THE BODY

Poems chosen by Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery for display at the Respectable Trade exhibition - the first ever civic exhibition about Bristol's involvement in transatlantic slavery, 1999. Recorded at Bunkersonix with Rob David and Dan Delor

04 Endangered Species - Funmilayo Kolaru

03 The Ship - Edson Burton

01 I'd Like To Think - Rob Mitchell

02 My Mother - Doreen Baidoo

Faiqa's Free Health Checks at BMCS in 2013. We hear how communities receive, why they are important and what you can do after. With certain communities more at risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease it is important to explore cultural factors in prevention. The then Lady Mayoress, Shilpa Chowdhury offers her experiences with keeping her family healthy.

FAIQA's HEALTH CHECKS EVENT at  BMCS (2013)-10mins

A flavour and selection of voices from health checks in the inner city of Bristol. 

HEALTH CHECKS IN BRISTOL COMMUNITIES -  3 MIN

George Francis interviewed by Rob Mitchell

St Pauls Carnival

George Francis, St Pauls Afrikan Caribbean Carnival, Vice Chair

A piece from some years ago. Recorded just now on phone, as a means of thanks for the inspiration and chance to be 'wordsmith' at the excellent Ordinary Arts Festival - https://www.dartington.org/whats-on/ordinary-art-festival/

WORDS-SMITHED ONCE 
c2007

It's time, 
to call in all those everythings. 
You and you is the fruits of my visioning.
Me did tink me caaan’ take this sinting,
But now me had enough a da shrinking!
[C 8pm on 22ndOct] 
So it’s out of the box for the eveling.
It's a dress up in a suit and a  tie ting.
While this vi-o-let is ex-ploding.
In a space celebrating a shiff’.
 
No more time for the buts or the ifs.
Just to employ and enjoy the gifts.
Fearlessly facing the risks.
And sharing what is given by Being Beneficent,
 
No harbouring the feelings  that go stoking up the reticence,
No guilty underbelly of "I hate myself", no diffidence,
No playing with the past as a cause to only jettison,
bills paid and skills made, and xp points drawn down on  the way.

- Yes,   
Take the ills thats been seen in this play, yeh.
And yes the hurt that was felt in the fray, yeh.
and yes the sorrow and the sadness and the bleeding and the shame, 
But not guiding the mind to just re-play the pain.
 
Not forgetting but forgiving o-ur broken past is critical
Remembering the ying and the yang of  the cyclical
And knowing I’ll be blowing on another wind and physical
In meta time, 
but better or worse, it’s up to now!
So.   
Here’s the show.

What I do with you and you and do onto you ,
and me and my mode of  thought, 
and how it’s working through.
To make a bless-ed place ahead, 
and while am doing the do,
to Say yes! 
To divine da doings that needs must.

Timeless soul making shapes in the dust
In this earth manifested role, to be a boss
Of this life infested hole, in God I trust
I must.
To take the toll of the Atlas.
 
But Not  to be over-involved, 
and be an ego-ass.
I'm knowing all you are owed, so may it come to pass,
that since you shared my load 
here's my light-ness.
And round and up we go into the timeless…
It's time….

Ordinary Arts

It's Time For Life Works

Roy Hackett speaks to Year 6 at Glenfrome in 2015. A whole host of experiences come to the fore, including how he ran away from home, left Jamaica, came to England, started the CCC, fought the Bristol Bus Boycott, built Hinckley Point, became a foreman.. 

In the young audience is Owen Henry's granddaughter.

Rob Mitchell 0

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