...Well, I had a great and relaxing festive season and 2008 had already paved the way to 2009. The year went so fast and I still think it is 2008 which makes it hard for me to remember to write 2009.
You might ask what my New Year resolution is this year and I tell you, it is just a simple one which is to bring my lunch to work instead of buying sandwiches.
In spite of all the theories flying around recently such as, 'economic down turn, doom and gloom ...'and so on, I for one would like to think it is going to be a great year for all of us and I am sure you all agree with me.
Zewditu x
Friday, 9 January 2009
Talawa's hopes and plans for 2009
A new year brings new hopes and plans, Talawa staff share some of theirs with you.
Sophia hopes for.....Peace, love, theatre and lots of chocolate.
Jackie's highlights of 2008....coming to work on Anansi at Talawa
Jackie's hopes for 2009.... that Anansi and the Magic Mirror is the most well attended Talawa show yet! And, on a personal level – see the truth, recognise it and, most important of all, act on it.
Havana hopes for....super powers and recognition as the world's best administrator and plans to take over the world!
Richard wishes for a genie!
Richard hopes that Anansi rocks Hackney and that he will finally begin to cook curry as good as his mum!
Christopher is looking forward to receiving and reading your scripts.
Zewditu hopes and plans to save money by bringing her own lunch into work rather than living off Pret sandwiches!
Gail wishes for a 2009 full of games and whimsy!
Talawa staff wish you all a great 2009 and hope your hopes and plans come true.
Sophia hopes for.....Peace, love, theatre and lots of chocolate.
Jackie's highlights of 2008....coming to work on Anansi at Talawa
Jackie's hopes for 2009.... that Anansi and the Magic Mirror is the most well attended Talawa show yet! And, on a personal level – see the truth, recognise it and, most important of all, act on it.
Havana hopes for....super powers and recognition as the world's best administrator and plans to take over the world!
Richard wishes for a genie!
Richard hopes that Anansi rocks Hackney and that he will finally begin to cook curry as good as his mum!
Christopher is looking forward to receiving and reading your scripts.
Zewditu hopes and plans to save money by bringing her own lunch into work rather than living off Pret sandwiches!
Gail wishes for a 2009 full of games and whimsy!
Talawa staff wish you all a great 2009 and hope your hopes and plans come true.
My Hope for the Year
My hope for the year is simple … it is people and lots of them! We’ve got Anansi and the magic Mirror on at the Hackney Empire in February and I’d love to see it full of people having a really good time. I’m sure the show will be fab it’s bound to be with the people we have gathered together to work on it, Kat B from Choice FM and Tameka Empson from 3 Non-Blondes. It’s just that right now it feels like – remember when you were 9 or 10 and you’d invited most of your class to your house for your birthday party? Well remember how you felt about 10 minutes before the time they were due… knowing it’ll be a great afternoon/evening and the more people who come the more fun it’ll be, you’ve invited loads of people and so all you can do is wait for them to arrive…. well that’s how it feels now.
Oh yes, and peace and love throughout the year!
D x
Oh yes, and peace and love throughout the year!
D x
Friday, 19 December 2008
Usain Bolt, Obama and the Credit Crunch!
It is true what they say, the older you get the faster the years go by. 2008 has gone by so fast I can’t really believe that Christmas is next week! Although the weather is definitely winter weather, I think that I am suffering for S.A.D and serious vitamin D withdrawal symptoms!
What will I remember about 2008? Jamaica winning a bag of metals on the track at the Beijing Olympics, Obama becoming President of the USA, and the phrase of the year ‘the credit crunch’! Although I have seen numerous theatre shows and performance this year the ones that come to mind now are; Afrika Afrika/ Into the Hood/ TYPT08: Make Love Not War/ Mother Goose.
This year I am not going to make any of my usual resolutions (quit smoking, get a car etc), instead I am going to make myself promise to work hard at living life and enjoy every second of being happy. Cheesy I know, but at least I won’t feel guilty at the end of year if I haven’t kept my resolution.
So all that’s left to do this year is put my feet up, pig out on chocolates and enjoy all the musicals and Disney films that SKY and my DVD/ VHS collection can offer!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.
Havana xXx
What will I remember about 2008? Jamaica winning a bag of metals on the track at the Beijing Olympics, Obama becoming President of the USA, and the phrase of the year ‘the credit crunch’! Although I have seen numerous theatre shows and performance this year the ones that come to mind now are; Afrika Afrika/ Into the Hood/ TYPT08: Make Love Not War/ Mother Goose.
This year I am not going to make any of my usual resolutions (quit smoking, get a car etc), instead I am going to make myself promise to work hard at living life and enjoy every second of being happy. Cheesy I know, but at least I won’t feel guilty at the end of year if I haven’t kept my resolution.
So all that’s left to do this year is put my feet up, pig out on chocolates and enjoy all the musicals and Disney films that SKY and my DVD/ VHS collection can offer!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.
Havana xXx
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Who wants to be a Manz Like Me?
Usually my blogs are light hearted, but today I really wanted to get something off my chest….
As you may or may not know, I have a part time job with ITV doing freelance presenting work. On Saturday I was working with them at the Urban Music Awards (UMA) 2008 at the O2 Arena. The UMA is an event which promotes and recognises the talent and hard work of the UK music scene including artistes/ producers as well as magazines and websites. Everyone at the event was well dressed and excited to be amongst like-minded people, but unfortunately the whole event was ruined by fools who don’t know how to behave.
