Vocalise issue 11

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This is YOUR community magazine, if you’d like to be involved, get in touch! info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk vocalisemagazine.org.uk @vocaliseBristol @vocaliseBristol Published by: Vocalise Bristol CIC Backfields House Upper York Street Bristol BS2 8QJ

Co-ordinated and designed by: Hollyanne Schnieden

Thanks to: Rita Lynch, Jasmine Haque, Algiis Ausra, Tara Miran, Ella Hogg, Walker & Partners, Kavita Kaur, Oliver Fortune, Rita Gupta, Paul Saville, Kate Wells, Caroline Matthews, Team Unite, Mia Acevedo-Feron, Lucille Smith, Stephen Hammett-Perlmutter, Louise Clark, Lisa Whitehouse, Anna Ruggiero, Cllr. Mike Davies, Thangham Debbonaire, Christina Ennion, Aidan Larkin, Children's Scrap Store, Jon Newey, Carlos Casas.

The Directors: Vandna Mehta Tina Brown Lynn Mareno Judith Davis Hilary Finch //Kabbo Ferdinand All vectors used credit to vecteezy.com

Supported by

Regulated by

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Welcome Hello and welcome to our Summer issue!

As usual we're packed full of fantastic articles and events.

We've got a lovely article written by Mr Singh's granddaughter, recognising him as a central community figure.

Our newest writer Mia has contributed a wonderful piece about a group of girls who are tackling colourism.

We're sure there's something for everyone!

As always if you want to get in touch please email: info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk our Autumn deadline is 16th September Thank you everyone involved, especially our distributors- you wouldn't be reading this without them!

Wishing you a lovely summer, Hollyanne (project co-ordinator)

Contents 2 ... Welcome 3 ... Local Photos 4 ... Local Artist, Rita Lynch 5 ... Tiger Stripes Fitness 6 ... Community Cohesion 7 ... Walker and Partners 8 ... Local Hero 9 ... Library, St Pauls 10 ... Upcycling your clothing 11 ... Poem 12 ... St Pauls Advice 13 ... St Pauls Advice 14 ... Team Unite 15 ... Oldie/Therapy Rooms 16 ... What's on 17-20 ... Learning Centre Pull Out

21 ... What's On 22 ... Origins cuisine ..

Baba Ganoush 23 ... Recipe 24 ... The Network 25 ... Interculture 26 ... Music on the mind 27 ... Carnival 28 ... Taking Pride ..

Kurdish hello 29 ... Spirit of BS2 ..

Adventures 30 ... Star & Garter 31 ... Star & Garter 32 ... Kids Activity 33 ... Puzzles 34 ... Docklands

Cover image: Hazard A Bristol based Graffiti Artist, recognised world wide and mentioned as one of the top 5 female graffiti artists in the UK by the Guardian!

Vocalise Bristol CIC

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LOCAL ARTIST

RITA LYNCH

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Rita Lynch has recently cut a new EP “Wave” at the Picton Street studios. Music is a huge part of her life whether writing words, playing her guitar, doing a bit of drumming or working out a tune on her keyboard.

She has moved through hippy days, a period in the gay scene, and on to meet the punks though she feels she has more of an artistic, slightly folky style with her words than the anger of the full on punk.

Now in her 50’s, she was born in London of Irish parents who gave her the rhythms of Irish music, dancing and singing. She loved the songs and music of Bob Dylan and Garry Glitter, and in time Sinead O’Connor and Patty Smith. She hit the hippy trail when she was 18 and hitched around the world for 3 years and eventually arrived in Bristol to study Humanities but got into punk music instead hanging out with groups and squatting. When she was 26 she had her own girl band, Rita and the Piss Artists.

She played bass and found a manager and a record deal with Moles in Bath. “Call Me Your Girlfriend” was her first album cut in 1990. It was not the best deal. She was gigging on the gay scene in London and about the country. She eventually managed to buy her records off Moles and sell them herself at gigs along with T-shirts.

Channel 4 spotted her and made a short lesbian film including “Beautiful Eyes” one of Rita’s songs.

A documentary followed, “On the Road with Rita Lynch”.

Despite having better management by this time, she still did not get decent coverage in the music press.

She kept going as we know playing in Bristol pubs and during the Carnival outside the Star and Garter.

