Can Art Save Us?

Sculpting Resilience, Conflict and Connection

Do enough of us think about our resiliency, our capacity to manage or co-exist with stressful events, now and in the future? Do we even think about cultivating our resilience for life’s catastrophes? Sculptor, Kate Viner has foregrounded resilience in her recent exhibition, Resilience in Clay, representing seven people, seeking refuge in the UK, displaced by conflict, discrimination and persecution. Across much of her work including Children Caught in Crossfire and Female Crucifixion, sculptor, Kate Viner, responds to courage, conflict and the brave optimism held by those worst affected. The expressions she captures in her portrait sculptures tell you everything without words. There are those who have lost everything, even their ability to make eye contact, displaced from their lives and families. Kate however, makes that eye contact, she draws our eyes to those who are most vulnerable and whilst they may not be able to look, she ensures they are seen through her sculptural art. We talk about art and spirituality and art as a calling. We talk about resilience for life as an artist, working with difficult themes and responding to people with trauma in their lives. We also talk about the resilience of refugees, their brave optimism and statements of compassion for how we live in the world. Kate never asks personal questions but creates trust with cups of tea, laughter and friendship.
Images Courtesy of Kate Viner Studio
Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.
Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb
Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview are here with news, reviews and your host: www.canartsaveus.com
Discover Kate Viner: www.kateviner.com
Discover The Sanctuary, supporting refugees and asylum seekers locally.  www.sanctuaryinchichester.org
Discover the "Art Cathedral," Chichester Cathedral: www.chichestercathedral.org.uk/whats-on-chichester-cathedral

A Legendary Dancer, Ancestor and Legacy of Apartheid South Africa.

It's not often we meet a living legend, or someone who achieves their life's vision when there have been unimaginable forces against them. Gregory Maqoma, in the world of dance and on the international stage, is one of the most important artists of his generation. He not only survived the oppression and institutionalized racism in apartheid South Africa, but he broke cultural and gender expectations even within his own family, to pursue a life in the Arts. He has become a cultural landmark in his own right, and his legacy is currently being celebrated in his 50th year. Gregory has taken back African history and the black body from colonial ownership. He honors the classical dance of his African ancestors and contemporary collaborations, amongst numerous highly prestigious awards in South Africa and America, France also awarded him the ‘Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.’ He's a leader in dance and social justice, elevating the possibilities and contradictions in life. He's a visionary who could see beyond the burning tires, the burning houses, and burning flesh in apartheid South Africa. And despite the human injustice he saw growing up, Gregory was and is the Joy Dancer. As part of his legacy celebrations this year, two books have been published. ‘The Joy Dancer,’ introduces children to Gregory as a young boy living in Soweto, a segregated township, discovering the magic of dance, his memoir, ‘My Life, My Dance, My Soul,’ sees that young boy become a giant of courage, conviction and compassion. We talk about life taking risks, courage, the brutal regime of apartheid, the courage of women that made his dance life possible and being brave enough to be curious.
 
Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.
Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb
Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview are here with news, reviews and your host: www.canartsaveus.com
Discover Gregory Maqoma: www.gregmaqoma.com/
Discover Vuyani Dance Theatre: www.vuyani.co.za/
 

Is the ’Art’ of History Axing Britain’s Expert in African History?

