Otherwise Silent

Talking with human rights campaigner Zita Holbourne from BARAC (Black Activists Rising Against Cuts) about the UK summer of deportations which has seen chartered flights to to Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, Vietnam Jamaica and Zimbabwe. We talked about what deportation and detention is, and questioned what the political intention with these actions are. Zita told me stories about people who have been let down by the system as deportation rips families apart and ends life chances. She talks through the impact of deportation on different groups of people from those overstaying visas, the Windrush generation and Commonwealth soldiers. Zita Holbourne is the chair of BARAC (Black Activists Rising Against Cuts) a UK campaign group that fight against racism, injustice, austerity & for migrant rights. She is also the co-chair of Artists Union England and a multidisciplinary artist. Sound composed by Zach Dawson, presented by artist and activist Amelia Hawk.

I talked with Katy Sadler and Sarah Taylor Silverwood from Feminist Work for Change about women’s safety in public space. We touched upon the public response to the murders of Sarah Everard , Blessing Olusegun, Nicole Smallman, and Biba Henry and how women are sharing their safety precautions when entering public space, especially at night. We also talked around abuse and harassment in schools and the need for education to be more encompassing and start by breaking down gender stereotypes. Katy Sadler and Sarah Taylor Silverwood work in the arts in Birmingham. They are both members of Feminists Work for Change a working group for the West Midlands that aims to address issues affecting the lives of women and girls, and to create positive change in the immediate and longer term, locally and nationally.The episode sound is composed by Zach Dawson. Presented by artist and activist Amelia Hawk.

Talking about mental health and motherhood with other mothers working with maternal support, birth education and art. We each talked about our professional and lived experiences of what the reality of early motherhood is for many vs the magical portrayal of a blissful experience. We touch upon subjects ranging from postnatal depression, the cost of child care, the need for support and structural inequalities to name a few.Joanne Masding is an artist based in Birmingham primarily working with sculpture. Katie MacLeod Peters is a wellbeing coach and works for Acacia pre and postnatal depression services. Rachel Nolan is a hypnobirthing and antenatal instructor, she also runs a parent support group. This episode is kindly supported by a-n, artists newsletter and the sound is composed by Zach Dawson. Presented by artist and activist Amelia Hawk.

In this episode I talked with Dr Juliet Stone about the way poverty is impacting society today. We frame the conversation by looking at the Minimum Income Standard which is used as a base line to set the Real Living Wage, an opt in scheme for employers to pay an acceptable minimum to employees. The conversation covers a rage of areas from intergenerational poverty, looking at children and families in particular, to the impacts of benefit cuts and the cruelty of government policy. Dr Juliet Stone is a Research Associate at Loughborough University, a part of the Centre for Research in Social Policy. The Minimum Income Standard is funded by Joseph Rowntree Foundation. This episode is kindly supported by a-n, artists newsletter and the sound is composed by Zach Dawson. Presented by artist and activist Amelia Hawk.

n this episode Angela Chan and Sahjan Kooner talk about their personal family histories in relation to land rights, ancestral knowledge and flora. They explore issues that connect climate action and race, whilst touching on wider issues of power and how we navigate power structures to create spaces for solidarity and action. It’s a packed episode! Angela Chan is a creative climate change communicator and runs Worm Art & Ecology, Sahjan Kooner is an artist and horticulturist. This episode is kindly supported by a-n, artists newsletter and the sound is composed by Zach Dawson. Presented by artist and activist Amelia Hawk.

I chatted to Labour MP Jess Phillips about her campaign to improve the Domestic Violence bill. We talked through the key areas she is asking to change including migrant women’s access to support why the government are more likely to acknowledge children in the bill. We also talked about detention centres and how we could dismantle these hostile environments and ending indefinite detention. If you are interested in supporting Jess’ amendments to the bill you can visit her website for more information. Jess Phillips is the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley and an avid campaigner for women’s rights. This episode is kindly supported by a-n, artists newsletter and the sound is composed by Zach Dawson. Presented by artist and activist Amelia Hawk. 

In this episode Chloë and I explore mental health and class, looking closely at how wealth and poverty impact access to services. We explore how poverty can exacerbate mental illness and wealth has the potential get you quicker support, potentially aiding a quicker recovery. Chloë shared some of her own experiences with receiving support and being able to access it, as well as introducing me to the “happiness policy” exploring how instead of GDP policy could be measured in terms of population satisfaction.  Chloë Maughan is a writer and mental health researcher.  This episode is kindly supported by a-n, artists newsletter and the sound is composed by Zach Dawson. Presented by artist and activist Amelia Hawk. 

This episode explores the ways in which the police come into contact with people suffering from mental health conditions. Running throughout the conversation is the impact of austerity and cuts to services and how this affects people on a daily basis. We also talk about custody, the polices duty of care and what the future might look like. The episode is informed by the book Dr Samantha Weston wrote called Mental Health and Offending. This episode is kindly supported by a-n, artists newsletter and the sound is composed by Zach Dawson. Presented by artist and activist Amelia Hawk.

This episode explores the circumstances that might push a woman into a crisis position and leave her homeless. We talk about the impact of domestic violence on families, and how their isn’t enough council housing to support people needing to leave their homes. This is creating a build up of women in shelter. By the end of the episode we have a general conversation about feminism, oppression and racism which turned into a really enjoyable rant. My son has added his vocals to this conversation so there are moment where it is a challenging listen, but if you make it to the end its really worthwhile.  This episode is kindly supported by a-n, artists newsletter and the sound is composed by Zach Dawson. Presented by artist and activist Amelia Hawk.

I met with Labour Councillor Sharon Thompson to talk about what Birmingham is doing to help homeless citizens in the West Midlands. Sharon has played a key role in setting up Birmingham's prevention strategy and has been the first Homelessness Ambassador for Birmingham and the West Midlands. We talked about what is happening in the region and nationally as well as laying the blame for the exponential growth of homelessness firmly at the Tories door.This episode is kindly supported by a-n, artists newsletter and the sound is composed by Zach Dawson. Presented by artist and activist Amelia Hawk.

This first episode is a statement of intent, having interviewed my mother about her journey with mental health from childhood to now. We talk about the dwindling support available to her and her re-diagnosis from Depression to Bipolar and now Schizoaffective Disorder. We talk about what that entails with visions and sounds, and how she copes on a daily basis. I am grateful to my mother for being so open and being able to launch the series with her. This episode is kindly supported by a-n, artists newsletter and the sound is composed by Zach Dawson. Presented by artist and activist Amelia Hawk.