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THE CITY
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BRISTOL Meet creative producer, curator, artist and maker Josephine Gyasi As a creative producer I work from home or in the Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) building. Renting a desk at Unit 8 Studios was a blessing during lockdown, but I have now moved to a new CARGO space. I have options!
Songs of the sea Not since the 19th century have sea shanties been so popular. The incredible success of Wellerman on TikTok brought the genre to a new audience and became a life-changing track for Bristol’s best-known shanty crew The Longest Johns (see interview, p24) who signed a record deal after filming videos aboard the SS Great Britain during lockdown. Now, in conjunction with the Docks Heritage Weekend, Bristol is to play host to 10 of the best shanty crews around as part of the city’s inaugural sea shanty festival. On 10 October, visitors can expect rousing performances on outdoor stages at The Underfall Yard and on Brunel Square, with plenty of audience participation around the harbourside. “There are major festivals to celebrate these great songs of the sea across the UK – Falmouth, Harwich and Mevagissey to name but a few,” said Phil Gibson, coorganiser of the festival and singer with High & Dry. “Arguably though, there is no city in the UK with a stronger maritime heritage than Bristol and yet we don’t have our own festival. This year is the first step towards putting that right, with 10 or more crews performing across four great open-air venues, from lunchtime to early evening. “Our crew meet up every week to practice our songs and enjoy a beer together. The fun, social side of shanty singing is the reason we do it but it has to be said that we live for the next performance – there is a bit of a showman in all of us!” Co-organiser Thomasina Gibson hopes the event will become a regular addition to Bristol’s renowned festival calendar: “We have a wealth of shanty talent here in the South West with at least 60 crews between Bristol and Cornwall and down to the south coast. This event heralds the start of what we hope will become a regular celebration. Bristol deserves to host a major international music festival featuring the songs of the sea and attracting thousands of visitors to our amazing city.” • facebook.com/bristolshanty
12 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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OCTOBER 2021
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My day begins with... lemon water! Then I exercise – African dance on YouTube, skipping in the garden, a yoga sequence or 10-minute meditation. I’m not too hard on myself if I don’t get this all in – some days I roll out of bed, stretch and that’s it – but I do my best to get at least one of these in before facing the world. After work I usually have an activity or freelance work to do, and always finish a day with a nice meal. I love cooking. One constant in my day is the voice note – it’s my favourite way of communicating and working. Abena is my middle name – the Ghanaian name for a child born on a Tuesday – and the name of the skincare brand I’m working on. I developed it at university, inspired by DIY natural skincare. The aim is not all about selling products, but skill-sharing within a community, providing the kit to support easy, safe skincare at home. I have started to make bespoke batches of shea body butter, as an opportunity for customers to feed back on recipes and learn along the way. Commissioned by Play Disrupt, I’m leading on engaging the local community on Colston Road to create a visual response to the name of the road through public art. I also recently started lecturing first-year product design students at UWE. It’s a dream to be able to support students, learning from my own experiences. I co-run a record label and event Club DJembe, celebrating UK funky, funky house, Afrobeats, gqom, tribal, dub and everything in between. We have a monthly show on SWU FM and have worked with some amazing artists to create top-tier music releases and guest mixes. Come and party with us on 16 October – it’ll be our first stand-up party since the pandemic so it’s going to be special.
Image by Tasha Hylton
Bristol will host 10 of the best shanty crews this month
beautiful green spots which I can’t get enough of. My top city venue right now, though, is Cafe Cuba: unmatched vibes, authentic food. KWMC arts programme manager Martha King deserves a shout-out – a passionate individual full of creative ideas and inspiring work ethic. Roseanna Dias too; she’s a powerhouse of a woman: artist, writer, curator, creative producer and all-round superstar, moving so powerfully in great spaces including Rising Arts Agency, advocating for real change, with grace. I’ve watched Rema Mukena – BBC journalist/assistant producer/radio host – grow so much in the short time I’ve known her. Her talents are unlimited. Check out her BBC podcasts. Will Taylor is the most charming creative producer, artist, filmmaker... the list goes on. I have been in awe of his tenacity. He has wowed me ever since we first met and has such a big heart, with the brain to match. I’m listening to Fiyah Dred FKA BAMZ – a producer/DJ/artist with the most insane talent. Just listen; let the music do the talking. I also discovered Yung Singh this year. I love how he brings his heritage and culture into his music.
If you’d like to support my work you can buy a print of my recently exhibited piece What Are Your Plans? – a poem in response to the killing of George Floyd. You can sponsor me to continue developing ABENA, or simply get in touch. I love meeting new people and finding out where we can support each other.
I’m a proud first-generation graduate, born in North London and, mainly, bred in Hertfordshire. Besides trying to better the world, my big dream is to be a potter. In the next year I also want to reach Ghana, continue to reconnect with my roots, grow an ABENA community and make more space for creativity.
My favourite part of the city is East Bristol – it’s ethnically diverse which is so important, and has a real safe community feel. There are
• Follow Josephine @josephine.gyasi (Instagram); @josie.gyasi (Twitter) @JosieGyasi; or visit linktr.ee/josephine.gyasi
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