Hip Hop Psychology

  
UK Hip Hop & Grime Culture promoting community and personal development

Shake! is always questioning the role of art forms and their differences in creative expression and building the capacity for change, so we are very excited to hear about this project: 
 
Hip Hop Psychology is a an exciting and unique three month participatory project for young people and adults, starting in January 2014. It hopes to bring together 10-15 young people (aged 14-25) to be co researchers investigating with the projects facilitators into the ways that Hip Hop and Grime culture promotes community and personal development.

Some words from the team:"Young researchers/journalists get to decide on what topic to focus our research and how we might go about its as well as how we will present the results of the research we do together. It will involve interviewing artists, and people working in the hip hop and grime scene in the UK as well as fans of the music."


Apply quickly as places will fill up fast!
Email hiphoppsychology@mail.com or contact 07841975905.
https://www.facebook.com/hiphoppsy
http://twitter.com/Hip_Hop_Psy

Zena's Thoughts on the Three R's- Remembering, Re-imagining, Reparations

This will be my fourth time as a Shake! facilitator and the third time as  core team intensive 5-day course deviser.

Shake! 1: The pilot "Arts Race and Power" course honoured the lives of aspiring architect and London youth Stephen Lawrence, and the eco-activist and Nigerian Ogoni Tribesman writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and used their stories as case studies to interrogate the themes

Shake! 2 – The "Voice Verse Power" course analysed media representation, political definitions of race and power to estabilish, validate and give a platform for the voice of the marginalised and stigmatised.

Shake! 3: focused on the themes of and "Power, Perceptions, Propaganda".

Now we’re going in deep – Remembering, Re-imagining, Reparations. This the title of the next course and it is going to be one of our most challenging courses to devise for the themes are so broad, complex and could potentially take us down a worm hole of new age theory and idealistic visions of Utopia.

What we are going to endeavour to do is imagine a world where equality is a reality, where the redistribution of wealth is just and sustainable, where the generations and races are working together to ensure the human rights of every child is acknowledged and honoured into their old age.
WHAT could or will this world look like and WHERE TO BEGIN?

Since coming on board there has been clear trajectory for the content of this course.

We begin with the Story. 

Paula on the 3 R's Re-imagining, Remembering, Reparations

Shake! intensive at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre

My name is Paula, I joined Shake! as a volunteer last August, and I have recently become part of the Shake! core team. Most of my work is around art and social change, be it as an artist, activist, or cultural manager. I am also, at the moment a research student at King's College London, working on the role of artistic performance within activism and social movements.

The following paragraphs present my reflections on how the words Remembering, Re-imagining and Reparations are already present in, and can be articulated into, our daily practices as artists, activists, and as members of our communities. These paragraphs also reflect how the ‘3 Rs’ are already part of what we do at Shake!, and how these concepts can allow us to think about what we do on different terms.

When Students Are The Teachers - Shakers are the Facilitators: Power Sharing

"Education as Freedom. 

Through dialogue, 

the teacher-of-the-students and the students-of-the-teacher (terminology) 

ceases to exist and a new term emerges: 

teacher-student with students-teachers...

The students — no longer docile listeners — 

are now critical co-investigators in dialogue with the teacher." 

- Paulo Friere 

 Shake! Mission Statement, Item No.4  

To unite the energy of artistic generations 

to creatively campaign on issues of race, 

power, environment and injustice 

I was very happy to finally have Shake! 's first ever Youth Led professional training session happen. And what a success it was. Previous Shake participants Adam Cooper, Khadiza Shahid and Selina Nwulu delivered their sessions with confidence, packed full of useful information and provocations for in-depth discussion.

What is important about these sessions is that those who attended were professional mentors, educators and facilitators who came along to hear what causes these young people are actively engaged in, why they chose them and how they, as the next  generation of activist, can inform the attendees understanding of the subject and their working practice.

Adam gave us amazing insight into our rights as citizens and as a young person when it comes to police stop and search. "Its about power, not so much about getting guns and knives off the street...just remember there is always a mirror question to the one the police ask you, so you can take back your power. For example, 'What's your name? I'm not obliged to answer that, but what's your police number? Where do you live? I'm not obliged to answer that but what's your station?... And it is 100% legal to record the stop and search. Record directly on to Ustream and it's recorded online so can't be deleted, even if they confiscated or smashed  phone."
Very very useful stuff.

