Remembering Oluwale

It was our pleasure to collaborate with the international trailblazing Leeds Young Authors for our Britain on Trial event in 2011. Tonight this dynamic group of young poets are involved in the launch of an important project, Remember Oluwale.

The life and tragic death of David Oluwale was one of the topics touched upon at Britain on Trial where LYA alumni poet and playright Zodwa Nyoni shared this poem written as a letter to David's mother:

Our parent organisation Platform comment:

"Platform makes common cause with David’s life and the DOMA (the David Oluwale Memorial Association). We see deep connections with our work on race and racism through our youth project Shake! and also our work on environmental racism and resource injustice through the public art project and campaign Remember Saro-Wiwa (2004-12)."

For more info on David Oluwale see the website here: www.rememberoluwale.org

And if you can't make the event in Leeds you can follow DOMA on facebook and twitter.

Shake! Stars Poetry

Happy National Poetry Day (for yesterday...!)

Yes we just missed posting about this by a few hours but we do have a good excuse as we're busy busy in the exciting recruiting process for our new Shake! coordinator.

A revamp of this blogsite is also needed we realise but in the meantime and with the theme of National Poetry Day being "stars" here is the link to discover all the posts on this site from our Shake! poetry stars:

http://voicesthatshake.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Poems

Also a newly created playlist over on our YouTube featuring Selina's original poem and also Paris Kaur and Zodwa Nyoni from Leeds Young Authors at our 2011 Britain on Trial event:

NEWS! Arts Council funds Shake's major programme!

Great news at Shake! 

ACE funded the pilot, and have now
come through for the major programme

With the Arts Council coming up with a major grant of £57,000, we are 50% towards our funding target to roll Shake! out at two London centres over three years. We'll be working intensively with 150 young people, 75 artists in training, 300 policy-makers, and gazillions of audience through our social media comms campaigns, online and live youth-made films, performances, publications and policy-changing documents.

After Shake's pilot project which started August 2010 at Stephen Lawrence Centre, we knew we had to do this again and do it BIG. So, after gathering a lot of ideas and feedback from everyone involved in the project, the team worked up a three-year programme. This involves doing two Shake! intensive courses a year, each with their own Continuity Programmes of mentoring and support work, based at Stephen Lawrence Centre and at exciting new partner Bernie Grant Arts Centre (Tottenham).

more great youth, arts and activism projects this summer

Organised by Apples and Snakes.

SHAKE THE DUST - the National Youth Poetry Slam final, (featuring Yorkshire heat-winners coached by Shake's own poet-mentor extraordinaire Sai Murray), is happening Saturday 7th July, 2 - 5pm, in London's Southbank Centre, supported by some fantastic events in the run-up.

Our Sai is performing on the Friday 6pm, as one of the 9 winning poet coaches from the UK-wide regional finals. Leeds Young Authors Artistic Director and dynamic poet-activist Khadijah Ibrahiim who we worked with on our 2011 event Britain on Trial is one of the judges...

There's a free screening of the award-winning film "We Are Poets" featuring a year in the lives of a group of Leeds Young Authors as they make their way through heat after heat to be selected to represent the UK in the internationally heralded Brave New Voices festival in the USA. Wonderful, inspirational. That's on Thursday 6th July, Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer, 6.15pm

Get over there for one or more of the great events. See whole programme here.

Zena Edwards in new video documentary on 'riots'

Check out a taster of this critical new film coming out soon, this one featuring Zena Edwards.

To follow what's happening with the film VoiceOver: Riots Reframed, go here.
They write: ‘VoiceOver: Riots Reframed’ is an independent documentary aimed at countering mainstream discourse on last year’s riots and riots that occur in poor, racialised and marginalised communities generally. Dominant media has towed the government line that August’s riots were about “criminality, pure and simple..."


Young people from Shake! worked with facilitators Ed Lewis, Simon Murray and Zena for their sell-out session "The Unheard" at the Rebellious Media Conference last year, and at the natonal Shake! event "Britain on Trial" in Leeds. Zena is involved in several youth initiatives combatting stereotypical, biased and racist responses to the uprisings.

