Katarzyna Raszewska:making a creative new life in Edinburgh
Thanks to Clara Massie we are ending the year with words and pictures from an inspiring exhibition celebrating the great contribution migrants make to the cultural wealth of Scotland. The exhibition is over – for the time being anyway – but the impact remains.
JOCK TAMSON’S BAIRNS
‘My friends and I were standing in the shop when a cop walked in. I’d never seen an Asian man in a police uniform before.’ Irfan
Where to start? Each story stops you in your tracks. Different tales of war, persecution, loss, love, courage and determination to survive and succeed are all the more moving because they are told with unsentimental simplicity. What they have in common is the search for a new life in Scotland.
Here’s David, a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, a translator at the Nuremberg trials who ‘looked Hess in the eyes’. David eventually made a new life in Edinburgh running a cleaning and valet service next to the Empire Theatre. Here’s Kasia (pictured above) who remembers the light going on in her homeland when the Berlin Wall fell and ‘Poland went a little mad with excitement’. She’s busy making a creative new life in Edinburgh too. And here’s Irfan, who defied unwritten rules and set his heart on becoming a policeman after seeing that cop in a London kebab shop when he was a kid. He made family history – and a career in Lothian and Borders Police.
Peter: "Scotland has changed so since the 1970s. When I first came here, people wouldn’t sit next to you on a busy bus. Not now. Why I’ve even met Prince Charles."
These are just a few glimpses of Jock Tamson’s Bairns, a photographic exhibition created for Previously Scotland’s first Festival of History in November. The aim was to explore notions of identity and belonging and the impact was something of a revelation. Here in the Axolotl Gallery in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town was a startling reflection of Scotland’s vivid multiculturalism.
“A snapshot of a dynamic multi-cultural Scotland” as the exhibition literature puts it: “ We have shared Italian, French, Polish, Ghanaian, Chinese, Pakistani, Russian, German and English accounts. Their journeys have not been without encounters of racism and prejudice. We could have added Irish, Scandinavian, other African and Caribbean, Indian, Flemish, Lithuanians, Gypsies/Travellers and a rainbow of Refugees and Asylum Seekers.”
The exhibition is over now. But the message lingers on. We’re all Jock Tamson’s Bairns – the old Scots saying recognises that people are essentially all the same and that seems especially important at a time when some politicians seem set on looking for differences.
Both exhibition and history festival were the inspiration of Susan Morrison, a Leith based comedian with a passion for history and a talent for storytelling. Another stroke of inspiration was asking Clara Massie to be the curator. A warm and welcoming presence in the exhibition (that’s her with long dark hair slightly to the right of the picture), Clara is a third generation child of Russian and Italian migrants. As a photojournalist with a portfolio of work from publications like Heat and Sunday Mirror magazines she is well used to working with people and pictures.
“But I had never curated an exhibition before,” she says with enthusiastic astonishment at what she achieved. Rather than presenting a history of migration, Clara chose the challenge of telling stories of people here and now. In six short weeks she gathered nine case studies, working against time to find people who were prepared to tell their often deeply moving stories. They came, “By word of mouth, through family, friends of friends, searching through mailing lists.” Fascinating images came from National Museums Scotland and the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre in Glasgow.
Together Susan and Clara interviewed the volunteers, Susan meticulously documenting accounts 
to be displayed alongside sympathetic and expressive portraits taken by photographers Albie Clark and Jenny Wicks and printed by Edinburgh Signarama – everyone freely giving their time and talents to create the collection.
And the result was a huge success, attracting people from across Edinburgh – and many other parts of Scotland – to share memories and make discoveries. As one frequent visitor tweeted afterwards, “The exhibition is so moving I can’t read the panels without tears!” A highlight of the collection was the DVD of Scottish Italian family picnics which were great social events in Glasgow and Edinburgh between the 30s and 50s. One day Clara noticed a woman wiping her eyes as she watched the film. “She told me she was the little girl with the huge bow in her hair, she could pick out her whole family.”
Words and pictures are safely packed away for now but the stories have left a lasting impression and Clara is exploring ideas for developing the collection and perhaps taking it on a tour of Scotland. If comments in the visitor book are anything to go by the exhibition will cause a stir wherever it goes. To end with just one:
Wonderful exhibition with moving stories & great portraits. Brought my 11 yr old son who’s studying WW2 at present & he found it very interesting. Would be great if this exhibition could tour schools, as it’s extremely educational!
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The art of campaigning – don’t give up. Save The Forest are nearly half-way towards raising the cash they need to buy back their iconic arts cafe. Their next big fundraiser is at Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Leith on Friday 23 September from 6.30pm when 30 local and international artists donate original works for a silent art auction to help bridge the gap.
