I.A.M. x Refugee Week 2022
I.A.M. THESE PEOPLE (2022)
stencil, portable plastic foldaway camping table, JBL Flip 5 speaker, Zoom H6 recorder, SGH-6 shotgun microphone, Spotify playlist, A4 posters
On Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 June 2022, I created I.A.M. THESE PEOPLE, a participatory, nomadic street cafe along Northdown Road and Cliff Terrace, Cliftonville in Margate. This artistic intervention was part of the I.A.M. initiative for Refugee Week 2022. Celebrating [im]migrant and refugee trajectories through sonic cultures. Using music and vocalisation in languages other than English to change the social climate and reclaim public space.
I.A.M. THESE PEOPLE playlist features 12 hours of music selected by participants over the weekend. I used this same playlist for a sonic takeover in the cafe at Turner Contemporary, Margate for Refugee Week 2023.
Listen here
Supported by Counterpoints Arts and 101 Social
Working as a one man band taking my portable sound set-up and foldaway table from shop front to shop front to play music not normally heard in public space within this specific social context. I offered space to the [im]migrant owners and workers in each shop and business to select music from their cultures which I then played in public on the street outside their shops.
The weekends’ selection comprised of music from Palestine, Kurdistan, Kashmir, Jordan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab, Goa and other parts of India, Ghana, Gambia, Afghanistan, Turkiye, Lithuania, Nigeria, Brazil, Iraq, Poland, China, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Bulgaria. With this simple radical act I engaged with shop keepers and passers by through laughter, smiles and insightful conversation.
Listen out for more sonic interventions coming to Cliftonville @nina.radio.tapes + @ice.cream.mafia
“I just want to enjoy the music for a bit …” said one passer by on discovering the intervention〝… British culture is too stuffy … listening to this music and conversation in public space is a powerful thing …”
“I just want to enjoy the music for a bit …” said one passer by on discovering the intervention〝… British culture is too stuffy … listening to this music and conversation in public space is a powerful thing …”
“I’m very happy today … I hear my music in the street outside my shop … thank you … keep doing what you do … it reminds me of my people, of my country … of my family … would you like a coffee, tea?”
“I’m very happy today … I hear my music in the street outside my shop … thank you … keep doing what you do … it reminds me of my people, of my country … of my family … would you like a coffee, tea?”
Two days filled with kindness, warmth, love, dance moves, personal histories and journeys, old and new friendships, thanks, respect and belonging; creating a very welcome relief for all of us affected by the worsening racist rhetoric from the UK government and media.
The theme for Refugee Week 2022 was ‘Healing’. I believe these sonic interventions provided some much needed healing for all that experienced this artistic action. People from Afghanistan found some joy in listening to their music while others from the same country couldn’t allow themselves to participate due to the hurt they felt from the recent devastating earthquakes in their homeland. Every one of the shopkeepers and workers shared the joy of hearing their music; reminding them of their people, their culture and their strong roots reaching back thousands of years into histories that white supremacist systems have tried to erase by colonising and attempting to destroy our lands alongside our linguistic and sonic cultures.
Apart from the occasional person who showed visible disdain for this celebration of non-British cultures through a bold public act of resistance; passers by from young kids to elders stopped to smile, talk and dance. I was offered coffee, tea and cold drinks by people throughout the weekend, making this the street cafe experience I had envisaged for the project. I.A.M. THESE PEOPLE and Refugee Week came to a close on Sunday evening with a musical take over at 101 Social.
Support I.A.M. initiative. Buy fresh merch in the corner.shop
Thanks to all the shopkeepers: Hassan (Hassan Barbers), Ade (Mainsale), Armaan (Pound Planet), Suresh, Babitha, Selva & Paul (Days Supermarket), Naima and the ladies (Mirrors), Nateq & Bibi (Tasty Kebab), Fahad Ali & Arsalan (Fone Hut) Naz (Sell Phone Repairs) Habib, Mohammed & Jai (Central Pharmacy), Armaan & Harmaani (Prince Hair Style), Cas & Ozkan (Express Kebab) Shahid (Kebabish) Julija (R&Z Bar), Metet, Jankat, Nermin and Marta (International Food Centre), Jeeyoh (Jay Jay’s Chinese Takeaway), Aram & Haryam (Dubai Market), Sandra, Ariano, Said, Anje (Nasza Biedronka), Noor (Premier Stores), Raju (Moylers), Daman, Mohit & Ahmer (Mob Solutions), Nazar (Golden Barber Shop), Shoan (Roma Pizza), Halil & Ali (Bomba Kebab). Thanks also to Matt Lewis, Nicholas, Jolomi, Mark, Wilfred, Kwasi, Marek and everyone who stopped to say hi, share a smile and a story, some dance moves, sing a song or take a seat at the table to listen, chat and connect.