‘They speak French because they’re French. We speak French because we’re colonised’
Bhuchar Boulevard in association with SOAS presents
Decolonisation: not just a buzzword…
A headphone verbatim documentary theatre piece capturing campus conversations at SOAS, University of London around the need to decolonise public spaces, the curriculum and institutional memory.
Collaborating artists: Sudha Bhuchar, Suman Bhuchar, Neela Doležalová & Kristine Landon-Smith
Directed by Kristine Landon-Smith
‘Decolonisation’ is a concept understood in diverse ways. At its heart it exposes contemporary racialised disadvantages and connects them to historical processes of colonialism. Bhuchar Boulevard was invited for a residency at SOAS (2019) to gather personal testimonies that examine individual and institutional responses to decolonisation.
The new piece of work created looks at how SOAS is challenging its founding imperial purpose and delivering its vision to decolonise the education sector.
Decolonisation not just a buzzword… weaves together the compelling narratives, shared by interviewees and recorded & edited by the creative team. These explore themes ranging from representation, reparation to reflexivity in pedagogy. The stories reveal deeply personal and political lived experiences that go beyond media headlines of wanting to remove statues, repatriate artefacts and diversify reading lists.
The play is a social portrait documentary theatre exploring urgent questions through actor centred naturalistic performances presenting a combination of authenticity and mischief to speak truth to power.
‘When you give people history, you give them political value. You’re saying, YOU matter. The world was constructed because you were in it and people like you.’
The cast for the project were: Chloe Ewart, Tunji Falana, Bartel Jespers, Sophie Khan-Levy, Anna Marie Nabirye, Anna Nguyen, Fadia Qaraman, Josephine Starte and Ragevan Vasan.
Design: JJ Noakes, Creative Editor Harry Clegg.
Thanks to: Suni Pun, SOAS South Asia Institute
Decolonisation Not Just A Buzzword…was presented at the University at two festival events in Feb 2019, and a specially made digital version was at the heart of the Inaugural SOAS Festival of Ideas (October 2020) which was presented online.
What People Are Saying
“Incredibly topical”
— Freelance film-maker
“I enjoyed the format and how you were able to listen to do many differing viewpoints.”
— Student
“ I went along in the spirit of enquiry, but found myself captivated and transported by the quality of the event.”
— Jonquil Panting, Radio Producer
“The technique was new to me, I had never seen anything like it and it worked. Fascinating experience that let me rethink intersectionality.”
— SOAS Academic
“With warm thanks for the excellent production and show at the festival and the pre-event. Both were memorable works of art, and the play has been an inspiration for the festival theme.”
— Dr. Amina Yaqin, Director, Festival of Ideas, SOAS
“Enjoyable, sparky and thought-provoking theatre”
— Teacher
“I found really moving and quite thought provoking”
— SOAS Academic
“The way in which the topic of decolonization was presented was completely new to me and showed me how there are many different media that can be used to explore the topic.”
— Student
“A rich, intellectual verbatim theatre piece that examines the difficulty and necessity of decolonising the mind.”
— Playwright
“Bhuchar Boulevard worked carefully, curiously and ethically on our campus – showing a great deal of respect for university life and the sensitivities within and allied to the decolonisation agenda.”
— Edward Simpson, Professor of Social Anthropology and Director SOAS South Asia Institute, at the time of Bhuchar Boulevard’s residency in 2019
Bhuchar Boulevard invites you to listen deeply.
A creative journey that captures urgent and contentious conversations through nuanced and personal testimonies.
Watch the online performance here. The show is one hour, followed by a panel discussion with the collaborating artists and panellists: Javaad Alipoor, Kwame Boateng, Jemma Desai, Iqbal Khan and Dr. Myriam Francois.
CAST
Tunji Falana
Tunji is a London based professional actor who trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts London, where he played many roles including Othello in Othello, Mr Praed in Mrs Warren’s Profession to name a few.
Tunji has and continues work both on stage and screen in various productions around London, England, across the continent and internationally. Credits include: Hip Hop Café, Faces, A Question for God, Iyalode of Eti, How Nigeria Became, I am David Oluwale, Off the Coast to name a few.
Tunji is a London based professional actor who trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts London, where he played many roles including Othello in Othello, Mr Praed in Mrs Warren’s Profession to name a few.
Anna Nguyen
Anna Nguyen is a theatre producer and maker. She trained at Central School of Speech and Drama on the Collaborative and Devised Theatre course. Her work is an intersection of creativity and culture; producing work that delights, moves and helps us to understand the world we live in. Anna was the resident artist at The Deptford Lounge; where she produced a series of important work that impacted the community of Deptford, in particular the Vietnamese community.