Have you ever thought about the Art of History? Not the history of art but how history is painted to tell us about the past; to document historical events, people and movement, power and conflict, control and beliefs, to tell us how to understand our lives, identity and the world today. How history is painted and told in any form, can include propaganda, fact, fiction, embellishment and absence. But who has told and been able to tell their histories? Currently in the UK, we have a significant news story in education that spotlights the importance of history, how and what is told, investigated or re-examined and by whom. Professor Hakim Adi, is the first British person of African heritage to become a professor of history in the UK. He was appointed Professor of the History of Africa and the African Diaspora at the University of Chichester and he’s just been shortlisted for the Wolfson history prize for his book published in 2022, entitled African and Caribbean People in Britain: A History. The Wolfson Prize is the UK’s most prestigious history prize. Here comes the strange part. At Chichester University, Professor Adi’s course, was recently axed without consultation. Despite being appointed years before this particular course, he was also made redundant. We talk about the need for truth, transformative history to help combat racism, respecting struggle and to never give up. He is internationally recognized as an expert in the history of Africa and the African diaspora. This is the best history lesson I've had. What we're not taught is staggering; the courage, the honour, the excitement, the inspiration, the giants that are absent. This is a voice raising a poorly painted landscape to the bolder truth of Africa.
Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.
Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb
Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview, news, reviews and your host are here: https://www.canartsaveus.com
Discover Professor Hakim Adi: www.hakimadi.org/

20 Years of Creating Wellbeing, Inclusion and Empowerment

Nicky Goulder, CEO of the charity Create, recently received an Amazing Women award celebrating her as an ‘Arts Innovator.’ The British magazine, Women and Home, sold worldwide, hosts these awards for women making a big difference in the world. And this is indeed a very celebratory year. Founded 20 years ago, Create is now a multi-award-winning charity empowering the lives of society’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable people. In fact, Create has won more than 120 awards since 2012 and has worked with 40, 000 +  people since it started. This is a charity that changes lives through the creative arts, connecting, inspiring and empowering the people they work with. Working with artists, Create delivers purposeful projects for young and adult carers, disabled adults and children, prisoners, pensioners, marginalised groups including the homeless, refugees and the LGBTQ+ community. Currently Create has partnered on a nationwide Feeding Creativity campaign with the bakers Jacksons of Yorkshire. Publicised on millions of loaves of bread, Feeding Creativity is reaching schools and children nationwide whilst raising awareness of young carers. We talk about dad's in prison, carers as young as four years old, the pandemic urgency to reach new and existing participants, the importance of celebrating, why creativity matters and the evidence for Arts and wellbeing, including increasing life expectancy by ten years. 
 
Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.
Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb
Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview are here with news, reviews and your host: www.canartsaveus.com
Discover Create: www.createarts.org.uk

The Art and Culture Network - Pirates Welcome!

Mark Walmsley trained in drums and percussion and spent 15 years performing with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. He’s also played in the pit of various West End shows in London and taught drumming to children online, around the world. But Mark also beats a different drum, as a self-confessed, ‘furious networker,’ working his way through creative digital marketing and events management. Put all that together, hand it to Tom Cruise behind his bar in Cocktail, and you get Mark Walmsley, founder of the Arts and Culture Network. Currently, there’s an average of 300 new members a day joining a global community that’s 80, 000 strong and Mark’s mission is to drive connections. He’s also interested in fractional philanthropy, taking a percentage of membership fees to support initiatives in under-developed communities, for example supporting a dance group for homeless children, based in Uganda. We talk about entrepreneurism, risk, the pirate code of conduct, music and neurology and why Einstein said imagination is more important than knowledge. We also talk about his exec role on Jungle Book, a forthcoming, immersive theatre experience. Mark leans forward and everyone is invited.
Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.
Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb
Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview are here with news, reviews and your host: www.canartsaveus.com
Discover Mark Walmsley and the Arts & Culture Network: www.artsandculturenetwork.com/

