Theatre / RepresentAsian
Arnolfini welcomes second edition of successful South Asian storytelling night
Following the success of the inaugural event, a night celebrating south Asian storytelling is returning to Arnolfini on March 25.
RepresentAsian was founded by Safiya Haneen and Yusuf Suave, who are siblings. The project exists primarily as a platform to champion greater representation of South Asian voices in the UK music industry, but the impact of sharing stories of identity, heritage and belonging is an exciting addition to their offering.
“Our last sold-out event was so heartwarming and beautiful”, recalls Haneen. “We had 10 speakers from South Asian heritage share stories on migration in front of a lovely crowd.
The inaugural RepresentAsian Storytelling event
“It was a room full of love, laughter and sometimes tears – a really special evening to be a part of for both those from the Desi community, and other audience members who wanted to learn more.
This time, the chosen theme is ‘small things, big feelings’, which can be interpreted in any way, and Suave will be hosting and moderating proceedings.
Pre-selected via network outreach and social media, eight speakers of South Asian heritage – none of whom are professional storytellers – will be sharing a short story of around five minutes, after which two people from the audience will be invited to volunteer something on the night.
“RepresentAsian was born out of wanting to platform South Asian voices – and our first storytelling event was such a perfect encapsulation of that”, Haneen says.
“To organise something like this in Bristol and hear from such a range of speakers sharing personal stories and experiences of migration to the UK was so special, and a perfect way to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month.
“In these divisive times, it feels particularly pertinent to hear from marginalised communities in the city and remember that there’s much more uniting than dividing us. We’re really excited for the next edition!”
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RepresentAsian Storytelling Evening is at Arnolfini on March 25 at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from www.headfirstbristol.co.uk. Follow @representasian_uk for updates and future events.
All photos: Inaz Hussain
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