“We Are Here Because You Were There”

The title of Session 2 quotes A. Sivanandan, who was the director of the Institute of Race Relations from 1973-2013, and editor of the journal ‘Race and Class’. We will explore Britain’s colonial past in relation to twentieth century migrations to the UK, and consider the role of class in shaping social dynamics of the time. Topics will include colonial roots of Asian and Caribbean presence in the UK, forgotten policies that have shaped our landscape, race relations legislation, and amnesia in popular culture. The session aims to provide context and to challenge distorted arguments being further popularised today.

Workshop: Poetry in Motion, devising chants and rhymes for anti-fascist marches

With India Boxall

As we saw in the aftermath to the July 2024 UK anti-immigration riots, in which a far-right presence was visible both physically and online, a clearly stated ant-fascist citizens’ response was crucial. The anti-fascist rallies that effectively prevented further riots in England, and recently in Glasgow, demonstrated that not all had been taken in by misinformation. Not all were willing to scapegoat refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants for growing social deprivation in the UK. In this workshop we consider whether we can creatively address this issue with words that unequivocally reject racist / xenophobic/ or other exclusionist ideologies but also inject information, persuasion and compassion into the chants. Can a sound bite or critical aphorism such as Sivanandan’s reach the ones that might still have the capacity to change?

‘Present’-ing the Future / Recognizing the Past

A four-part immersion into historical and cultural themes in Debjani Banerjee’s Jalsaghar by Dr. Ranjana Thapalyal and guests

The references in Jalsaghar are rich and varied, encompassing the classics of ancient Indian literature, their presence in pop culture, and the politics of migration rooted in Britain’s colonial history. Most vividly, Jalsaghar brings before us the vibrant characters of the Mahabharata, India’s c. second-century BCE epic, a complex and intricately woven tale that has been told, retold, and passionately discussed through the ages. Contemporary interpretations and critiques abound, both in everyday conversations and academic studies. Banerjee’s selection of characters from the Mahabharata float alongside snippets of recent British political history, with its long reach back to colonial-era decisions. These characters also resonate with themes of migration and personal diasporic experience, of belonging, and the transgressions required to assert hybrid cultural identities. This series of workshops and talks delves into these subjects with the aim of critically contextualising them, exploring connections to contemporary questions about community, human relations, spirituality, and art’s role in reflecting on all of this.

There will be four sessions of 2 hours, each consisting of a talk and a practical workshop. We suggest you attend all four sessions to get a more in-depth sense of the issues and ideas we will touch on, but if this is not possible, you are welcome to attend a selection.