So far Save The Forest have raised almost £50,000 and gained influential support of MSPs like Fiona Hyslop, the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs. Now the very energetic and determined campaigners are urging supporters for another big heave to reach the full £100,000 which they need to buy back 3 Bristo Place.
The charity art auction (the second event of its kind) is being held at Out Of The Blue Drill Hall from 6:30-10:00pm. As the press release sent to us by Forest campaigner Iain Christie says:
“This is an incredible opportunity for everyone to not only view fine art, but to take it home at the end of the night. With raffle tickets for £1 and opening bids on all pieces at £5, original art has never been more available to the public. Entry is free with live acoustic sets by surprise special guests. This unique event further highlights how The Forest strives to bring our community together.”
And of course the fundraising doesn’t stop there. See the Forest blog for news and many more inventive ideas for raising cash, including the Forest Burrito Squad.
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This is the third multicultural Open Stage night organised by members of Swietlica and they decided to mark Refugee Week by promoting the work of as many different groups as possible. The result is an extraordinary programme including Nepalese dancers, Ukrainian singers, Tibetan performers, Indian sitar musicians and the headline band Ghanamma Trio as well as stalls of African crafts, Polish arts and multicultural food.
We were delighted to be asked to contribute names to the mailing list. During the last five years we have met so many inspiring people working in our part of town – achieving fantastic results with little or no money. Not least Swietlica (and their Welcome Home project). Their aims are to celebrate diversity and spread understanding between communities and (with a constant political undercurrent of concern about immigration confusing the issue of asylum) the 60th anniversary of Refugee Week could hardly be a more important time to spread understanding. With celebration.
As Iain Christie put it in an email: “We’re trying to highlight and celebrate the diversity of Edinburgh through food music, dance, performance, poetry and music, in a alcohol and drugs free environment.”
Click on the Refugee Week website and you find most Scottish activities happen in Glasgow. But there are heartwarming events in Edinburgh too – at The Welcoming, Melting Pot and the African support group Karibu – and though Welcome Home is not on the website list it is well promoted on their Facebook page and the Migrants Rights website
And we are very pleased to say that World Kitchen in Leith will be making a contribution towards what sounds like a spectacular spread of food displaying the talents of many great local cooks and cafes.
Welcome Home is from 5.30 to 9.30 on Monday 20th June at Fort Community Wing, North Fort Street, EH6 4HF, Edinburgh. The event is free but donations will be welcome.
Sofia steals the show at the first Open Stage night in November 2010.
Saturday’s art auction in Leith gallery AXO is the latest step in The Forrest artists’ collective’s energetic campaign to raise £50,000 by the end of May. “Ambitious,” says the Save the Forrest website, “but definitely achievable”.
And, after all, with the help of donations and a series of Roofraiser gigs, the fundraising total now stands at £25,000. The aim is to raise enough cash to buy the listed building in Bristo Place which has been home to the Forrest arts café for over ten years but is now up for sale since the owners became bankrupt last year.
The Forrest has its critics – “I would rather chew own ear off than come here again” is one of the more extreme comments found online – but the enterprise run entirely by volunteers has also inspired many more loyal and committed followers with a Facebook fanbase and almost 1,400 signatures on the epetition.
Sarah Wilson, is helping to swell funds by organising the Forrest art auction at her gallery AXO in Queen Charlotte Street, Leith. What’s more, local and international artists are donating their work for the sale which starts at 6pm on Saturday 14th May.
What they are all fighting to save is a space housing a unique combination of visual arts, live music, film screenings, studio space, dark room… and vegan food.
“The Forest Café is one of those rare organizations left whose purpose is not personal or financial gain, but benefiting a community and its relationship to the arts”, says Deborah Pearson co-director of the Forest Fringe Festival, “ The Forest Café has not only changed my life, but has helped change the landscape of theatre in the UK.”
Or, as the List puts it: “it’s a comfort to know there are still a few scruffy, independent and idiosyncratic hang-outs like The Forest left in town.”
For all those reasons, and more, the campaign is well worth supporting. You can see a preview of art donated for the auction at AXO gallery on Friday 13th from 7-10pm. Or browse a wide range of works on the Save the Forest blog by clicking here. And sign the petition by clicking here.
The Forrest has been running the fundraising campaign since the Edinburgh Student Settlement which owns the building, were forced into administration in October 2010.