A World Leading Sculptor on every Level - Windrush 75

Basil Watson is a Jamaican sculptor now based in the USA, and over a 45 year career, he has achieved international recognition as one of the world's leading sculptors. He was awarded the highest order of distinction, Commander Class, by the government of Jamaica, and his distinction through service continues today. Basil's outstanding work serves the development of global harmony, he speaks to equality, justice and peace, always remaining humble, dedicated to his artistic service. He's also the son of Barrington Watson one of Jamaica's most eminent artists who became an internationally renowned painter. He was a pioneer leading cultural change in the recognition of and possibility for black artists and art runs throughout Basil's family, including his brother, sister and son, who are all artists. This is a family legacy sharing an artistic language that speaks universally to humanity. Basil is responsible for iconic statement sculptures that reach out emotionally capturing the spirits and personality of his subjects. Just some of his well known work includes Jamaican sprinter, the eight time Olympic gold medalist, Usain Bolt, Civil Rights leader, and one of the greatest speakers of all time, Martin Luther King and the National Windrush Monument, unveiled by Prince William in Britain. Basil understands the important role of the arts in leadership. And in his own words, “global harmony is critical for the survival of humanity and for the creation of a world in which all mankind can live productive and creative lives.” We talk about the courage to follow your creative path, to hold onto your moral and artistic integrity, to keep moving forward and to always think of the bigger picture.
Season 4 features 7 Windrush specific interviews with world class and award winning artists, just look for titles with 'Windrush 75.'
Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.
Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb
Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview can also be found here: www.canartsaveus.com
Discover Basil Watson: www.basilsculpture.com/home.html
Find out more about #Justice4Windrush www.justice4windrush.org/

Art Activism with a Political and Poetical Voice - Windrush 75

Zita Holbourne is a multi award winning multidisciplinary artist, author, poet, curator and vocalist. She's an experienced trade union and community activist and her artwork responds to social and climate justice, human rights and equality. Zita was elected to the TUC National Race Relations Committee and the Women's Committee and she's joint National Chair of the Union for Artists. As a human rights campaigner, and educator she believes in practical solidarity, and for years she's raised funds for humanitarian aid missions. She's the National Chair of Black Activists Rising Against Cuts which she co-founded in 2010, initially in response to government austerity. She's also founded the Roots, Culture, Identity art collective, curating exhibitions to showcase the art of young black and migrant artists. Through arts activism she campaigns against all forms of discrimination, including the discriminatory cuts in the UK arts and culture sectors already in 2023 achievements include being one of the winning submissions for the Jessica Kingsley writers prize entitled, Roots and Rebellion Personal Stories of Resisting Racism and Reclaiming Identity. She has been nominated for Arts, Culture and Community Influencer in the Caribbean Global Awards 2023 and her artwork was commissioned for the Voices of Windrush festival, commemorating and celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Windrush generation arriving into Britain. We talk about art speaking to scandal, to hope, to commemorating the lost, the loved and leaders of positive, social change. We talk about art as a healer, a teacher and a friend.
Season 4 features 7 Windrush specific interviews with world class and award winning artists, just look for titles with 'Windrush 75.'
Photo Credits:
Largest, central photo of Zita Holbourne © Josimar Senior, Black Writers Guild 
Top left, photo of Zita Holbourne © Elizabeth Dalziel, Women Activists of East London exhibition .
Bottom right, Artwork by © Zita Holbourne for the Voices of Windrush Festival
Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.
Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb
Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview can also be found here: www.canartsaveus.com
Discover the Roots, Culture, Identity Exhibition: www.tuc.org.uk/RootsCultureIdentity
Discover Voices of Windrush Festival: www.voicesofwindrush.com/
Find out more about #Justice4Windrush www.justice4windrush.org/
Discover Zita Holbourne: https://linktr.ee/ZitaBARACUK
 

