Studio 18 will host an eclectic artistic mix on Saturday evening.
Zachary Walsh, artist and creative director/founder of Studio 18 is hosting the event from 6.30pm in Brimscombe, where poetry and works are commissioned by Stroud Against Racism, and a DJ set by Stroud Love Music Hate Racism will take place.
Poet Ronnie McGrath will be exploring notions of ‘blackness’ through his work to both challenge racism and dissolve the constraining nature of the category race.
He said: “I am pleased to have been invited by Stroud Against Racism to read some of my poems and hopefully further the understanding of what it means to be black in a time of hope and growing tension between various groups of people, ethnic or otherwise.”
Meanwhile, Halima Malek, will be performing her poetry and showing her talents as a makeup artist who uses makeup as well as her hijab, to showcase her art. She is the co-producer of Shespoke, a project working with women of all faiths, colour, and diversity from 18 to 70.
Also performing poetry on the night, Tish Camp, who has been an active Stroud Against Racism member. Nominated for the 2019 Gloucestershire Poet Laureate, Tish also won a Paper Nations 2020 award as a marginalised writer. In 2020 she has been compared to UK spoken word artist Kae Tempest and most recently to Black US ‘Harlem Renaissance’ poet Langston Hughes. She performs internationally and consciously and brings a modern lick to her take on fighting against racism and oppression.
Other headlining artists include paintings by Rizpath Amadasun, Mali McGrath, and Junk Baby (Ismiah Martin and Rochelle Johns) as well as the Studio 18 resident artists.
DJ JagP specialises in spinning grooves, “from all over this groovy planet.” JagP added: “Racism seeks only to divide and weaken us. Let’s use the energy of our music scene to celebrate diversity and involve people in the anti-racist activity. I want everyone to be part of the worldwide movement to ‘kick the racism devil into outer space.”
