Tag Archives: storytelling

The East 3 return…

Our collaboration with Bangladeshi literature group Bishwo Shahitto Kendro continues. The leaders of our East Storytelling Project will be performing as East 3 at this year’s Boishaki Mela in Weavers Fields, Bethnal Green on Sunday 30 June, and Great Day Out in Victoria Park on 3rd August – details to come.

East 3 are internationally renowned storytellers Shamim Azad and Sef Townsend, supported by musician and theatre-maker Paul Burgess, pictured below at last year’s Mela.

In other news, with several London venues and a Latitude Festival performance behind us, we’re now tour-booking for our gig-theatre/art/protest piece Gerrard Winstanley’s True and Rightous Mobile Incitement Unit. (You can call it Mobile Incitement for short, by the way.) We’re mainly looking 2020 but dates later this year are possible too. Get in touch if you want us!

East Storytelling at this year’s Boishakhi Mela

We’re excited to be part of this annual festival: it’s real flagship event in the East London calendar. The “East Three” –  Shamim, Sef and Paul, who’ve been leading our East storytelling project – will be sharing stories and songs in the Family and Arts Zone, doing three 25 min performances between 12 and 6:30.

There’s lots more information on the Mela here. Come along – it’s going to be a great day!

Here’s Shamim, Sef and Paul at another festival, a couple of years ago.

A Season of Bangla Drama – photos

We’re so pleased to have been a part of this year’s A Season of Bangla Drama. It was a fantastic month and, as ever, proved that art can be open and inclusive at the same time as being ambitious.

Here are some photos by Rehan Jamil of our East storytelling performance at Rich Mix London, which we produced in association with BSK.

You can see the whole album of photos from the rest of the season here.

East: this Friday!

As you probably know, East, the storytelling group we run in partnership with Bishwo Shahitto Kendro, will be performing at Rich Mix this Friday, as part of A Season of Bangla Drama 2017. A Season of Bangla Drama is a major event in the Tower Hamlets cultural calendar and it’s a huge privilege to be a part of it.

As ever, we’ll be sharing stories and songs, new and old, told and sung the mix of professionals and community members that comprise East. But this time we’ll also have guest appearances from two wonderful artists: Somali teller Kinsi Abdulleh and folk singer Dan Cox. It’s going to be a great evening.

This Friday, 10th Nov, 7pm, at Rich Mix.

Here’s the event on the Rich Mix website and here’s the Facebook event.

We really hope to see you there!

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Rehearsing for East

Here are some photos from rehearsals for East’s next performance, an evening of songs and stories from people living, working or otherwise connected to East London. It’s going to be a lovely night and we hope to see you there! 10th Nov, Rich Mix at 7pm, as part of A Season of Bangla Drama.

Here’s the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/618550445201568/

And here’s the info on Rich Mix’s website: https://www.richmix.org.uk/events/theatre/east

A Season of Bangla Drama 2017 Sharing Day

Some of the group from East – the storytelling group we run in partnership with BSK – joined other theatre companies from A Season of Bangla Drama 2017 yesterday, to get to know each other and see extracts of work in progress. It was a great day and a great chance to meet some very lovely and talented people!

East will be performing at Rich Mix on Nov 10th at 7pm. More info here: https://www.richmix.org.uk/events/theatre/east

Photo: A Season of Bangla Drama

A Great Day Out, indeed

We had a very successful day running an East storytelling tent at Great Day Out in Victoria Park. Here are some lovely photos by Rehan Jami of tellers Alia Alzougbi and Sef Townsend in action.

Saturday 05 August 2017, LBTH - Sef Townsend and Alia Alzougbi of East at Great Day Out at Victoria Park - Photo, Rehan Jamil
Saturday 05 August 2017, LBTH – Sef Townsend and Alia Alzougbi of East at Great Day Out at Victoria Park – Photo, Rehan Jamil

Saturday 05 August 2017, LBTH - Alia Alzougbi of East at Great Day Out at Victoria Park - Photo, Rehan Jamil
Saturday 05 August 2017, LBTH – Alia Alzougbi of East at Great Day Out at Victoria Park – Photo, Rehan Jamil

Saturday 05 August 2017, LBTH - Sef Townsend and Alia Alzougbi of East at Great Day Out at Victoria Park - Photo, Rehan Jamil
Saturday 05 August 2017, LBTH – Sef Townsend and Alia Alzougbi of East at Great Day Out at Victoria Park – Photo, Rehan Jamil

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A Great Day Out

We’re back in Victoria Park again this Sat…

Specifically, we’re proud to present, in conjunction with BSK, storytelling this Sat, with two amazing tellers: Sef Townsend and Alia Alzougbi. It’s part of LBTH’s A Great Day Out, and of the East Storytelling project. Look out for the storytelling tent. It’s all happening near the bandstand in the East part of the park.

Come along!

East storytelling in the park

 

Numbi Festival 2017

We’ve been talking to the inspiring Kinsi Abdulleh about adding some Somali storytelling to the East Archive, and she invited us to the launch event of this year’s Numbi Festival. Numbi is “a platform for collaborative cross-cultural exchange for artists working in theatre, visual arts/photography, music/dance,  and film, that draws from the experience of Somali communities around the world.” And, like us, it’s based in Tower Hamlets. We have great neighbours!

Last night’s event focused on a discussion of Hadrawi’s Baladweyn. Sef (one of East‘s professional storytellers) and Paul (our artistic director) went along. It was a really inspiring evening, and eye-opening for those who didn’t know a great deal about Somali literature. There are two more days of the festival to go. Details are here.

Thanks to Sef for the photo.

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