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“We believe in peace, not in passivity” Augusto Boal, creator of Theatre of the Oppressed
During a Day of Dialogue on 11th May, dramatic scenarios will kickstart a conversation with Leith residents, visitors and elected representatives. In Forum Theatre no-one is a passive spectator. By the end of the day Active Inquiry artistic director Gavin Crichton hopes everyone in the hall will have helped to develop an Action Plan with practical solutions to real life issues in Leith.
This is the ambitious conclusion of a Forum Theatre project which began last year with workshops exploring that often elusive idea of empowerment (What is it? How can communities achieve it?). Power to the People evolved into the story of Alice and her struggle to gain support from neighbours to improve life in the community.
Performances of the play drew enthusiastic response from members of audience. Now it is their turn to take to the stage, working with actors to produce their own pieces of Forum Theatre which will be performed at the Day of Dialogue. Don’t miss the chance to discover – and influence – what happens next. (Time and place will be announced soon, check Active Inquiry website )
IT’S NOT ALL IN THE MIND…BUT A LOT OF IT IS
Meanwhile Gavin is working on another exciting project which takes empowerment a step further. On 14 and 15 May ACTive Inquiry is offering training workshops open to teachers, therapists, youth workers, social workers, actors and activists.
The workshops will be led by Barbara Santos, who was General Coordinator of the Centre for the Theatre of the Oppressed in Rio, Brazil between 1994-2008 – working alongside Augusto Boal
Barbara will draw on her latest work exploring how oppressions become part of everyday life – and how we can expose and resist them.
Workshops cost £150 for two days – from 10 am to 5pm on 14th and 15th May at Pilmeny Youth Centre. For more information contact Gavin at gavin@activeinquiry.co.uk phone 0771 4321 629 or check out www.activeinquiry.co.uk
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The Action Research on Violence Project starts on Wednesday 23rd February 4pm til 5.30pm at the Leith Community Centre Cafe; the project will run every week from then for 13 weeks. The project is open for young people aged around 13-16 years from ethnic minority communities in North Edinburgh and Leith, as this part of our local communities has so far not often been offered space to voice their ideas/opinions and perceptions about such a wide and important subject.
Run jointly by Shakti and NHS Lothian, and with support from many local BME community and youth support agencies, the sessions will include Forum Theatre sessions (run by Gavin Crichton of Active Inquiry Theatre Company) to investigate the wide topic of ‘Violence’; members will have the chance to develop a forum theatre piece around the themes that emerge from discussions and games. There will also be a chance for people to creatively contribute towards an exhibition containing our ideas, discoveries and possibly questions to other parts of our communities. A daytrip to visit another youth project is also being planned.
A meeting is being held in Norton Park on Friday 18th February 9.30-11.30am for interested parties and stakeholders to learn more about the project and how you might be able to be involved.
Please note: the project is not a support group or service, nor is it a focus on issues within particular communities – it is a research focus group for young people starting a vital conversation about an issue that affects EVERYONE.
To book a place at the stakeholders meeting or for more information, please contact Lisa Rigby on 0131 475 2399 or email lisa@shaktiedinburgh.co.uk.
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Members of the audience get involved in Change earlier this year (picture by Kasia Raszewska)
The aim of the latest Forum Theatre by ACTive Inquiry, which starts on Sunday 24th November, is to question the meaning of power and empowerment. If you have been to any of the earlier productions you will know that opting out is not an option. But the atmosphere is so welcoming audience participation is not nearly as scary as it sounds.
Not scary at all in fact. Your Leith Open Space blogger was at the dress rehearsal in Pilmeny Youth Centre and can report this is a story that will get you off your seat. As one of the young students in the front row said, “I am not the kind of person who enjoys audience participation but I found myself really wanting to get up”. (or words to that effect).
She’s not alone. The ACTive Inquiry flyer quotes members of the audience who saw the 2009 production SPACE: “I’ve never seen anything like it! It is such an interesting and dynamic way to explore issues. I really liked how the audience interacted with and influenced the play.”
Come and find out for yourself, Power to the People starts on Sunday in Out of the Blue and then moves around Leith.
PERFORMANCES:
Sun 21st Nov 2010, 3pm, The Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Dalmeny Street, Leith
Mon 22nd Nov, 3.30pm, McDonald Road Library, McDonald Road
Weds 24th Nov, 7pm, The Lighthouse, 20-22 West Harbour Road, Granton
Fri 26th Nov, 6pm, Pilmeny Youth Centre, 44 Buchanan Street, Leith
If we are all to become part of The Big Society should we decide what power and responsibility we want? Should we empower ourselves to say how we want to be empowered?!
One good question always leads to another. Power to the People? The latest theatre project from ACTive Inquiry invites you to bring your stories, thoughts and ideas to a drama workshop on Saturday 30th October at Pilmeny Youth Centre exploring the meaning of power and empowerment.