Conviction of two of Stephen Lawrence's murderers: a new chapter

4  days ago, after 18 years, Gary Dobson and David Norris were found guilty of killing student Stephen Lawrence in a racially motivated attack, while he waited with a friend at a bus stop in Eltham, London.

Young women perform a piece for Stephen at
Shake's event 'Britain on Trial', Leeds, Oct 2011
Artist: Pati Bongani

Everyone involved with Shake! stands in support of the momentousness of these judgements. This case has changed the way in which Britain sees itself at a fundamental level. It laid bare a deep, shameful sickness within certain parts of our culture. While this has not gone away, the family's battle for justice for Stephen has revealed the way in which institutions at the heart of this culture have operated, and how they must change.

Stephen's father Neville Lawrence said that for him, these two convictions were only one step in a long journey to achieve full justice - the bringing to account the rest of the group of young white men who fatally stabbed Stephen that day.

Stephen's mother Doreen spoke of being able at last to get on with her life. She has reiterated her criticism of the police for their early appallingly neglectful handling of the case, which among many other impacts, meant that instead of grieving for her lost son, she had to go into battle against the institutional racism which prevailed and disrupted the course of justice.

Anyone involved in the struggle for justice can only be struck with awe and amazement by the fortitude and grit that the family have had to find for each wave of this terrible story. I try to follow this timeline and consider what it must have taken, what it must have cost, for each person who loved and was close to Stephen to reach this moment.

Separately from her legal campaign, Doreen founded the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust specifically to create a constructive force against social injustice and to combat racism through fostering creativity, especially in design and architecture.  Shake! is proud to have been involved with the work of the Trust and to be able to spread its word.

Performance for Stephen at
Britain on Trial
Artist: Pati Bongani

All of us who believe that art, social justice and activism are intertwined can take courage and learn lessons from Doreen and SLCT: the legal battle, the battle for a change in culture, and the use of culture and the arts to change minds, change behaviour, and rebalance privileges, readdress entitlements to opportunity.

What an incredible act, incredible activism to have put all this into the world.

Thank you Doreen, for changing the course of history for all who are to follow in your footsteps, and thank you to all at SLCT for your dedicated and crucial work.

More on Britain on Trial

See an interesting review by a participant in Britain on Trial - Gloria Dawson - on the Platform blog.

And here is some feedback from Shake! young poets Rotimi Skyers & Selina Nwulu:

What did you get out of the whole thing? What was the most interesting aspect for you??

Nathaniel reads

ROTIMI: There was a lot more of a connection between two generations. Normally we get preached at and hear what they are saying, but we don't normally listen to what they went through. My parents grew up in that generation but it's not like I really listen to them and I didn't realise we have more in common than i thought, especially when we saw visual images - the films - that hooked me. 

The whole asylum seeking thing - I didn't realise it was that bad. In school they don't speak about them in a good way and I didn't see it a major issue or how it relates to racism, but today it helped reinforce the fact that racism is an international issue which needs to be put on trial.
 
SELINA: To see the journey an idea takes from the Britain on Trial poem to the event was really cool, Hearing different perspectives on topics that I didn't previously know about  was really interesting. The mini-lectures were the most interesting for me. I liked all of them but I really really liked the third one on displacement. All the speakers complimented each other complemented really really well.

What did you learn that was important for you? Or surprised you?

Zodwa Nyoni - A Letter for Mama Oluwale

One of the most successful aspects of Britain On Trial was the coming together and sharing of experiences between active, articulate, dedicated young people from two different parts of the UK and from two different artistic organisations - Leeds Young Authors and Shake!.

Zodwa Nyoni, a Leeds Young Authors alumni (Leeds Superheroes of Slam winner 2011 & Voices of A New Generation winning poet coach 2011 just the latest of her long list of acolades...) was a part of the 15 minute speed-lecture on "Racism, Young People and the Police" and followed poetry from Shake!'s Rotimi and Selina - who opened proceedings with Britain on Trial and her response to Stephen Lawrence's murder, Thou Shalt Not Kill.