In 2001 her son Jimmy was born. She was making her album “All Dressed up” at the time. She never stopped gigging, but when he was 2 Jimmy started to have seizures and was diagnosed with sever autism. As a single parent and his carer, she still manages local gigs and this interaction has helped her from feeling isolated in her situation. Fortunately Jimmy seems to have grown out of his seizures, but still needs constant care.

For the past 10 years Rita has been playing with the Blue Aeroplane drummer, John Langley.

This, she says, has upped her game and they have made a few albums together.

Rita can be contacted by email: ritalynch05@yahoo.co.uk Words by: Hilary Finch If you are, or know a local artist (art, music or poetry) Please get in touch and we'll try and feature you in a future issue of Vocalise. info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk

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POWERFUL PEOPLE

Tiger Stripes Fitness 'Find your fitness, find you're fierce' Interview of Jasmine Haque by Tina Brown This is a story of a woman who has faced and overcome incredibly challenging and difficult situations. A story that relates to experiences many women have had, and a story that is encompassed in a simple title ‘Tiger Stripes Fitness’.

How did you come up with the name ‘Tiger Stripes Fitness’?

began to attend a ladies only Zumba class at the centre in 2013. Jasmine loved the classes. ‘Fitness and dance gave me something to look forward to. The music and ‘It was my son. I wanted to go to the beach with him movement made me feel euphoric and I just ditched but didn’t feel confident with my body and the stretch the meds I was on for anxiety and depression. Fitness marks, I felt ugly, and I have scars inside and outside. literally changed my life once again! I felt so inspired My son said to me: ‘your eyes are orange and your belly by it that when the instructor suggested that I start a is stripy. You are beautiful mum. You are a Tiger.' It was Zumba class of my own, I went for it. I wanted to give these words that helped me to embrace my all and get something to the world, something back. Though I’ve in touch with my inner fierce, my inner strength and my gone through a lot, I have a lot of love and joy to bring inner and outer beauty’. to the world. This community has been very ‘Your eyes are orange supportive in my journey and I feel that Jasmine is from a Bengali Muslim community vibes, togetherness and respect and your belly is stripy. family and was brought up in Chipping Sodbury; a community that very much You are beautiful mum. amongst women regardless of where we are in our lives is vital. We can support each lacked in cultural diversity. As a child You are a Tiger.' other in a world that constantly bombards she came to Bristol weekly, her mum us with the ‘ideal body image;’ where we ran a Bengali school. Jasmine trained from the ages are almost rendered voiceless when it comes to rape, of 6 to 14 in Classical Bharatnatyam, an ancient and sexual, and physical abuse, and left feeling ashamed disciplined Indian traditional dance form but, it was a and guilty about ourselves.

There are many troubled night at Bristol’s Trinity Centre that changed her life. souls and that includes the men too. I know that my ex ‘Imagine it’s 1994 and I’m 11 years old! My sister told was suffering, that he had his own ‘problems’ to deal mum we were going out to Jungle Book, and we did, with.

Yes it came out on me, but I hope that he too can only it was an under 18s rave! I’d never seen or heard heal and become a better man.

I hope this for us all, anything like it! There were so many shades brown! because we all have a Tiger within us.

We as women, I had never experienced what it was like to be in a need to feel safe in expressing ourselves, be it through crowd of young people where I wasn’t ‘different’. I lost dance and fitness or music, it all helps to find that myself in the music and fell in love with the freedom. expression and that release. So don’t stay at home, go I danced with no discipline. Jungle music became out! Find your fitness, find your fierce.’ my go to especially when I was stressed. I could lose myself in one of the layers of Jungle music and put my thoughts on pause. Dancing without discipline brought out an inner confidence I needed at that time. As I was learning to allow my own movement I began to feel less ashamed, about myself and my body.

Although Jasmine’s family were supportive and nurturing, they were blind to the fact that as a youngster, she was being sexually abused, despite her attempts to 'reveal the truth’. This affected her mental health and she walked out into the world with a lack of selfconfidence and self esteem. In 1999 Jasmine left the family home at age 16 and moved to Bristol, where she met the father of her child. Unfortunately, this man was also a troubled soul, who turned out to be mentally and physically abusive towards her. She was ‘trapped’ in this relationship that pushed her to the edge. Her family saw the signs, this time; however, it was Jasmine who at first refused to see it for what it was. She became depressed and suicidal. It was the moment where she reached rock bottom, completely gave up on her life, that freed her from this relationship with a very scary twist to the tale that thankfully worked to her benefit.

