Celebrating Black History Month and UK Older People’s Day 2014
Untold Stories
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you”
Maya Angelou
In October this year the East Sussex BME Health and Social care Forum (ES BME H&SC
Forum) will be holding a fantastic event to celebrate Black History Month and UK Older
Peoples day.
Untold Stories aims to increase visibility and celebrate positive contributions of Black and
minority ethnic older people in East Sussex. In doing so it increases individual awareness of
services and support available and strengthen personal networks.
The event is being planned by the ES BME H&SC Forum - Core Development Group, who
themselves are members of community – in collaboration with Brighton based scriptwriter,
producer, Sindi Gordon* and performance poet, writer Akila Richards* and, the Hastings
Museum & Art Gallery.
The event consists of two parts: a performance and an interactive workshop. Starting with
performances of selected works, followed by an interactive workshop, for Older BME People
to share their stories, through personal objects brought purposefully e.g. a photograph, with
children, grand children and younger generations. Attendees are encouraged to invite family
and friends especially younger generations. The workshop will be led by Sindi and Akila,
who are both very experienced facilitators and supported by Core Development Group
members. The event is open to all, free but booking is essential. Hastings museum is a fully
accessible venue.
Please bring along an object or/and a photograph that you would like to talk about.
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When: Saturday, 11th October 2014, 12:00-2:30pm (NOTE TIME CHANGE)
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Where: Hastings Museum & Art Gallery, Bohemia Road, Hastings, TN34 1ET
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Booking: Contact: Liz Plowright on 01273 336567 (ext 36567) or email:
[email protected]
East Sussex BME Health & Social Care Forum
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*Sindi Gordon is has submitted her Ph.D Thesis in Education (in Creative
Writing) at the University of Sussex. Her doctoral research is a critical and
creative investigation into the dialogic relationship between memory and
imagination through creative life writing and its potential for personal
freedom. Sindi has presented academic papers on the Diaspora and
personal narratives and has led workshops on a range of themes including
life histories, storytelling, hair and migration.
Sindi’s varied international career includes working in Film and TV as a
scriptwriter, producer, director and programmer with a range of agencies
including; Carlton TV, Institute for Contemporary Arts (UK), The New School (New York), Black
Cowgirl Productions (New Mexico). She also worked extensively throughout Africa - Angola,
Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Burkina Faso - where she produced
documentary films and created cultural and artistic platforms for development, distribution and
exhibition of films. Sindi also worked with UNESCO, and the South Africa Broadcast Corporation
where she produced a documentary with a personal interview with Nelson Mandela. Also in South
Africa, Sindi was founder and Executive Director of Women of the Sun - a non-profit organisation
committed to training and supporting women filmmakers of African descent, with workshops in South
Africa, UK, USA, Kenya and Trinidad & Tobago. Women of the Sun continues to thrive today in six
African countries.
*Akila Richards is a published writer, poet and spoken word artist of Liberian
and German heritage. Some of her material gives voice to the Black German
experience. She performs and reads in a variety of academic, cultural,
professional and community settings. This included an experimental digital
project by Take The Space Consultants in which she appeared as a
holographic poet. Akila became involved in theatre and playwriting leading to a
joint play by Sound Spectrum. She is an associate member of Snakes and
Ladders by Plenty Productions. Her short story ‘Eleven Years’ was published in
an anthology by Penguin in 2008 and her poem ‘Red Saviour’ in the RED
anthology by Peepal Tree Press in 2010, followed by a national tour. Her short
story for the ‘Closure’ anthology has been accepted due for publishing in 2015.
Akila initiated a writers group out of desire to mutually support and critically assess new writing. This
led to ‘Ink On My Lips’ a co-edited anthology with Sindi Gordon and contributions by Write-Meet
Read. It was published by Waterloo Press in 2013.
As an INSCRIBE member a professional development programme for writers, Akila is writing her first
short stories collection in 2014. Writing and working in the creative sector has lead to international
opportunities. The first as part of the Cultural Leadership Programme Hot House in 2009 for artistic
research in Liberia, leading to new partnership working and writing including the published poem Red
Saviour. Akila also took part in the first Fringe Saint Lucia and Brighton Festival 2014 in both locations
as part of an international cohort of writers working in schools and public spaces.
Akila is an accredited coach to support writers and artists and young people in their creative
ambitions. This includes working with groups, schools and artistic events.
East Sussex BME Health & Social Care Forum
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