The irony was that Bashy had just performed Black Boys - a song with many positive messages in it – when the trouble started. The media focus turned immediately from ‘who picked up what award’ to ‘who saw the incident’. Many people gave interviews saying the security was slack and that they expected trouble at the event.
I was very disappointed with the outcome of the night and upset that media coverage would now focus entirely on the negative. Although I was not there in a Talawa Theatre Company capacity, I could not help but think of our current script reading series Manz Like Me, which attempts to challenge stereotypes and negative ideologies. I can’t help but think that if more people challenged themselves and their friends’ behaviour, fewer events would end so disastrously and there would be more events on for young people to attend. Gandhi said it best; we must become the change we want to see.
In light of Obama’s historic victory in the USA, I would like to appeal to my fellow under 25’s to unite against this pointless, self destructive behaviour and ask that we use our brains to inspire and succeed.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said; do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Havana x
As you may or may not know, I have a part time job with ITV doing freelance presenting work. On Saturday I was working with them at the Urban Music Awards (UMA) 2008 at the O2 Arena. The UMA is an event which promotes and recognises the talent and hard work of the UK music scene including artistes/ producers as well as magazines and websites. Everyone at the event was well dressed and excited to be amongst like-minded people, but unfortunately the whole event was ruined by fools who don’t know how to behave.
The irony was that Bashy had just performed Black Boys - a song with many positive messages in it – when the trouble started. The media focus turned immediately from ‘who picked up what award’ to ‘who saw the incident’. Many people gave interviews saying the security was slack and that they expected trouble at the event.
I was very disappointed with the outcome of the night and upset that media coverage would now focus entirely on the negative. Although I was not there in a Talawa Theatre Company capacity, I could not help but think of our current script reading series Manz Like Me, which attempts to challenge stereotypes and negative ideologies. I can’t help but think that if more people challenged themselves and their friends’ behaviour, fewer events would end so disastrously and there would be more events on for young people to attend. Gandhi said it best; we must become the change we want to see.
In light of Obama’s historic victory in the USA, I would like to appeal to my fellow under 25’s to unite against this pointless, self destructive behaviour and ask that we use our brains to inspire and succeed.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said; do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Havana x
Monday, 17 November 2008
Today has been designated…..
For a while now each day a different person in the office has taken on the role of DJ, playing tracks saved on their mp3 players, computers or the internet whilst everyone works. It ranges daily, dependent on the mood of the player and the room – as any good DJ knows, you’ve got to be able to read the room before dropping the next track.
Yesterday morning the airwaves were handed over to Trevor Nelson’s radio show, the afternoon turned into a bit of a smooth fm afternoon.
This morning Havana took over the DJ mantle. As I arrived conversation centred on Estelle’s track “American Boy” – which was the better version the one featuring Kanye West or Busta Rhymes. What do you think? It was a fairly unanimous decision, consensus thought that Busta Rhymes is a way more accomplished rapper but Richard did put up a spirited defence of Kanye.
However by 11 am the day had been musically dubbed Disney day. So now there are strains of “A whole New World” from Aladdin and “Heaven’s light” from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. As I walk through the office and overhear snatches of conversation of the merits of Disney animated films up to 2000 like The Jungle Book and The little Mermaid over Pixar movies Cars and Monsters inc.
And now we’ve moved on and I’ve just been played the Happy Feet version of Boogie Wonderland. I know its Friday but this kind of conversation can happen on any given day in our office!
D x
Yesterday morning the airwaves were handed over to Trevor Nelson’s radio show, the afternoon turned into a bit of a smooth fm afternoon.
This morning Havana took over the DJ mantle. As I arrived conversation centred on Estelle’s track “American Boy” – which was the better version the one featuring Kanye West or Busta Rhymes. What do you think? It was a fairly unanimous decision, consensus thought that Busta Rhymes is a way more accomplished rapper but Richard did put up a spirited defence of Kanye.
However by 11 am the day had been musically dubbed Disney day. So now there are strains of “A whole New World” from Aladdin and “Heaven’s light” from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. As I walk through the office and overhear snatches of conversation of the merits of Disney animated films up to 2000 like The Jungle Book and The little Mermaid over Pixar movies Cars and Monsters inc.
And now we’ve moved on and I’ve just been played the Happy Feet version of Boogie Wonderland. I know its Friday but this kind of conversation can happen on any given day in our office!
D x
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Spurs moving on up!
Spurs on the up, Obama on his way to the Whitehouse – not a bad couple of weeks. And of course Trading Faces launch at the V&A – the only negative being missing Flipping the Script’s Rum n Coca reading at the Young Vic because of rehearsals. However, courtesy of Patricia Cumper, our Artistic Director’s programming, got to hear a taste of Michael Abbensetts ‘Sweet Talk’ at the launch along with some Spiritual, Gospel, Jazz and some Linton Kwesi Johnson poetry. We finished with Blue Boy Entertainment bouncing off the walls of the V&A who rocked the house (and I think also inadvertently the jewelry workshop downstairs). The legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade is definitely alive in today’s performing arts!
On the project, Talawa’s archive is now available at Blythe House and our online exhibition about to go live. Favourite archive items at the moment for me are the programme for ‘The Coup’ at the National – real 70’s feel to the design, and the production ‘In Dahomey’. More when we are online…
Sophia x
On the project, Talawa’s archive is now available at Blythe House and our online exhibition about to go live. Favourite archive items at the moment for me are the programme for ‘The Coup’ at the National – real 70’s feel to the design, and the production ‘In Dahomey’. More when we are online…
Sophia x
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