Indeed! What more can I say? When I finished this interview, there were tears welling up for Jasmine, it brought up a lot. She is a woman who inspires me, because despite it all, she is such a joyful and positive soul, and so full of love! And most importantly is accepting of herself and of others for all their ‘imperfections’. Jasmine has most definitely ‘earned her stripes’, and come out on top!

For classes check our what's on page!Jasmine also offers private hire party bookings and community sessions for events.

Contact: contact@tigerstripesfindyourfierce.com for more information or check out her fb page: Tiger Stripes Fitness.

In 2011, Jasmine began to volunteer at the Malcolm X centre in 2012 to brush up on office skills but ended up volunteering as a children’s carnival dance coach when our beloved St. Pauls Carnival was cancelled. She then

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Community Cohesion FIxing St Pauls Garden Story shared by Algis Ausra and Tara Miran Meeting Algis and Tara it is clear they are both very passionate people in their own right. Also, that these passions are shared through the revival of St Pauls Community Garden.

Tucked away behind white railings on the approach to St Pauls learning centre the gardens may not look like much but there is certainly a lot happening. Two years ago local resident Tara Miran tried approaching people about clearing and renovating the over-grown piece of land which was formerly residents’ allotments. Struggling, she fought on and eventually made connections with April Richmond. The council helped clear some of the worst of the weeds and debris and then things were taken over by locals.

'Growing in this space, helps grow connections in our community'

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S T R O N G

Tara was driven to do something with the space as an opportunity to show her three young children about growing and intended to involve the local nursery. She is inspired by and hopes for more intergenerational activity within the space. With older residents sharing knowledge with the younger generation. A breaking of barriers and cultural cliques in a space that offers mindfulness through returning to nature. Algis, among other, things brings prior knowledge and understanding of gardens and growing and we hope to get some tips from him in a later issue of Vocalise.

Throughout the conversation is it very clear that the project has no ultimate goal, it’s fluid and it works that way. On starting the project it was outlined that the garden should be an equal space. No one owns it and there is no hierarchy within the project. Community cohesion drives its success and it’s amazing to see people from all parts of the community coming together to work on one thing. With both old and young doing as little or as much as they like, sharing skills and watching the garden, and the community, grow.

The community garden isn’t funded and runs purely on a volunteer basis.

People have provided tools, tables, chairs and most importantly; time. The garden is welcome to all. Be it digging, weeding, planting or simply watching the children of the people who are.

If you would like to get involved and volunteer some time head over to the St Pauls Community Garden (Bristol) facebook page, or give us an email info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk and we’ll pass on your details.

If you're free there's an event being held 11th July, if you fancy helping or just going along for a chat.

Everyone is welcome.

Images show carrots, cherry tree, a rose bush found hidden under many weeds and some delicious looking courgettes!

Growing together Green news is in abundance this issue.

Introducing Ella Hogg, Volunteer Coordinator for Parks at Bristol City Council.

'It has given me the brilliant opportunity to begin to target our commitments to green spaces (as per the One City Plan) on ensuring all of Bristol’s residents are able to actively participate in parks and benefit from their environments.'

Ella cordinated a meeting between some local community groups and we hope to hear more from them soon, and encourage you all to get involved in your local green spaces!

Walker & Partners Interview By Lynn Mareno Martin Walker one of the three directors of Walker and partners based on Grosvenor Rd in St Pauls says that him and his fellow directors who started 3 + decades ago in law are back in the heart of the community of which they mainly represent because they wanted to come back to where they were all born and started their professional journey and mainly, to represent the community where they came from to provide a service for those they felt were inadequately represented.

Looking comfortable in the interview when asked about the community, Martin responds by saying that, he has served the community, but if not for the community they wouldn’t be here.

Criminal law is the speciality of the company although, they intend on expanding into immigration and family law, Martin is comfortable in knowing that, the high priority of cases the company represents from Black African Caribbean heritage community, where they have many success stories of people they represent.

The unconscious bias Martin has experienced in his years in law as a black legal adviser has to be changed he feels for the future of young people who want to choose this avenue as a professional choice with stories being told as we speak of many times he’s been taken for the prisoner he is defending.