Zodwa provided the perfect closing contribution to this opening speed-lecture by bringing the topic back home to Leeds with a dedication to David Oluwale - a Nigerian killed in police custody back in 1969 and still, over 40 years later, the only case ever of criminal convictions for officers involved in a police-related death since records began in 1970.

Esther puts BRITAIN ON TRIAL for Libyan War Crimes

AFRIKA SPEAKS with Sister Ekua
Weds 8-10pm voiceofafricaradio.com

We were incredibly fortunate to have Esther Stanford-Xosei feature on our Britain On Trial programme and the Verdict she delivered to bring together all the issues of the day was a powerful, fitting and marvellous close to the event. Audio up on the blog soon...

As ever, Esther continues her amazing campaigning and activism for global justice and her show tonight picks up the Britain on Trial theme concentrating on Britain's war crimes in Libya.

You can listen to her show Afrika Speaks on Voice of Africa radio tonight and every Wednesday from 8pm-10pm.

Full details below:

WHO WILL HOLD BRITAIN, NATO & THE UN TO ACCOUNT FOR THEIR WAR CRIMES IN LIBYA?

The barbaric summary lynching of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi on October 20, 2011 and the circumstances leading up to it raises some serious questions about who should be held to account for the war crimes and other violations of international law committed by the Western-backed National Transitional Council (NTC) rebels and NATO forces.

Introducing Britain on Trial Court Sketch Artist: Patricia Bongani

As well as a packed programme full of poetry, speed-lectures, film, workshops, creative writing, discussions, dialogue, movement, presentations, food, tea, exhibitions, intergenerational & interdisciplinary dialogue - phew! - we were also able to commission the artistic talents of a young poet to be our Court Sketch Artist.

Here is a preview of one of Patricia Bongani's sketches featuring doctor, academic, author, writer, activist, organiser - and after his successful debut on Saturday - now performance poet!!! - Dr Carl Hylton. 

In addition to being an artist, Patricia Bongani is also a poet - and was in fact Team Captain for the Leeds Young Authors team that hoped to travel to Brave New Voices in 2011 as well as being a successful member of the LYA team that won the UK National Slam in 2010 and also a two-time winner of the UK's longest running youth team slam & literature festival with Ralph Thoresby school at Voices of A New Generation in 2009 & 2010.

Check Pati performing her powerful poem "The Loudest Silence"which speaks to many of the themes discussed at Britain On Trial:

BRITAIN ON TRIAL- The Charge - Young Voices Speak Out!

BRITAIN ON TRIAL- The Charge - Young Voices Speak Out!, a set on Flickr.

The first photos are up on flickr featuring snapshots of the first order of the day - THE CHARGE:

Welcome by: Esther Stanford-Xosei
-co-Vice-Chair of PARCOE (the Pan-Afrikan Reparations Coalition in Europe)

Outline of the day by: Jane Trowell
- Shake! coordinator/ Platform Education coordinator

+ on the gavel/ strict 5 minute time keeping Tibetan chimes!!! - Khadijah Ibrahiim
- Artistic Director Leeds young Authors

Mini-lectures by young people and activists/academics on:

> Racism, young people and the police
featuring:
Selina Nwulu - poems: Britain on Trial/ Thou Shalt Not Kill 
Rotimi Skyers - poems: Ignite/ Hug 
Zodwa Nyoni - A Letter for Mama Oluwale - poem dedicated to David Oluwalwe

> Consumer Capitalism, advertising, and young people; Media portrayal of youth
featuring:
Sai Murai - overview of consumer capitalism + powerpoint presentation on evils of advertising 
Samia Aziz - talk on women & consumerism (ref: UNICEF report + Consumer Kids book)
Paris Kaur - poem: Barbie Girl

> History of displacement; contemporary refugee/asylum seeker realities
featuring:
Dr Carl Hylton - overview of history of displacement: trans-atlantic Afrikan enslavement 
Dr Stuart Hodkinson - Britain's immigration system on Trial inc. powerpoint presentation
Germain Naruhana - harrowing personal testimony of asylum seeker experience

