabulous talks throughout the week included: an amazing lecture by Esther Stanford-Xosei speaking about Birthing Social Change: how the way in which we are birthed affects our capacity to love and the traumas our communities can inherit.

An inspiring talk from Platform's Jane Trowell focused on many things including the importance of dialogue and solidarity between different fields, race, class, age and religion, that any solutions we seek will be found through collaboration. Our activism "we must out last and out wit those who do not want to listen," because it's a long game we are playing.

Josetta Malcolm gave an eye-opening session on  Black LBGTQI communities mental health. Paula Serafini gave another fascinating talk all about art and activism; the challenging and appropriating of space for political goals and culture as a struggle of resistance.

Themes that kept popping up throughout the week included the absolute necessity for resilience and unity, the need for alternative methods of education, and the need for dialogue.

With a combination of lovely, passionate, interesting , talented people and fascinating workshops, the week has been inspiring, engaging, exhausting and exhilarating all at once - it has been my first time as a Shake! facilitator and it certainly won't be my last - I am eagerly looking forward to the next one already.

A more detailed run down of the weeks events will follow shortly, including sneak peeks into some of the poetry and, if you are lucky perhaps a snap shot or two of the film work to tempt and tickle and tide you over until the very exciting showcase so... Watch... This... Space...!

Big love, Holly x

Shake! Update: Black Women Scientist Inspires Us!

We start all Shake! mornings with a few inspirations shared by participants. Today we had Anisa telling us about a space scientist that inspires her: Maggie Aderin-Pocock.

Aderin-Pocock is a space scientist, mechanical engineer, and science communicator. Anisa tells us her story; Maggie is inspiring because she was the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, bouncing from one area of the country to the other, never able to find her own place. She was also diagnosed with dyslexia, which meant she had to overcome certain challenges while she was at school. Luckily she found science, something she was good at and made her feel better about herself. Then she found space science, and was able to follow her love for the stars and outer space. Space was great because, in her own words.

“Growing up in London at that time, I was a black kid in a mainly white area and I often got teased… Although I had never been to Nigeria, I was scared that if I said ‘I’m British’ the other kids would say, ‘No, you’re not’. You’re black, you’re not from here’. That led me to feeling a bit lost, like I did not belong here or there. That’s why space was brilliant: space was all-encompassing”.

Anisa remembers the first time she saw Maggie on a school trip and how inspired she was because she was the first black woman in a field which is traditionally seen as for privileged white men. But besides her strength and the fact that she overcame all these challenges in her life in order to achieve her goals, Anisa also finds Maggie Aderin-Pocock inspiring because of her commitment to giving back to others. She believes that being in a position of privilege comes with the responsibility of helping others realize their full potential, and for that reason speaks about science to school children and particularly hard to reach audiences.

We think her work is very inspiring! Anisa perfectly sums up the lesson she takes away from Maggie, with a Toni Morrison Quote:

"When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else. This is not just a grab-bag candy game.'

HeadSpace Update: Challenging narratives and creating new stories & spaces

It's the second day of the Shake #Headspace course, and we're deep in discussions around narratives.  We started exploring building our own narratives and conceiving how we can challenge  power and dominant narratives with our own stories.

Yesterday we discussed issues of power and who has the control over dominant narratives in our society. Analysing how issues of class, race, gender, ableism, sexuality and age intersect in the uneven distribution of power and political voice in society. We heard from wonderful guests including Esther Stanford, Sai Murai, Jane Trowell, Orla Price and Josetta Malcolm who shared with us alternative narratives on issues of mental health, inequality, commodification of the body, race, and LGBTQI experiences.

 Questions we have been asking ourselves over the past two days: Who does our story serve? Whose interest is it in? What is the cultural value of a story? What does it take to craft a story? What is our responsibility to the story espeically when we speak on behalf of the other?


