What it means to be a ‘child of the world’, sharing commonalities and wide-ranging, positive differences with others living in Manchester is put on stage in Umbrellas In The Sun, a series of poignant performances taking place in the city this October. Four, expressive performances in three-parts, researched, devised and performed by children and young people of refugee backgrounds and their friends, supported by Afrocats, will take place at Cross Street Chapel over two weekends (Sat 16 & Sat 23 October 2021). The youth-driven project culminates in spite of pandemic breakdowns, which laid bare stark information, educational and wellbeing disparities in the UK at a time of crisis.
Children and young people share dreams in every language and winning the lottery is just one that participants and performers with family roots as broad as Nigeria, Ghana, Pakistan, Syria and the Philippines have written into their scripts, transcending assumed barriers of language and culture to find commonalities and intriguing points of difference to learn from. Music, fashion and food offered more moments of inspiration, borne of workshops in which the children and young people explored each other’s distinct heritage, but also their citizenship of Manchester – and the pride and sense of belonging that brings. Something which unites every one of the performers.
Dance, singing, poetry and improvised performance will air the children and young people’s desires (winning millions, giving much away, but maybe buying a super car!), the food that welcomes them home, from Cameroonian doughnuts to yams and soup and will even explore the hairstyles that say so much about their family cultures. With bird song and the sound of falling rain, each performance is set to open with heartfelt, spoken tributes to and reflections on Manchester, the city that is now theirs and their families’ home.
Supported by an artistic team including gospel choir founder, Tosin Akindele, theatre director, Nikki Mailer and composer, Sarah Llewellyn, the group of children and young people bringing Umbrellas In The Sun to life range from just seven to 16-years of age. Each have taken part in singing and drama workshops with experienced artists to prepare them for their stage debuts.
Having worked alongside families of refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds for three decades, the project that has become Umbrellas In The Sun was initiated by Afrocats. Starting in 2019 with emphasis on using artistic expression and performance to build connections and confidence in children and young people, the pandemic not only interrupted progress, but also caused volunteers to expand their role, providing participants and their families with televisions, radios and internet connections as the UK’s information gap became vividly apparent.
Magdalen Bartlett, Chief Executive Officer of Afrocats, says: “What brings children and young people together are things like a shared love of pizza and the Tik-Tok video that is viral in any language. Through ‘Umbrellas In The Sun’ our group have found these things out for themselves, but also that they have felt what it is to be not only a child of the world, but also a child of Manchester. In these performances, they will express what they know of themselves, what they have found out about each other, but also how Manchester looks and feels through their eyes. They are very proud to be here.
“Over the last two years we have also found out through this project and Afrocats’ wider work how vulnerable our ‘children of the world’ really are. As the pandemic hit, many families fell into an information gap, so we had to find them television sets and radios as the news became an issue of public safety and education went online. Accommodation became less secure and we lost sight of participants as they moved.
Supported by Arts Council England, Children In Need and The Oglesby Charitable Trust, Afrocats developed the Umbrellas In The Sun project on the basis that not only do participatory arts project build confidence and develop skills, but that such opportunities provide support and outlets for children and young people put under distinct stresses by the UK’s asylum application process. Language gaps, absent social circles, access to leisure and entertainment opportunities and responsibilities as carers serve to deepen mental health vulnerabilities, poor education outcomes and limited employment opportunities in later life.
Umbrellas In The Sun is delivered in partnership with Women Asylum seekers Together, Safety4sisters, Manchester City of Sanctuary and Cross Street Chapel.
