Respect Due

Museum of Colour

This is Respect Due. For this project we’ve invited UK creatives, journalists and heritage organisations to nominate an individual who’s had a big impact on their creative journey, someone they would like to pay public respect to. The nominees are people who have inspired and innovated in their field, people who have demanded change and paved the way for generations to come. Their achievements are celebrated with a portrait in the Museum of Colour, by the artists Grace Lee, Erin Tse and Naki Narh. Museum of Colour is a digital museum celebrating 250 years of creative achievement by People of Colour. In this audio series, you will hear from some of the nominees themselves… Museum of Colour is incubated by People's Palace Projects. Respect Due is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

  1. Stella Dadzie

    09/12/2021

    Stella Dadzie

    Samenua Sesher speaks with the trailblazing changemaker Stella Dadzie.  In the late 1970s Stella co-founded the Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent, a central plank of the UK Civil Rights movement. She is the co-author of the award-winning book The Heart of the Race: Black Women’s Lives in Britain, which was republished by Verso Books in 2018 as a feminist classic. Her most recent work, A Kick in the Belly: Women, Slavery and Resistance, was published in 2020.  Stella Dadzie was nominated by the Friends of the Huntley Archives at the London Metropolitan Archives (FHALMA). The Huntley Archives contain the collections of the pioneering publishers Eric and Jessica Huntley. They said: ‘FHALMA is proud to have nominated activist, educationalist, internationally-acclaimed writer and historian Stella Dadzie. Her deep level of influence has manifested itself across forty years as a constant, compelling radical voice, championing progressive black feminist perspectives – especially critical at a time when the prevailing climate supported aggressive racist behaviours and disenfranchisement of Black British communities.’ A quick warning that this episode contains descriptions of slavery and violence against women which may be upsetting for some listeners.  This episode is presented by Samenua Sesher and produced by Stella Sabin. It is a production for the Museum of Colour www.museumofcolour.org.uk   The music in this series is by Soweto Kinch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 min
  2. Hilary Carty

    09/12/2021

    Hilary Carty

    Samenua Sesher speaks with Hilary Carty, director of the Clore Leadership Programme: an organisation that aims to develop and strengthen leadership potential across the cultural and creative sectors, offering development programmes for leaders at all stages of their careers.  Hilary has been at the forefront of cultural leadership for decades. She began her journey as a leader as director of a small dance company, and had various senior positions with Arts Council England before she was appointed as Director of the Cultural Leadership Programme, a £22 million government fund for investment in ‘excellence in leadership’ within the UK cultural sector  Hilary was nominated by Samenua Sesher, director of Museum of Colour. Samenua writes: ‘Hilary has had a long and illustrious career in culture leadership, firstly as a leader herself and now as a supporter of other leaders. She is rare in her ability to be absolutely committed and consistent in a sector of many moving parts. She has refused to be trapped by diversity diversions and brings a searing intelligence to whatever role she holds. Hilary can do big picture and strategy while paying keen attention to every detail. She always wears a number of hats alongside her main jobs and yet she makes time to share wisdom and support informally with many. She is a shining star in a sector that is even parts beautifully inspiring and precarious bear pit. She has always inspired me.’ This episode is presented by Samenua Sesher and produced by Stella Sabin. It is a production for the Museum of Colour www.museumofcolour.org.uk   The music in this series is by Soweto Kinch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min
  3. Ferdinand Dennis

    09/12/2021

    Ferdinand Dennis

    Samenua Sesher speaks to the multi-talented author and broadcaster Ferdinand Dennis. Ferdinand has written three novels - Sleepless Summer (1989), The Last Blues Dance (1996) and Duppy Conqueror (1998) - and two non-fiction books - Behind the Frontlines: Journey into Afro-Britain (1988) and Back to Africa: A Journey (1992). All deal with themes of African, British and Afro-British culture. His non-fiction works were accompanied by radio documentary series on BBC Radio 4. Ferdinand was a fellow at Birkbeck, University of London and taught both in Nigeria and at Middlesex University London.  Ferdinand Dennis was nominated by Gary Younge: author, broadcaster, journalist and sociology professor at the University of Manchester. Gary writes: ‘Ferdinand is an elegant writer, both in fiction and non-fiction, who deftly weaves the tales of the diaspora into his work. He has been doing this from a time when terms like "institutional racism" were rarely uttered, let alone understood, and "British" was assumed to be synonymous with "white". It is the endurance of writers of that generation, who persisted with great literary skill and often with insufficient recognition or support, which made it possible for others to come after them, even as they built on the legacy of those who came before.’ This episode is presented by Samenua Sesher and produced by Stella Sabin. It is a production for the Museum of Colour www.museumofcolour.org.uk   The music in this series is by Soweto Kinch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min
  4. DJ Ritu