The company comprising of Martin, Paul Whitcliffe, Michael Wynter want to open the way for young BME people to come and get some experience as a way of giving back in a new age where equality should be for all.

There should be more representation of our own Martin says, with our vision being for young BME lawyers to join the company to enhance and promote the profession.

You can reach the firm of solicitors based at 37 Grosvenor Road, BS2 8XQ or visit their website wwwwalkersandpartners.co.uk Tel: 01179424415

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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

LOCAL HERO Mr Singh W SINGH STORES Written by Kavita Kaur, Granddaughter of Mr Singh running of the shop, which means Mr Singh has recruited 3 generations into his empire.

Mr Walayti Singh

At around 9am Mr Walayti Singh lifts the shutters of his corner shop on Brighton Street. This task seems fairly normal to those walking past him, but the history behind this man is not as simple as it looks.

In 1962, Mr Singh boards a plane from Delhi in India to Heathrow Airport, leaving his young family to begin his new life in England.

He arrived in St Pauls and lived with his brother for the first 5 years, scrimping and saving by the penny to send money back home until he was able to eventually bring his family to England to be together. He looks back at this time in his life as bitter sweet. Mr Singh recalls having several jobs in those first 10 years that ranged from brick laying, working in a flower factory on Newfoundland Road and being a manual labourer. He even resorted to selling clothes off the back of his bike to the local residents because sometimes he didn’t make enough money. Through those jobs he says he made friends for life in the neighbourhood, despite having a language barrier. A memory which he holds close to his heart was when it was raining heavily in Bristol one afternoon and he ended up under a tree when selling clothes on his bike, he couldn’t move anywhere so he had to stay put, however, a neighbour (Eliza Pearson) nearby saw him under the tree and insisted that he should come into their house for a cup of tea until the rain calmed down. He still remembers this fondly. Selling clothes on the back of his bike quickly became very enjoyable for him and much trust was gained in those years in the community through the system of I.O.U’s. Some customers in those days could not afford to buy clothes outright so Mr Singh would let them pay in instalments for sometimes as low as half a crown.

Mr Singh married Savinder Kaur in 1957. She still remains by his side today, he regards her as a vital part of his success.

Together they had 10 children who still remain close with their parents, some lending a hand with the shop from time to time, some being a vital part in the running of the shop.

Some grandchildren have even decided to take part in the

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In the younger years, Mr Singh’s eldest son (Satbir Singh) opened his own sweet shop with the help of his father straight after the St Pauls riots in 1980. The riots were quite an eye opener because St Pauls residents demonstrated that the community had had enough of the inequality with employment and the lack of resources for their community.

There were some hard times during those days because he was afraid for his children, his wife and his shops. But himself and his son Satbir held the fort. This shop was the second of 3 shops (the third was on Grosvenor Road) that Mr Singh had run by himself. In his later years he bought and rented several houses on City road which still have blue marking on them from when he painted the house numbers!

Satbir Singh passed away in June 1982. This passing rocked the entire family. He recalls this time as the lowest point in his life. But then, the community rallied behind him and gave him all the support they could, through their presence and their advice.

As Mr Singh grows older, his legacy remains strong to his family and the St Paul community. He says every day that without the shop, he would be half the man he is today.

So, it is safe to say that the man who arrived in Heathrow was not the same man you see lifting the shutters at 9am… because his community has changed him forever, St Pauls has brought him a second family, given him insight into other cultures and taught him the value of community.

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Local Library success Introducing friends of St Pauls Library Written by Oliver Fortune

Besides Bristol city council’s decision to protect all of Bristol’s 27 public libraries from funding cuts of course, one positive thing to come out of Bristol city council’s 2017 neighbourhood consultation, which threatened 17 of Bristol’s 27 public libraries with closure, is that St Paul’s library now has a friends group!

On Saturday 13th April friends of St Paul’s library were joined by poet extraordinaire Lemn Sissay and lord mayor at the time Cleo Alberta Lake who helped us to celebrate the launch of our friends group with people from the local area and employees from Bristol’s library service.

As a friends group our mission is to put St Paul’s library at the very heart of the community and strengthen the relationship between the library service and people living in the area.

One way we intend to do this is by holding regular events when the library is closed with talks held by local authors about their books, like the event with Rissa Mohabir presenting excerpts from Under the Shade of a Tree, Somali women speak, which sheds light on the lasting effects of the disabilities that some Somali women in Bristol live with because of warfare.