STOP PRESS! Britain on Trial event in The Guardian

The piece was in The Northerner blog of the Guardian yesterday
"Young people air views on racism, 18 years after Stephen Lawrence murder"

Book your places now! Email platformshake@gmail.com

Britain on Trial: Young People Speak Out: Full Programme details

The Carriageworks, Leeds, this Saturday 29th October, 11.30 - 7pm

Anyone wanting to listen to young people and discuss with us how to take a stand and foster creative resistance to institutional racism – you should come to this. The re-trial for justice for Stephen Lawrence is beginning in November. The country is trying to pretend the ‘riots’ never happened. In Britain on Trial, we ask “where are we now” through a day of workshops and an evening performance to expose Britain’s injustices. 


Hosted by an incredible coalition of Leeds Young Authors, London’s “Shake! Young Voices in Arts, Media, Race & Power” and Leeds University academics from the MA Activism and Social Change, with collaborators from Leeds Bi-Centenary Transformation Project, and Leeds Black Film Club. Chaired by outstanding activist and speaker Esther Stanford-Xosei of Pan-Afrikan Reparations Coalition of Europe.

FULL PROGRAMME HERE

This day is a unique rich mix of politics, art & creativity, and history, driven by young people's own experiences and analyses in collaboration with leading artists and campaigners. Don't miss out.   


Book now, email platformshake@gmail.com

Come to "Britain on Trial", Saturday 29th October, Leeds

Enough is enough

Back in June, Platform, Leeds Young Authors and University of Leeds academics from the MA in Activism and Social Change put in an application to the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2011.  Unlikely context for Shake you think?? Well, talking with Shake's Simon Murray who also works with Leeds Young Authors, we realised that Shake! and LYA are in fact not just doing 'social science' but creating it.  The two groups of creative young people have loads of analysis, loads to teach the world about Britain's rough justice and countless injustices, north and south. On top of that, another incredible step in the search for justice for Stephen Lawrence had just been announced: a re-trial of two defendents due to start in November 2011, testament to the extraordinary determination of Doreen Lawrence. The Festival was also a great opportunity to have conversations with Leeds' radical academics about the work.

What with the chance to get Shake! out of London and in touch with an award-winning group of young power-writers from a great Northern city, we decided to go for a slice of the cash.

Then we heard we got the money....

Our first meeting for the 'Britain on Trial - Arts and Activism' event

Jane, Rotimi, Samia and Selina from the SHAKE! collective took a day trip to Leeds yesterday to meet up with Khadijah and Simon, facilitators from Leeds Young Authors and Stuart, a researcher from the University of Leeds MA in Activism & Social Change. The meeting was planned to lay down the groundwork for the "Britain on Trial" arts and activism event that will take place on October 29th as part of the ESRC's Festival of Social Science.

This event, which will take place in Leeds, will use the Stephen Lawrence re-trial as a starting point to ask,  "where are we now" through a day of workshops and an evening of performances to expose Britain's countless injustices. Exploring themes such as identity, justice and race through creative workshops, 10 minute speed-lectures and evening speakers, the day will aim to inspire the young people involved in the day to think honestly about themselves and the country they live in today. Britain on Trial, an initiative created by SHAKER Selina, aims to question unjust aspects of British society through creative mediums such as poetry, illustration, photography, short film and essays. The idea to use this as the umbrella theme for the event came organically with a view to unite the various disciplines of the group and the discussions that will take place in the day.

It was a great first meeting that allowed us to get to know each other better and we are looking forward to the planning that will follow. Big thank you to Simon for lending us his house, beautiful garden and making homemade bread - beats a stuffy boardroom any day! No thanks to the pompous man on the train who told us to be quiet in the middle of a full-on discussion about race, empire, language, identity and culture. He could have joined in, eh?

Watch this space for more updates on the Britain on Trial event! Also, check out the Britain on Trial website to find out more and get involved in Selina’s project: http://britainontrial.wordpress.com/