Zia Ahmed Archives - North West End UK

Cutting The Tightrope – Church Hill Theatre

16Aug

By Tom ScottNo Comments

Scotland

Cutting The Tightrope – Church Hill Theatre

This is a compelling, provocative and passionate piece of theatre about artistic freedom, censorship and political activism. You may love it, you may hate it, but you certainly won’t be bored. Originally produced last year at London’s Arcola Theatre, this collection of short plays was written in response to a statement from Arts Council, England, in 2024, warning that artists making political statements either in their work or even on social media could be in breach of their funding agreements. Later it was revealed that the statement followed discussions with the British Government about artists speaking out about the Israel-Gaza war. We know the names of the twelve playwrights but we don’t know who wrote each play. Although all the plays are making serious points, some of them are ...

A new show aims to tackle Islamophobia….in a car park

Bradford based Common Wealth are a political theatre company who specialise in creating pieces in unusual spaces and this time they are using open sided multi story car parks to stage a new work challenging Islamophobia. Their artistic director Evie Manning co-directs Peaceophobia along with members of Speakers Corner, who are a political collective run by women and teenage girls in Bradford. It’s focused on the experiences of young British Pakistani men growing up in the shadow of the Bradford Riots, 9/11 and police harassment, and how their cars and faith become a sanctuary for them. &nbs...

Peaceophobia – Oastler Market Car Park

When feminist Carol Hanisch observed that ‘the personal is political’ she could have looking into the distant future and seeing this powerful piece about the experiences of three British Pakistani men in a Britain increasingly at war with itself. One of the more depressing aspects of recent British theatre is its seeming reluctance to produce work that speaks truth to power, but that is not a charge that can be levelled at Bradford’s Common Wealth who were set up to do just that. Peaceophobia has its roots in local activism when Speakers Corner – who offer a safe space for local Asian women – ran a car meet with Bradford Modified Club to challenge Islamophobia after racist leaflets were shoved through doors. Tonight, we are huddled in a draughty soon to be demolished multi-story c...