Responses that came through were issues around identity and belonging quickly came to mind, and also the idea of a story as a way of passing on rituals and reproducing a sense of community. Others saw stories as a way of presenting and constructing truth, but also possibly as propaganda.  We appreciated how stories are a form of catharsis, and as the visualization or projection of dreams and ideals. Devices like a structure and framework, empathy and reliability and a clear message help us craft the story.

Throughout the next three days Shake participants will be working in either film or poetry, fully engaging with their medium of choice and creating their own stories. As always we are excited to see the powerful art that will come out of this week.

Applications open for #Shake2014 at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre

Our next shake! up >> 18th-22nd August 2014 << at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre.

Applications now open for our FREE! 5 day course on Art/ Race/ Media/ Power for 16-25's.
See below for more info & how to apply 
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Art can be a powerful non-violent force for change.

Each day Shake! creative workshops will provide space to imagine what justice looks like, experiment with new ideas, learn new tools and fire up your imagination.

Over the five days, the course will include:

>> interactive workshops, stimulating dialogue & skill-shares to creatively campaign for change with practising artists/activists/educators:

>> ZENA EDWARDS
>> SAI MURRAY
>> FARZANA KHAN
>> PAULA SERAFINI
>> NU WAVE PICTURES
>> PLATFORM
>> MARCINA ARNOLD
>> ESTHER STANFORD-XOSEI
>> JANE TROWELL (Platform & Body Politics)
(+ more to be announced!)



>> practical hands-on techniques in spoken word, online media, film/video and music technology to develop your ideas around injustice and power.

>> access to a/v equipment, workshop spaces, rehearsal room, and refreshments at the landmark Stephen Lawrence Centre.

>> opportunity to showcase your work and continued involvement in the Shake! network.

>> You don't have to be an activist or artist to apply, just have an interest in social justice or change and creativity.


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** LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE (for 16-25 year olds) **
 
To receive a short application & for more info,  
email: platformshake@gmail.com or farzana@platformlondon.org
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http://voicesthatshake.blogspot.com/

#Shake2013 at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre - photos

#Shake2013 at the Bernie Grant Art Centre, a set on Flickr.

Whooo! There are never enough words or emotions to express what the Shake! intensive does to us. Minds officially blown! Thank you to all our wonderful facilitators and participants.

And in lieu of words - here's a first look at some of the photos from our summer Shake! up.
 

The Bus is launched in Tottenham!

On Tottenham Civic Day, 25th June, the day dawned damp. But we needn't have worried. The weather held and a good crowd enjoyed the full programme of outdoor performances, creative artists' stalls, and delicious barbecue that was laid on by the great staff at Bernie Grant Arts Centre

The Centre is the new home for PLATFORM's spectacular life-sized steel Bus, the Living Memorial to Ken Saro-Wiwa by Sokari Douglas Camp, which was launched at 1pm that day.

Two musicians playing talking drums led people to the Bus from the courtyard.  John Baraldi, the Centre's Chief Executive introduced the event, and there were speeches by the artist Sokari Douglas Camp, Ben Amunwa (Platform's Nigeria campaigner), local Friends of the Earth activists, and very movingly, Maria Saro-Wiwa, Ken's widow. Shake's very own Zena Edwards read her achingly beautiful "Photo of a Girl", inspired by a photograph taken in a village criss-crossed with pipelines in the Niger Delta by Ed Kashi. The speeches ended with Bruce Grove councillor Joseph Ejiofor, and an amazing performance on the Bus's rooftop barrels by Bawren Tavaziva, Artistic Director of Tavaziva Dance Company which is based at the Centre.

It was fantastic to see Jonathan from Shake! 2010 there. He'd come up from Lewisham with his parents and it was a great reunion for us. Jonathan came into Platform three days later to look at materials on Nigeria for some art projects he's developing. We're looking forward to working closely with Bernie Grant Arts Centre and artists-activists in the area during the next months, especially creating a Shake! course there, tailored for Tottenham...

See the video featuring Maria Saro-Wiwa
See photos from the day