Anna was Associate producer at The Dukes Theatre on the 'Sustained Regional Theatre programme'. She produced her debut production Glory by Nick Ahad which had a UK tour and was in the BBC’s top pick list 2019 of shows to see. Anna is currently the Stage One producer at HOME in Manchester producing commercial and subsidised work.
Anna is skilled in acting and voice work; for radio, headphone verbatim and stage. She was nominated ‘best female actress’ for an off Westend award and received praise for her performance by Lyn Gardner in Summer Rolls.
Bartel Jespers
Bartel Jespers is a Belgian actor and theatremaker. After completing his Master in Acting at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, he co-founded the documentary-style theatre company il Brigata. Besides that, he has played in productions like Death of a Salesman from 't Arsenaal, Ivanov from Theater Malpertuis, and Odysseus: a drifter returns from KVS. Since 2018 he is a regular guest actor with Amsterdam-based companies such as Maatschappij Discordia and De Theatertroep. He currently studies the MA Theatre Lab at RADA, London.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Ragevan Vasan
Theatre credits include: i wanna be yours (Bush Theatre- Offie nominated for Best Actor) The Village (Stratford Theatre Royal) Love for Love (RSC) Hurling Rubble at the Sun (Park Theatre)
Film credits include: Dumbo (Disney) Daphne (Altitude Films) Walk Like a Panther (Fox Searchlight) The Last Witness (Amazon Prime)
Television credits include: Save Me (Sky Atlantic) Fortitude (Sky Atlantic)
(Photo credit: Ross Ferguson)
Sophie Khan Levy
Sophie graduated from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama and began her acting career playing Imogen in Cymbeline at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry.
Theatre Includes : As You Like It (RSC), Measure for Measure (RSC), Maydays (RSC), Hanna (Arcola/Papatango), Fracked! (Chichester Festival Theatre/Tour/Jonathan Church Productions), PLAY30 (Vaults Theatre), Midsummer Night’s Dream (RSC/Garsington Opera), Loves Labours Lost (RSC), Loves Labours Won (RSC), The Christmas Truce (RSC).
Television: Ride (Nickelodeon)
Films: Squares (Bernard Kordieh), Untitled Bicycle Short (Matt Eastman), The Last Bus (Tom Ludlam)
Josephine Starte
Josephine is a British Australian actor and writer. Long-listed for the Bruntwood and BAFTA Rocliffe award amongst other prizes, she was an invited writer at the Alpine Fellowship’s Venice 2018 Symposium alongside Polly Stenham and Emma Watson. Her most recent play, Killing It, was at VAULT 2020, starring herself, Janet Henfrey (The Crown) and Doña Croll (Doctor Who).
Acting accolades include Best Acting Duo, LA Short Film Festival (I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire); NoBudge Best Actress (Blue Monday).
Co-founder of GUM Improv (nominated: Phoenix Remix Best Comedy Group 2019).
Training: Cambridge University (UK) and NIDA (Australia).
Anna-Marie Nabirye
Anna-Maria Nabirye is a multi disciplinary artist working across visual arts, live art, social practice, theatre, film, TV and fashion. Her work is focused on the narratives of Black Women within the African Diaspora. Anna-Maria is currently a Jerwood Artist on attachment with Whitstable Biennale. She is also under commission with King's College London and co-creating Up In Arms produced by Arts Admin. Acting for theatre credits include; Mephisto (The Gate) Macbeth, Boudica, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (SWP & The Globe), The Paper Man (Improbable), Macbeth, Les Blancs (National Theatre), They Drink It In The Congo (Almeida), Leaving Planet Earth (Grid Iron), 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic).
Television credits include Informer, Collateral, Waterloo Road (BBC).
Film credits include Elizabeth Is Missing (BBC) & The Keeping Room (Gilbert Films).
COLLABORATING ARTISTS
Sudha Bhuchar
Sudha Bhuchar works in film, television, theatre and radio. Credits include: Mogul Mowgli, Mary Poppins Returns, Eastenders, Coronation Street. Theatre credits: The Village ,Theatre Royal Stratford East; Lions and Tigers, Globe Theatre & Khandan , Royal Court. Sudha is creative artist for Touchstone Tales
Suman Bhuchar
Suman Bhuchar is an associate artist at Bhuchar Boulevard. She has a portfolio career in the UK arts sector as a producer, curator and promoter. She worked in press and marketing in theatre with many culturally diverse companies. Documentary credits include: The Journalist & The Jihadi: The Murder of Daniel Pearl (HBO, nominated for 2 Emmys 07); Dead Man Talking: a murder investigation by Hampshire Police using forensic detection (Channel 4).