We are always looking to expand our friendship circle so if you are passionate about public libraries and want to share an idea you have for an activity in the library, attend one of our public monthly meetings or become a friend of St Paul’s library please email bristolfriendsofstpaulslibrary@gmail.com; we are always happy to hear from you.

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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

North Bristol Community Project Recycling Clothing Written by Rita Gupta Climate change is a real threat to our present population and more so for future generations. The textile industry is the Planet’s second largest pollutant. It takes more than 5,000 gallons of water to make one T-shirt and a pair of jeans. The average UK household throws away an average of £1,000 worth of unworn clothing a year.

Building a sustainable future is a cause we can all get behind as it affects us all regardless of income. We want to set up a new initiative; Recreate, which delivers training in recycling, revamping and reclaiming textiles.

Delivering practical fun workshops will enable us to engage with a wide audience and help people gain a better understanding of sustainability issues. The training will also create pathways into work.

North Bristol Community Project has been empowering disadvantaged and under represented groups for the past 35 years. We want to remove the barriers that labels can sometimes create by encouraging intergenerational connections, where ethnicity, gender, ability or socio-economic background are set aside and our community is able to thrive.

The Recreate initiative has many potential benefits, it could: Develop into a vibrant marketplace that enables our community to access affordable, ethical, locally produced clothing & home accessories. We could deliver a mentoring programme which provides people with the skills/ knowledge/ training to reduce, reuse and upcycle their textile items. It would have a positive impact on the environment by reducing the quantity of textiles going to waste in landfill sites. Income raised through the sale of recycled goods, could contribute towards the creation of a healthy, sustainable circular economy.

Encourage people to spend less money consuming shop brought products & fast fashion.

Help people improve their mental health by challenging the view that in order to be ‘successful’ and relevant they need to be spending money they don't have consuming new stuff (the latest must have) all the time.

Inspire people to change their mind set, as they begin to understand the value of reducing their

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waste and being able to create quality products of their own making.

Provide a platform for other ecologically minded individuals/ groups to effect change Strengthen the diversity of what is currently on offer on the high street, so it becomes somewhere to share, learn & create, not simply a place to buy, buy and buy some more.

As part of the local Traders Association, we already feel a great sense of pride in forming part of the vibrant Gloucester Road. By delivering something new, we feel it would help to put us on the sustainability ‘map’, something we could all be proud of contributing to. We’d like to make our venue a ‘go to’ destination in Bristol for those interested in protecting the environment. It would be great if we could inspire every high street nationally, to implement similar initiatives, improving the lives of our neighbourhoods in a responsible sustainable fashion.

Hub near Coop on Gloucester Road, BS17 8NT

poetry

Poem by Paul Saville, Design by Kate Wells

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SAint pauls advice centre INformation on EUSS and windrush Written by Caroline Matthews Many local people have been or are currently affected by issues relating to their immigration status, most notably Windrush and the status of EU nationals after Brexit. St Pauls Advice Centre outlines three Home Office schemes that might be relevant to you and your family.

EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) If you are an EU citizen/EEA national, you and your family members will need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after Brexit. EUSS allows individuals to get the immigration status they will need in order to continue to live, work and study in the UK. This status means that you will continue to be eligible for: ● Public services, such as NHS healthcare and schools ● Benefit entitlements and pensions ● British citizenship, if you want to apply and you meet the requirements

To make an application you need to: ● Prove your identity ● Prove your residency in the UK ● Declare any criminal convictions

How to apply: Complete a short online application form, using a computer, tablet or mobile phone. It is free to apply to the scheme.

You need the following information to complete your application: ● Access to the internet on a computer, tablet or smartphone; ● A valid passport, national identity card, or biometric residence card (if you are not an EU citizen); ● A recent photo of yourself or the ability to take one on your smartphone or camera ● Your national insurance number, if you have one; ● You may need to provide proof of residence, for example bank statements, utility bills and pay slips. For a list of suggested evidence that is accepted visit gov.uk/eu-evidence-of-residence.

Further information is available at: www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families Or call the resolution centre on 0300 123 7379 or contact We Are Digital on 03333 445 675 for help with online access to your application.