Journeys of Laughter and Legacy - Windrush 75

John Simmit founded the Upfront Comedy Empire. He's a comedian, producer, actor and theatre performer enjoying current success in the musical Rush, a "joyous Jamaican journey" earning five star reviews and sellout shows. For 30 years, John has promoted black comedy in Britain, and alongside comedy tours, he has built a network of clubs nationwide. He's credited by The Guardian newspaper as "the man who put British black comedy on the map," and he also regularly showcased talent he brought over from the United States. Early on in his career, John made a name for himself in the Real McCoy, a hit BBC television comedy show featuring Black and Asian stars that quickly reached audiences of 5 million. He's also known for his character in the second most successful TV show ever in terms of sales. The multiple BAFTA award winning Teletubbies, John played Dipsy and Britain's only Cuban-Jamaican-Brummie brought reggae and Caribbean culture into preschool programming. From the surreal to the comedy of life, John brings us joy, and humor. We talk about Rush, musical theatre combing history with hits to tell the story of Windrush. We talk about the legacy and political scandal of Windrush and the courage, generosity and kindness of comedy. 
Season 4 features 7 Windrush specific interviews with world class and award winning artists, just look for titles with 'Windrush 75.'
Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.
Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb
Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview can also be found here: www.canartsaveus.com
Discover Rush: https://rushtheatrecompany.co.uk/
Find out more about #Justice4Windrush: www.justice4windrush.org/

From the Caribbean to Hackney, Struggle to Stage - Windrush 75

Dr Michael McMillan is an artist, author, playwright and curator. His plays and performance pieces have been produced by the Royal Court Theatre, Channel 4, BBC Radio 4 Drama and across the UK. He’s a Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at the University of the Arts, London and an Associate Lecturer, teaching Cultural & Historical Studies at the London College of Fashion. Michael was born to immigrant parents from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and his work explores family, identity and generation in a migrant context. His curation and installation of a 1970s West Indian Front Room at the Geffrye Museum had more than 35, 000 visitors and has since become a permanent exhibition at the now Museum of the Home. A new iteration of this 1970s interior was recently included at Tate Britain’s landmark exhibition; “Life Between Islands,” exploring Caribbean-British art over four generations. Amongst the 5 star reviews, The Guardian described the exhibition as ”a mind-altering portrait of British Caribbean life through art.”  We talk about the significance of the Windrush generation versus government scandal, the struggle behind rich cultural exchange, the political fear of art, the vital integrity of an artist, courage when your identity is made a target and the experience that changed Michael's life when he was only 16. Michael is a true educator.
Season 4 features 7 Windrush specific interviews with world class and award winning artists, just look for titles with 'Windrush 75.'
Series Audio Editor - Courtesy of Joey Quan.
Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb
Images: The Museum of the Home
Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview can also be found here:www.canartsaveus.com
Discover Dr. Michael McMillan's Front Room here: https://www.museumofthehome.org.uk/whats-on/rooms-through-time/a-front-room-in-1976/
Find out more about #Justice4Windrush www.justice4windrush.org/
 

Still Dancing (Shirley May Special Edition) Windrush 75

In this special edition, short interview, I had the pleasure to talk again to Shirley May who featured in Season 3 which was dedicated to poetry and spoken word artists. Shirley May is an acclaimed poet, writer and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of literature. She is also CEO and Artistic Director of Young Identity, Manchester's premier spoken word collective in the UK. To complement her one hour episode, repeated in Season 4, see listing, She Wrote Her Own Eulogy, this special edition celebrates Windrush 75. We talk about the experience of her parents leaving Jamaica for Britain and Shirley shares stories not included in her book 'She Wrote Her Own Eulogy.' We talk about her mother's active, community work supporting citizenship administration and her father's resilience and response to racism. Find out who is 'still dancing' and why the commemorative events of Windrush 75 are so important. See additional links and Young Identity interviews below.
Season 4 features 7 Windrush specific interviews with world class and award winning artists, just look for titles with 'Windrush 75.'
You can hear more from the Young Identity poets in Season 3 too, who also share Caribbean and African heritage. See Season 3 listings:
'The Courage and Craft of Two Poets'
'Pain, Poetry and a Jamaican born Nigerian Princess'.
 
Discover Shirley May and Young Identity: www.youngidentity.org/
 
Find out more about #Justice4Windrush: www.justice4windrush.org/
 
Series Audio Editor - Courtesy of Joey Quan.
Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb
Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. News and read only, text versions of every interview can also be found here: www.canartsaveus.com