More a family than a club. By Helena Argyle.
The ‘We Are London Arts Club’ runs every Saturday afternoon for three hours at the Oval house Theatre in Kennington, South London. The club welcomes young people, 14-22 years old, from around the world to come down and be part of their ‘family’. The New Londoners popped down one Saturday to check it out.
Oval house Theatre stands proudly behind the Oval cricket ground and is a bustling hub of creativity and positivity. On a frosty Saturday afternoon we found Stella Barnes and her team putting together the final plan for the drama workshop that will take place within the next hour.
A sense of warmth and friendliness pervades as the team huddles together over tea and biscuits to discuss today’s agenda and welcomes the young performers as they arrive.
The enthusiasm of the club members is clear. Celestino from Equatorial New Guinea has attended the workshops pretty much since he arrived in London. With his sights set on becoming a film director, he has taken the opportunity to get involved with many of the short film projects that the company runs, in addition to attending the Saturday workshops. Having secured a place on an apprenticeship scheme through the Oval house Theatre, he is now studying filmmaking at college and is well on his way to achieving his dream.
Speaking to the young performers reveals a common theme in their experience of the club - that of ‘friendship’ and ‘family’. Soli, of Egyptian and Sudanese background, shyly admits that he has been attending the club for a few years. Stella overhears and engages in some friendly banter: “No, Soli, I have known you for ten years. I’ve known you since you were a little boy.” Soli rolls his eyes and smiles. Everyone laughs. Warm greetings are exchanged and it is evident that some students and teachers have known each other for many years, however even those who are here for the first time are warmly welcomed and treated kindly.
The performers stand in the typical dramatic circle taking turns at stepping into the circle and ‘acting’ how they feel. No words, no explanations, just the freedom to express emotion through their bodies. The rest of the group joins in, interpreting and developing the theme. Immediately the potential for performance as means of social change become apparent. Many of the young people attending have troubled histories. Workshops, such as the ones run by Stella, allow them to put their pasts behind them and move forward.
John, another staff member, is keen to share his point of view. ”I have worked with Stella for twelve years now, and the work we do is so important to enriching these children’s lives. Some of them have attended and afterwards told me that that was the first time they laughed. The ability to express themselves through drama is so important to these children.”
The family atmosphere continues to the end of the afternoon when the group share a meal together. Witnessing the warm caring nature of the group, it is clear why so many of these kids come back to the We Are London Arts Club each week.
With roots back to the 1930’s Oval house has been at the forefront of cutting edge theatre, focusing on what its artistic policy describes as the ‘antiheroes and underdogs’. With a string of political and socially conscious plays under its belt, it also strives to seek artistic participation from a wide range of willing performers.
Pan Intercultural Arts is an art organisation working with London’s deprived communities to encourage integration, build confidence, communication and transferable skills for future training and employment
For the last three months, Pan Intercultural Arts’ young refugee group and young people from the Bourne Estate in Camden have been working with Cartoonist Steven Merchant to create Eco Thunder Kid – The Cartoon.