    09/11/2021

    DJ Ritu

    Samenua Sesher speaks with the brilliant DJ Ritu: broadcaster, event producer, co-founder of Outcaste Records and world-renowned disc jockey.  As a DJ and bandleader, Ritu has performed at some of the prime venues and festivals like WOMAD, Roskilde, Sfinks, Tate Britain, Spiritland, and the Royal Festival Hall. Her weekly morning show ‘Bhangra in Beds’ ran for over 22 years on BBC Three Counties and was later syndicated to Germany, Sweden and Turkey where it was enjoyed by a growing World Music scene. She went on to co-found the record label Outcaste Records. Today, DJ Ritu is a Concert Producer at SOAS and a member of the Mayor’s London Music Board and the European World Music Charts panel. She still manages two leading London club nights - Club Kali and Kuch Kuch.    DJ Ritu was nominated by the arts and culture journalist Tara Joshi. Tara is the music editor at gal-dem and is a regular critic for the Observer and The Quietus, and also contributes to the Guardian, VICE, Dazed, Notion, and others. She writes: ‘The UK music industry has rarely made ample space for South Asian women, and yet DJ Ritu has thrived and supported her community in spite of this. A key player in Britain's 1980s and ’90s South Asian underground music scene as a DJ, as well as a broadcaster at the BBC, Kiss FM and more, Ritu has also worked in more behind-the-scenes roles – for example, she worked at Outcaste Records, which signed the likes of Nitin Sawhney. DJ Ritu was also a founding member of Club Shakti (now Club Kali), a prolific British South Asian LGBTQI+ organisation and party, which has given a space for queer people in our communities to come together and dance to South Asian music. To this day, Ritu continues to champion global sounds on the radio, while Club Kali continues to provide a safe haven, both online and in-person.’ This episode is presented by Samenua Sesher and produced by Stella Sabin. It is a production for the Museum of Colour www.museumofcolour.org.uk   The music in this series is by Soweto Kinch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 min
  5. Amrit Wilson

    09/11/2021

    Amrit Wilson

    Samenua Sesher speaks with renowned writer and activist Amrit Wilson Amrit was a founding member of the UK's first Asian feminist collective, Awaz.  Awaz campaigned against the infamous ‘virginity tests’ performed by immigration officials on women arriving at Heathrow airport on marriage visas. They also supported South Asian women’s workplace struggles and founded the first refuge for Asian women. Amrit was also a member of OWAAD, the Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent.  She is the author of four books, including Finding a Voice: Asian Women in Britain, which was awarded the Martin Luther King Memorial Prize in 1978.  Amrit was nominated by the journalist Ruchira Sharma. Ruchira is a staff writer at The i. Her stories cover online culture, race and mental health, and her work has been featured in VICE, The Guardian, New Statesman and Broadly. She writes: ‘I have nominated Amrit Wilson because she has actively created a better world through her activism and journalism. She has proven that both can be used as a tool to implement tangible change for marginalised communities and in particular South Asian women.’  A quick warning for listeners that this interview contains references to sexual assault that might be upsetting for some listeners.  This episode is presented by Samenua Sesher and produced by Stella Sabin. It is a production for the Museum of Colour - https://museumofcolour.org.uk/ The music in this series is by Soweto Kinch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min

About

This is Respect Due. For this project we’ve invited UK creatives, journalists and heritage organisations to nominate an individual who’s had a big impact on their creative journey, someone they would like to pay public respect to. The nominees are people who have inspired and innovated in their field, people who have demanded change and paved the way for generations to come. Their achievements are celebrated with a portrait in the Museum of Colour, by the artists Grace Lee, Erin Tse and Naki Narh. Museum of Colour is a digital museum celebrating 250 years of creative achievement by People of Colour. In this audio series, you will hear from some of the nominees themselves… Museum of Colour is incubated by People's Palace Projects. Respect Due is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.