Click the Shake! Twitter feed screen grabs  to enlarge.

Hamza on Shake! Showcase: The showcase that “Emboldens” and shakes the “Energetic Apathy -

Shake Showcase!

The third edition of the course was held in August 5-9^th at the landmark Bernie Grants Art Centre in Tottenham and the theme was Power, Propaganda and Perceptions. What the bright young people (16-25 years old) produced from poetry, music and film was showcased at the Free Word Centre in Farringdon on the night of October 29th. And what an amazing show and a stimulating experience it was. Talent at its purest and most engaging way with injustice and global issues! The young people, who come from different ethnic backgrounds, vividly proved that Art is not there to be an abstract form or simply to be for the sake of entertainment but rather as a powerful tool to face up urgent issues of our time in a creative manner. If you thought for one second that these young people have been dictated to what to write, compose or film, then you need to realise that the shake! course rejects the top-bottom approach of traditional educational forms and rather encourages the youth to develop their own ideas, express themselves through the medium of art and tackle issues they feel strongly about. Performers succeeded each other and displayed their brilliant poetry, music and filming skills. The spoken words were particularly eloquent and moving and touched on different subjects such as war, racism, celebrity culture, social injustice and addiction. Christianah, Onysha, Annie, Lucas, Lateef and Umaru were full of energy, fieriness, passion and dissent, a dissent that is much needed in these radical times. These young poets’ spoken words were so gripping, penetrating and carefully chosen. They were words that embodied situations we –grown-up- have been confronted to for a long time; Energetic Apathy is definitely one of them. For her turn, Anna gave an incredible singing performance with a beautiful voice that added poignancy and a sense of urgency to the song. .... The short film “Reach” that was produced in only three days with limited logistics was of excellent quality. The filmmakers wanted to depict the contrast between wealth and poverty in communities around London and how affluence and power are concentrated in corporations. The images that were accompanied by some narration were powerful and showed how these communities are affected by gentrification and how they are alienated from the wealth they produce themselves. This was obvious in the “irritating” presence of Barclays and HSBC’s buildings behind the estates and the frustration at the out of reach higher education in universities. When asked to summarise the film in one word, the young directors used the words: capitalism, reach, aspirations and motivational to break obstacles ...
The showcase was truly an exhilarating experience and instilled in me the belief that these young people can be a force for change. Shakers, you emboldened my optimism and surely you will find me, in solidarity with you, struggling against the Energetic-Apathy around us.
Read full blog here:

http://platformlondon.org/2013/11/04/the-showcase-that-emboldens-and-shakes-the-energetic-apathy/#sthash.olX1t94G.dpuf
Since I joined Platform in July, I have seen the high-spirited Farzana passionately preparing for the “ Shake! – Young Voices in Arts, Media, Race & Power course”, organising its different activities and coordinating with other facilitators (Ed, Zena and Sai) in order to make it even better than the previous sessions. The third course was held in August at the landmark Bernie Grants Art Centre in Tottenham and the theme was Power, Propaganda and Perceptions. What the bright young people (16-25 years old) produced from poetry, music and film was showcased at the Free Word Centre in Farringdon on the night of October 29th. And what an amazing show and a stimulating experience it was. Talent at its purest and most engaging way with injustice and global issues!
The young people vividly proved that art is not just there to be an abstract form or simply for the sake of entertainment but can also be a powerful tool to face up urgent issues of our time in a creative manner. If you thought for one second that these young people have been dictated to what to write, compose or film, then you need to realise that the shake! course rejects the top-bottom approach of traditional educational forms and rather encourages the youth to develop their own ideas, express themselves through the medium of art and tackle issues they feel strongly about.
- See more at: http://platformlondon.org/2013/11/04/the-showcase-that-emboldens-and-shakes-the-energetic-apathy/#sthash.GEmZIfCh.dpuf
Since I joined Platform in July, I have seen the high-spirited Farzana passionately preparing for the “ Shake! – Young Voices in Arts, Media, Race & Power course”, organising its different activities and coordinating with other facilitators (Ed, Zena and Sai) in order to make it even better than the previous sessions. The third course was held in August at the landmark Bernie Grants Art Centre in Tottenham and the theme was Power, Propaganda and Perceptions. What the bright young people (16-25 years old) produced from poetry, music and film was showcased at the Free Word Centre in Farringdon on the night of October 29th. And what an amazing show and a stimulating experience it was. Talent at its purest and most engaging way with injustice and global issues!
The young people vividly proved that art is not just there to be an abstract form or simply for the sake of entertainment but can also be a powerful tool to face up urgent issues of our time in a creative manner. If you thought for one second that these young people have been dictated to what to write, compose or film, then you need to realise that the shake! course rejects the top-bottom approach of traditional educational forms and rather encourages the youth to develop their own ideas, express themselves through the medium of art and tackle issues they feel strongly about.
- See more at: http://platformlondon.org/2013/11/04/the-showcase-that-emboldens-and-shakes-the-energetic-apathy/#sthash.GEmZIfCh.dpuf Since I joined Platform in July, I have seen the high-spirited Farzana passionately preparing for the “ Shake! – Young Voices in Arts, Media, Race & Power course”, organising its different activities and coordinating with other facilitators (Ed, Zena and Sai) in order to make it even better than the previous sessions. The third course was held in August at the landmark Bernie Grants Art Centre in Tottenham and the theme was Power, Propaganda and Perceptions. What the bright young people (16-25 years old) produced from poetry, music and film was showcased at the Free Word Centre in Farringdon on the night of October 29th. And what an amazing show and a stimulating experience it was. Talent at its purest and most engaging way with injustice and global issues!
The young people vividly proved that art is not just there to be an abstract form or simply for the sake of entertainment but can also be a powerful tool to face up urgent issues of our time in a creative manner. If you thought for one second that these young people have been dictated to what to write, compose or film, then you need to realise that the shake! course rejects the top-bottom approach of traditional educational forms and rather encourages the youth to develop their own ideas, express themselves through the medium of art and tackle issues they feel strongly about.
- See more at: http://platformlondon.org/2013/11/04/the-showcase-that-emboldens-and-shakes-the-energetic-apathy/#sthash.GEmZIfCh.dpuf Since I joined Platform in July, I have seen the high-spirited Farzana passionately preparing for the “ Shake! – Young Voices in Arts, Media, Race & Power course”, organising its different activities and coordinating with other facilitators (Ed, Zena and Sai) in order to make it even better than the previous sessions. The third course was held in August at the landmark Bernie Grants Art Centre in Tottenham and the theme was Power, Propaganda and Perceptions. What the bright young people (16-25 years old) produced from poetry, music and film was showcased at the Free Word Centre in Farringdon on the night of October 29th. And what an amazing show and a stimulating experience it was. Talent at its purest and most engaging way with injustice and global issues!
The young people vividly proved that art is not just there to be an abstract form or simply for the sake of entertainment but can also be a powerful tool to face up urgent issues of our time in a creative manner. If you thought for one second that these young people have been dictated to what to write, compose or film, then you need to realise that the shake! course rejects the top-bottom approach of traditional educational forms and rather encourages the youth to develop their own ideas, express themselves through the medium of art and tackle issues they feel strongly about.
- See more at: http://platformlondon.org/2013/11/04/the-showcase-that-emboldens-and-shakes-the-energetic-apathy/#sthash.GEmZIfCh.dpuf Since I joined Platform in July, I have seen the high-spirited Farzana passionately preparing for the “ Shake! – Young Voices in Arts, Media, Race & Power course”, organising its different activities and coordinating with other facilitators (Ed, Zena and Sai) in order to make it even better than the previous sessions. The third course was held in August at the landmark Bernie Grants Art Centre in Tottenham and the theme was Power, Propaganda and Perceptions. What the bright young people (16-25 years old) produced from poetry, music and film was showcased at the Free Word Centre in Farringdon on the night of October 29th. And what an amazing show and a stimulating experience it was. Talent at its purest and most engaging way with injustice and global issues!
The young people vividly proved that art is not just there to be an abstract form or simply for the sake of entertainment but can also be a powerful tool to face up urgent issues of our time in a creative manner. If you thought for one second that these young people have been dictated to what to write, compose or film, then you need to realise that the shake! course rejects the top-bottom approach of traditional educational forms and rather encourages the youth to develop their own ideas, express themselves through the medium of art and tackle issues they feel strongly about.
- See more at: http://platformlondon.org/2013/11/04/the-showcase-that-emboldens-and-shakes-the-energetic-apathy/#sthash.GEmZIfCh.dpuf
Since I joined Platform in July, I have seen the high-spirited Farzana passionately preparing for the “ Shake! – Young Voices in Arts, Media, Race & Power course”, organising its different activities and coordinating with other facilitators (Ed, Zena and Sai) in order to make it even better than the previous sessions. The third course was held in August at the landmark Bernie Grants Art Centre in Tottenham and the theme was Power, Propaganda and Perceptions. What the bright young people (16-25 years old) produced from poetry, music and film was showcased at the Free Word Centre in Farringdon on the night of October 29th. And what an amazing show and a stimulating experience it was. Talent at its purest and most engaging way with injustice and global issues!
The young people vividly proved that art is not just there to be an abstract form or simply for the sake of entertainment but can also be a powerful tool to face up urgent issues of our time in a creative manner. If you thought for one second that these young people have been dictated to what to write, compose or film, then you need to realise that the shake! course rejects the top-bottom approach of traditional educational forms and rather encourages the youth to develop their own ideas, express themselves through the medium of art and tackle issues they feel strongly about.
- See more at: http://platformlondon.org/2013/11/04/the-showcase-that-emboldens-and-shakes-the-energetic-apathy/#sthash.GEmZIfCh.dpuf