As usual, the experience of real people will provide the essential elements for a Forum Theatre production tackling a hot topic. Artistic director Gavin Crichton explains why:
“Active Inquiry is a Leith-based theatre company making theatre with and for the people of Leith. We would like to say that we empower people but we want to understand what that means first! We are developing a piece of Forum theatre exploring the idea of empowerment and are holding a public workshop in order to collect stories, thoughts and ideas to inform this. All are welcome – especially if you live, work or play in Leith. Performances will take place throughout Leith in the last two weeks of November.”
The drama workshop is on Saturday 30th October at Pilmeny Youth Centre from 10 am – 1pm. It’s free and no previous experience is necessary. (What is Forum Theatre? Click here for a brief answer).
Email Gavin for more information: gavin@activeinquiry.co.uk
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In the end there was no Quran-burning but with the so-called clash of civilisations still rumbling around the world news, this is a good time to explore the great riches of Urdu literature. Edinburgh’s first International Urdu Literary Week begins on Friday 17th September with a round table conference in St Mary’s Church and continues over the weekend in McDonald Road Library. Whatever you do, don’t miss the Mushaira on Saturday.
Even if you don’t speak a word of Urdu, the rhythm and music of the poetry is captivating. And (as we found two years ago) reserved westerners will discover what an interactive event really means when they sit among the very actively involved Scottish–Asian audience who do not sit silently through the performance but clap and join in as the mood and the poem moves them. Be prepared for an unforgettable experience which lasts from 7pm until 1am in McDonald Road library.
There is much more to come on the 19th: with prose and poetry for women as well as a drama workshop. And on the 22nd you can explore Urdu on the internet at Oxgangs library. No booking, no tickets, no charge!
All these events are organised by Bazm e Urdu Scotland, a forum for contemporary Urdu poetry. The opening conference in St Mary’s Church on Friday 17th will be attended by Heads of Urdu Departments from Moscow, Professor Ludmilla Vassilyeva, and Tashkent, Professor Muhayya Abdulrahmnova.
For more information contact Professor Tariq Muneer, email: T.Muneer@napier.ac.uk
Urdu Literary Week
17 September
Round Table Conference (St Mary’s Church) – 7-9pm
18 September
Mushaira Poetry Evening (McDonald Road Library) – 7pm – 1am
19 September
(McDonald Road Library)
Urdu Prose evening– 2pm – 5pm
Drama workshop – 5pm – 7pm
Prose and Poetry in Urdu (Women’s evening) – 5pm – 9pm
22 September
Urdu on internet (Oxgangs Library) 5.30 – 7.30pm
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Confrontation – how the media simplifies a complex story [pictures by George Lamb]
Every now and then a surprised face peered through the window: this was not business as usual in the Scottish Parliament, not even during the Festival of Politics. For once the emphasis was on actions rather than words. And actions can speak volumes.
The News Group drama workshop chose to work on a topical story very much at the heart of the Scottish Parliament – US reaction to al-Megrahi’s continuing survival a year after his release and how that is being covered by the media.
This was a special festival version of the News Group presented by ACTive Inquiry with Leith Open Space. The event was a sell-out – at 10.30 am on a Saturday too – and perhaps half the group were regulars from the monthly workshop sessions that take place in Pilmeny Youth Centre. New members added a fascinating range of skills and experience to the event in the Education Centre at the parliament.
Gavin leads a warm-up exercise
Without words the group arranged ourselves according to the distance we had travelled to get to the parliament (Gavin Crichton, director of ACTive Inquiry, does a great line in warm-up exercises as you can see from the photo). The shortest journey was just a 10 minute walk but Lorna had crossed water to get there from Argyll and Thom had driven from Carluke.
Once the workshop began we covered a lot more ground – back in time and across the world: from Lockerbie to Libya, from the Berlin nightclub to the White House, searching and sifting through the layers of a complex story rarely tackled in the media. In silence the group expressed questions leading to more questions in a chain reaction spreading across the floor.
It’s not over yet. The workshop ended – as it always does – with suggestions for the actions our Jo (or Joe) the active citizen could take. The top vote went to an idea which could take the drama to a wider stage. Instead of calling for a judicial inquiry, the group would like to see “ a theatre-styled public presentation of the Megrahi case”. It’s an ambitious idea – but it would be a very exciting development for the Festival of Politics. We hope we will come back to it!
The Top Three Action Points
- Create a theatre-styled inquiry
- Research every source to find the truth
- Make an amateur video (in Lockerbie) on the subject of innocence and victimisation
