Brenda Birungi Lady Unchained: Creating a platform for prison poetry
Release Date: 12/06/2019
Alex Rush ‘The Indispensables: Working class heroes of the pandemic’
Being The Story
Alex Rush is a 15-year-old from Rochdale. He believes the media negatively stereotypes young working class lads, but he’s passionate about making positive change. Alex is a young activist with Manchester-based Reclaim, a youth leadership/ social change organisation supporting working-class young people. Alex’s parents are both key workers and Alex asks has enough been done to ensure that key workers are seen as the indispensable workforce they are?
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Onjali Rauf ‘The Nightbus Hero’
Being The Story
Onjali is an award-winning children’s author; her debut book The Boy At the Back of the Class won Blue Peter’s Children’s Book of the Year and Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2019. Onjali’s 3rd book The Night Bus Hero explores bullying and homelessness, while celebrating kindness. Onjali shares the story behind her book, and how we can take action against homelessness at a time where it’s more important than ever to have a home.
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Craig Spillane ‘We need to talk about male suicide’
Being The Story
Electrician by day, Craig set up Men Unite one morning in 2019 before work for some friends. Men Unite is a closed Facebook group to help men deal with any issues they face; suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, addiction, debt, bereavement. They now have over 12,000 members in 78 countries with volunteers around the world 24/7. In this talk he describes the impact of lockdown on men’s mental health and how online networks are providing a vital connection.
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Nylah Abitimo-Jones ‘Black Lives Matter: What it means to be Young, Gifted & Black in 2020’
Being The Story
7-year-old Nylah had a memorable lockdown, performing her poem ‘Black’, in front of over 5000 people at the Cheltenham Black Lives Matter protest. Nylah’s poem centres around self-love and being Black with pride. Videos of her performance have been watched by millions and reposted by celebrities like Missy Elliott and platforms like NAACP, NowThis, BBC, Al-Jazeera. Nylah performs her poetry, and speaks to Jude about what it means to be young, gifted and black.
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Dom Raban 'Xploro: filling the hospital information vacuum'
Being The Story
Dom’s daughter, Issy, was diagnosed with rare bone cancer in 2011. Issy’s treatment was characterised by two extremes; the fantastic care she received, but also feeling unable to receive accessible information. As MD of a digital innovation agency, Dom's company built Xploro App (previously Patient’s Virtual Guide) which uses augmented reality, gamification and artificial intelligence to deliver health information directly to children. Join in the conversation online using #BeingtheStory
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Marina Cantacuzino 'The Restorative Power of Storytelling'
Being The Story
Marina is an award-winning journalist who responded to the invasion of Iraq, by collecting narratives of people who’ve lived through injustice and tragedy, yet sought forgiveness not revenge. This formed The Forgiveness Project, a charity using the experiences of victims and perpetrators to explore reconciliation. Marina believes sharing real stories of transformation reaches across rifts to create a new story.
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Ric Flo 'Creativity For Change'
Being The Story
East-London based Creative Director and Rapper, Ric Flo uses rap to express himself and explore his experience in foster care, both solo and with Hip-hop Collective Jungle Brown. He creates positive change for young people with experience of the care system through his creative rap workshops, encouraging young people to use their voice, stating “It’s the most powerful tool of amplification we have”.
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Simeon Moore and Dylan Duffus 'Dats TV Reshaping Culture'
Being The Story
Simeon and Dylan were members of rival Birmingham gangs. They were brought together by award-winning filmmaker Penny Woolcock for the documentary One Mile Away. Simeon and Dylan are now advocates for young people, working together to tackle the glamorisation of gang culture through their YouTube channel DatsTV. They describe the impact participating in the film had on their community and share their vision of how we can tackle youth violence. Join in the conversation online using #BeingtheStory
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The Geezers 'The Geezer’s Guide to Growing Old'
Being The Story
Life begins at 70 chief geezer Ray says. The Geezers are a group of east-enders changing the way we see ageing, bringing older men together, creating local change. They have undertaken numerous intergenerational projects, notably a series of films that won an Institute of Community Cohesion award and featured in the Sunday Telegraph. Hear about their campaign ‘Where’s My Boozer Gone?’ raising awareness about the loss of local pubs. And join in the conversation online using #BeingtheStory
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Onjali Rauf 'No Action Too Small'
Being The Story
Onjali has been a self declared feminist from the age of seven, specialising in Women’s Studies at Oxford University. In 2011 her aunt was murdered by the husband she tried to escape for 5 years, highlighting systematic failures to tackle domestic abuse. In her Aunt’s memory, Onjali set up Making Herstory, supporting women’s shelters and outreach projects. Onjali tells her story of unexpected journeys and why there is no such thing as an action too small.
info_outline“My life ended and began with a prison sentence, those metal doors awoke the faith in me” Sitting in her front room, with a group of like-minded friends, Lady Unchained and her friends would have debates and discussions about the problems they faced and write about how they made them feel. This inspired her to set up Unchained Poetry, a platform for artists with experience of the criminal justice system. She now hosts Unchained Nights in partnership with Artsadmin at Toybee Stations, a night of inspirational storytelling, through poetry and music, performed by artists with lived experience of the justice system. She also co-hosts for National Prison Radio’s show We Are StraightLine, a show about Getting out of prison and Staying out of prison and has just featured in a new podcast Secret Life of Prisons. Lady Unchained’s mission is to prove that there is life after prison. Through poetry she tells her own personal story and the untold stories that are often left untold, because of shame or labels. In this podcast she perforoms a selection of her poems.
Join in the conversation online using #BeingtheStory