The Cost of War

THE COST OF WAR.
By Christianah Babajide

Did you actually know the cost of war
When you signed on to join the Army?
With your innocent minds and eager smiles
Did you realize...
The battlefield is not a playground


You've been brainwashed and fooled by the Old lie:
It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country.
All they talk about is the pride of fighting for your motherland,
but nobody mentions the drums of death that beat in the battleground.


Who says “it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country”
Who makes the decisions about these wars?
Who is profiting from them?
Who is slurping from the blood of the dead?
Who is playing God and at what cost?
Knowing fully well that death walks hand in hand with war.


They promised comfort, you're living like refugees,
In your own mind, in your own body, in your own land.
They promised laughter, you're drowning in your guilt
They promised success, you just lost half your men.
They said the war wouldn't change you...
just who is that man in the mirror?


Rapid fire! He sways,in shock, almost unaware.
Then drops like a hot potato
That was my brother. We all lost a brother.
I want him back, not his broken limbs or fractured nose.
I want the whole package. His eyes were hazel.
It should have been me.

Now you are consumed by this guilt...
Your heart sinks lower than the Titanic,
He joined the war, not realizing people would actually have to die.
He never realized the horror of it,
Until he'd lost himself,
A baby with a gun
Lost in the bloody nightmare.


God only knows what we're fighting for...
to live like animals even though we're men
for our own neighbours not to recognize us?
Or is it for their names to be in history books?

Well, if that's the compromise of war
it is not enough.
Your humanity is priceless
and losing yourself is unforgivable.


If I survive the stench of hell, they may praise me for my victory
but their cheers will never be loud enough.
They cannot praise me enough for what I have lost.
I have lost the very thing that made me human.

Latest Shake! Film: Reach

This poetic documentary set out to explore issues of aspirations, social cohesion, capitalism, gentrification, and the UK's growing economic divide, as identified by the young film makers.

The second Shake! film of the year was made by:

Nathaniel Chapman
Enayet Mannan
Umaru Saidu
Khadiza Shahid
Minhas Wariz

It was devised in a day, shot over 2 days and edited in 3 days by young participants of the August 2013 workshops at the Bernie Grant Art Centre. The film making was facilitated and supported by film makers Richard York and Hannan Majid The Rainbow Collective and Derek Richards from Hi8us South.  This arresting film is testament to all their incredible talent.

Film Makers Q & A

The film was so sophisticated. Stunning. - Jane 

The film was absolutely incredible- Audience member from Shake Showcase

"Very sophisticated touches, the juxtaposition of the ticker tape of share prices and the fingerprinting news story, could easily have been missed, but matched the larger image of the HSBC building towering over the estates. Great film."- Sarah