‘Now You See Us’ Showcase
The final showcase of our 2022-23 Associate Leaders, 30th March, 5-8pm, Old Diorama Arts Centre, London
Now You See Us! The Final Showcase Event of the 2022-23 AHI Associates
30th March, 2023, 5-8pm Old Diorama Arts Centre, London
In April 2022 Arts and Homelessness International (AHI) launched their year long, cultural leadership programme. The first of it’s kind in history for artists who are or who have been homeless.
Our first talented cohort completes the programme in March, and they have collectively curated this final showcase event.
Now You See Us is an evening of live music, poetry, verbatim-headphone theatre, live illustration, a fashion workshop, an immersive film night and an art and photography exhibition, all created by AHI Associates: Amanda Sinclair, Asli Jarr Kashaf, Bengy Speer, Denise Harrison/Just a girl, Surfing Sofas, Lisa Ogun’, Mitchel Ceney and Shalea and is a collaboration between Old Diorama Arts Centre (ODAC) and AHI. RSVP for free tickets here
Huge thanks to ODAC for funding this showcase and grateful thanks to all of our supporters and funders. The Associates Leadership programme is supported by Linbury Trust, Crowdfunder donors, Michael Sheen, the National Justice Museum, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Theatre Royal Plymouth, and the Museum of Home
See full programme here Programme – NOW YOU SEE US
Biographies of the Associates
Lisa Ogun’ is a professional verbatim headphone- theatre story-teller, a writer, a creative facilitator and a multi-role theatre practitioner. Focusing on the importance of home stability, Lisa Ogun’ produces and performs a short performance of verbatim headphone-theatre of the ODAC community’s recorded stories to highlight Diorama Arts’ nearly 50-year journey from a 200-year-old building to finding a resting place called home in its current location to highlight the impact of ‘home and finding home’ on the local and artists’ communities.
Trigger warning: None
Age guidelines: 15+
Location: Studio 6
Lisa’s performance is scheduled twice:
17:30 – 18:10
18:25 – 19:05
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Amanda Sinclair is a photographer & painter based in Nottingham, UK.
Her work is inspired by neo-expressionism and surrealism which enable her to explore subjects such as loss, memory and trauma and is influenced by the observation of human psychosis in which she creates common narrative through visual art.
INVISIBILITY – The fact of being impossible to see or of not being noticed:
The artworks within this showcase explore the feeling of a ghost-like existence. Remaining on the perimeters of a perceived normal life yet living in the shadows.
Trigger warning: None
Age guidelines: No restrictions
Location: Foyer
Amanda Sinclair’s – Artworks of existence | 17:00 – 20:00
In conversation with Amanda Sinclair at 18:10 – 18:20
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Asli Jarr Kashaf (pronouns it/she/they) Multi-disciplinary Maker/Baker/Cake-Eater. Currently exploring concepts of re-rooting, space and inter-generational healing through play, plants, and adventure. Passionate about unfurling, un-specialising and un-professionalising therapeutic relationships and care.
Title: Whirling and Croaked
A selection of mixed media work centred on explorations of portals and rituals in relationship with the self, other creatures and the rest of the universe. This is a celebration of love, magic, communion and self-sovereignty.
Materials include: Oil pastel, charcoal, fine liner , personal items inc birthday candles and ECG skintact, red string , shiny wrapping paper, words and paper, card.
Trigger warning: None
Age guidelines: No restrictions
Location: Foyer
Time: 17:00 – 20:00
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Denise Harrison (aka Just A Girl) is an award-winning freelance writer and film maker from Cornwall, best known for her hard-hitting content around homelessness, trauma, and addiction.
Here is a summary of the films that will be screened
Trigger warning: TW strong language/adult themes/references to addiction/depression/suicide
Age guidelines: 18+
Denise’s screening is scheduled twice:
Location: Casting 1
17:30 – 18:05
18:20 – 18:55
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Mitchel Ceney is an artist, illustrator and photographer. He specialise in physical, hands on mediums, with his art consisting of large scale paintings such as canvas, boards and murals, whilst his photography is predominantly analogue and is centred around the experience of living in an urban environment.
Mitchel is going to produce a live illustration. It will visibly illustrate themes of homelessness (based on his lived experience of homelessness and others combined). The piece will be painted with words music and sound being played in the room to enhance a theatre performance with live illustration.
Trigger warning: None
Age guidelines: No restrictions
Location: Studio 1
17:00 – 20:00
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Bengy Speer is a multi-disciplinary artist, performer, producer, and DJ and was part of the Coventry City of Culture’s leadership programme. He is Vice Chair of Pride Coventry, sits on the Warwick Arts Committee and is Production Assistant for a children’s education charity SteamCo based in the UK and internationally. He is also a SUCE Coventry University lecturer’s assistant and also has recently joined the Birmingham Opera. Amongst many other things.
This Bodies Extinct……Body of Things
Technology is putting human beings out to pasture how do we keep our humanity in the shadow of AI? Bengy will explore these themes through textiles and music.
Trigger warning: None
Age guidelines: No restrictions
Location: Studio 2
17:00 – 20:00
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Surfing Sofas is a poet based in Yorkshire, whose material primarily focuses on social justice and uplifting people.
He will be sharing poetry from the collection of poems he wrote whilst being on the Associates Leadership programme.
Trigger warning: Addictions, domestic violence and homelessness.
Age guidelines: No restrictions
Location: Casting 1
17:30 – 18:05
18:20 – 18:55
Location: Foyer
19:15 – 19:45
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Shalea is a singer songwriter producer from London
Showcasing original songs & covers that reflect on the past experiences with life as an outcast from society.
Performing her original “under the streetlight” reflecting on homelessness & “Tell me” highlighting the impact of mental health.
Shalea will be performing new, unheard songs that share a story of her recent reflections on life.
Trigger warning: None
Age guidelines: No restrictions
Location: Foyer
17:00 – 17:20
19:15 – 19:45
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