Burnt Lemon showcase their digital debut with In the Absence of, an interview-inspired series of spoken word music videos to encourage people to go #BeyondTheRepost. In the Absence of was made possible by the Arts Council England Emergency Response Fund.
Go #BeyondTheRepost
In the wake of Covid-19, Black Lives Matter and the recent exams fiasco there has been a surge of shares and reposts, offers of support and dialogue on social media by young adults. Sure, social media is a powerful tool for change – but it’s no lie that some of those reposts were potentially performative and detached from real world action.
That got us thinking about our own reposts, the stream from accounts that surround us… and ‘how the hell would we have navigated 2020 when we were 16?’ We probably would’ve been apprehensive to step into the role of ‘activist’ in the physical world. Activism beyond the repost feels intimidating, unapproachable and even physically unsafe. So in our whirlwind of inquisition, we’ve made In the Absence of.
Think of it as an introduction to activism. Watch as a gifted group of artists max out their skills to transform words exchanged via webcam and dodgy Wifi into something worth watching. Let’s stop scrolling and start making sense of the posts we were so quick to repost and the issues we say we’ll defend. In the Absence of will eqip social media users with the skills & understanding to go #BeyondTheRepost and use their voice in the physical world.
Weaving between interview footage and spoken word responses, Cara Baldwin & Hannah Benson (joint winners of the New Diorama/Underbelly Untapped Award & L.E.T Stepladder Award with musical Tokyo Rose, 2019), Munotida Chinyanga (credits include Ass. Dir. on Tree at the Young Vic) and Justina Kehinde (spoken word poet and alumna of the Royal Court Writers’ Group). interview inspiring activists, with a range of experiences to present a visual, spoken word response that unpicks common perceptions, offers different ways of engaging in activism and shows it exists in a positive, encouraging and welcoming environment. We’re drumming up that excitement you get when an epic music video is dropped. We’re challenging ourselves as well as our audiences to dream up and realise those small acts that make lasting impact.
In the Absence of is broken down into three short episodes – looking at three different aspects of activism:
Acknowledgement explores the journey of activism, campaigning & fundraising as an individual who identified an issue that has not been adequately acknowledged. Cara & Hannah speak with Cheer Up Luv’s Eliza Hatch, Maya & Gemma Tutton of Our Streets Now and Maya Pillay with her brand new charity Books From Herbie.
Authority uncovers the role of activism as a community where authority has overlooked it’s needs with contributions from youth groups such as Youth YOUnique Generation (Heart of Pitsea) and WE WILL (Ewanrigg).
Justice delves into global social movement in an exploration of what it means to protest, the different forms it can take and the need for a radical imagination to ensure protests transcend social media and helps usher in a new way of life. Munotida & Justina focus on three key areas: immigration with Sam Oladeinde, healthcare with Dr Annabel Sowemimo and faith with Naomi Maxwell, Ordinand at Hackney Church.
Burnt Lemon are this year’s Pleasance London Associate Artists who gained critical acclaim in 2018 with gig-theatre show The Half Moon Shania (Best Musical Award, Musical Theatre Review) before going onto create their multi-award winning, sell-out show Tokyo Rose. The musical featured in the Guardian & Independent’s top Edinburgh Fringe picks, before going on to receive 5 star reviews, winning both the New Diorama/Underbelly Untapped and L.E.T Stepladder Award. Tokyo Rose was hailed for its intense musical power, fresh contemporary feminism and political punch all of which have been integral to the creation of In the Absence of.
In the Absence of episodes will stream on 7th, 14th and 21st October at 7pm here.