Suman Bhuchar has contributed to www.theatrevoice.com the V&A audio resource for British theatre, and was an Honorary Fellow at University of Warwick where she co-curated a Multicultural Shakespeare debate as part of the V&A Festival of Shakespeare. (2014).
Neela Doležalová
Neela Doležalová has worked in both commercial and community-based theatre for over 15 years. Her writing credits include ‘Playing Fields’ (Soho Theatre 2002), Lock the Gates (National Youth Theatre 2003), ‘Stop. Rewind.’ (Tamasha Theatre & Mulberry School for Girls 2011), and ‘The Brave Little Tailor’ (Roundhouse Radio 2011). Neela has experience working with verbatim theatre techniques, including ‘headphone verbatim’ theatre. She is the creator of ‘The Talk’ (Rich Mix and VAULT Festival 2018), co-creator of ‘Young Hot Bloods’ (From the Forest Festival 2018) and creator of 'At Home I Speak’ (Being Human Festival, 2019). She is founder of The Space Between is an initiative that uses theatre - specifically, collaborative devised theatre - to create spaces to discuss and explore complex social topics.
Kristine Landon-Smith
Kristine Landon-Smith is a director, educator & producer, who co-founded and ran Tamasha theatre company from 1989-2012 then joined the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Australia (NIDA) as before Senior Lecturer in Acting until 2015. Her freelance work includes teaching and directing. Credits: Summer Rolls for Van Thanh Productions at Park Theatre; Curry Kings of Parramatta at Riverside Theatres, Sydney & Touchstone Tales 1&2.
PANELLISTS
Javaad Alipoor
Artistic director of The Javaad Alipoor Company, which makes theatre.
The company’s recent work for theatre includes Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran and The Believers Are But Brothers. Both opened at the Edinburgh Fringe where they won Fringe First awards. Rich Kids was due to transfer to London to Battersea Arts Centre before the pandemic, and Believers transferred to The Bush before touring nationally and internationally. It will be on at HOME Manchester 3-5 November 2020.
The company is supported by Arts Council England’s Elevate programme.
Dr Myriam Francois
Dr Myriam Francois is a journalist, filmmaker and writer. She is a Research Associate at the Centre of Islamic Studies, SOAS. She is currently developing a research project on whiteness. For more information please visit. https://www.weneedtotalkaboutwhiteness.com.
Kwame Boateng
Kwame is passionate about de-colonial approaches to education and community development. Having extensive experience with Black youth in rural areas of the UK which are still lacking racial integration, Kwame decided to begin his studies in social anthropology and development focusing on race, identity and their respective intersections with education and transformative pedagogy. At present Kwame is working closely with ‘The Black Curriculum’ as an educator. Their objective is to incorporate Black British history into the national curriculum to aid a holistic understanding of British identity rooted in respect, reciprocity and empowerment.
Jemma Desai
Jemma Desai is a born and bred Londoner whose current practice encompasses research, writing, performance and informally organised settings for deep study. Her most recent body of work is "This work isn't for Us” which draws attention to the human cost of attempting institutional reform while navigating 'diversity' policy rooted in white supremacy.
Iqbal Khan
Iqbal Khan is a freelance Theatre Director.
Productions at the RSC include acclaimed versions of Tartuffe, Antony and Cleopatra, Othello and Much Ado About Nothing (also the West End).
Other work includes Educating Rita, Oleanna, Rafta Rafta, Perfect Days & Beautiful Thing (Bolton Octagon); Macbeth (Shakespeare’s Globe); Shakespeare at the Bowl (collaboration between LA Philharmonic & BBCSO at the Hollywood Bowl & Barbican); The Wildman of the West Indies (Donizetti opera for ETO, Hackney Empire & National Tour); The Killing of Sister George (West End); Broken Glass (Tricycle/West End); A Slight Ache & Landscape (National Theatre).
He has directed in Paris, Japan and has worked extensively in Drama Schools and delivered lectures at Michigan State, La Fayette, Nanjing, and was the Michael Douglas Visiting Artist at UC Santa Barbara.
Iqbal has an MA (Distinction) in Theatre Directing from Middlesex University, was awarded a RYTDS bursary, based at Leicester Haymarket, trained on the National Theatre Studio directors’ course and was made an Honorary Doctor of Arts by De Montfort University.
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