St Pauls Advice Centre is able to help vulnerable people to make their applications. If you or someone you know needs help because they are an older person or have language problems, disabilities or mental health problems, they can get support at the Centre on 146 Grosvenor Road or call 0117 955 2981 or email enquiry@stpaulsadvice.org.uk There are two schemes with similar titles - The Windrush Scheme enables eligible people to apply for British citizenship or evidence of their Indefinite leave to remain in the UK. The Windrush Compensation Scheme enables affected individuals to apply for compensation.

Windrush Scheme This free scheme applies mainly to Commonwealth citizens who have been lawfully resident in the UK for a long time but do not have documents to demonstrate their immigration status. Under the Windrush scheme you can apply for the necessary documentation or British citizenship, there is no fee for this scheme.

You may be eligible for the Windrush Scheme if you are a Commonwealth citizen or child of a Commonwealth citizen who settled in the UK before 1 January 1973.

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How to apply: Download, print and complete the Windrush scheme application form (UK) or call the Taskforce and they will send you one.

Further information available at: www.gov.uk/windrush Windrush Taskforce Freephone: 0800 678 1925 You can contact St Pauls Advice Centre if you need help to apply to this scheme.

Windrush Compensation Scheme The Compensation Scheme provides financial payments to members of the Windrush generation who did not have the right documentation to prove their lawful right to live in the UK and suffered losses or impacts on their life as a result. Descendants who have been affected can also apply.

What losses will be compensated for?

Individuals may be eligible for compensation for a wide range of losses such as employment, benefits, education or NHS healthcare. The full list of losses and impacts that can be compensated is available at the website below.

How to apply Claim forms can be downloaded from the website or by calling the helpline number below.

Help with eligibility and form completion is available via the Windrush Helpline where face to face help, if needed, can also be arranged. St Pauls Advice Centre and Citizens Advice Bristol will also advise appropriately. www.gov.uk/windrush-compensation Windrush Helpline: 0800 678 1925 _________________________________________ St Pauls Advice Centre is a registered charity (1083010) working in St Pauls and East Bristol.

Our purpose is to fight inequality and poverty in the community by providing professional legal advice, casework and representation.

The information in this article is provided in good faith.

IF YOU NEED SUPPORT TO APPLY TO THE EU SETTLEMENT SCHEME THERE ARE A NETWORK OF ORGANISATIONS TO HELP YOU

The Home Office has made available ÂŁ9 million of grant funding to voluntary and community sector organisations. This is to help vulnerable or at-risk EU citizens, and their family members, who need additional support to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.

We are

St Pauls Advice Centre

and we have support available to help more vulnerable citizens.

Find out more and contact us:

Call us: 0117 955 2981 Visit us: 146 Grosvenor Rd, St Pauls, BS2 8YA Email us: enquiry@stpaulsadvice.org.uk

Poster-EUSS-Support-Annex-B_v3_A4.indd 1

30/05/2019 12:31

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YOUTH VOICE

TeaM UNite The problem with colourism Written by Mia Acevedo-Feron

These girls are raising awareness on colourism in Bristol and beyond This year as a part of Envision, a charity that encourages young people to campaign for change in their communities.

A group of 14 girls between the ages of 17 -18 years old have been focusing their project on colourism. They have been working over 400 hours and have done countless things to help raise awareness on the importance of colourism and the damage it can do. They hope to spread their message to as many as possible through the help of social media, radio talks, and going around the community and speaking to the public. We had a chat with them to find out more about their cause and how colourism can impact our everyday lives especially in such a diverse city like Bristol.

What is colourism?

What’s your main goal for the long term?

Discrimination or prejudice in the same ethnic group typically favouring lighter skin over dark.

Our long term goal is to overall raise awareness on colourism and to improve body confidence. Also to educate people on the dangers of being a colourist as many people may not realise that they are being colourist themselves.

How are these students involved/ what’s their plan?

We have set up workshops in partnership with off the record with an interactive way of teaching people about colourism is and how we can stop it. We also made a large art piece in one of our workshops where we got students to write what they like about themselves on a piece of paper and we have also talked in assemblies at our school to educate students on the dangers of colourism.

Why are you passionate about this cause?

Because when we first thought about doing a project on colourism we googled more information and some statistics on it however we soon found that there was very little information on colourism which we suddenly felt very strongly about about changing.

What progress have you made so far?

What responsibilities do each of you have?

We went to town and handed out leaflets to the public and we also conducted a social experiment after we googled statistics on colourism and couldn’t find anything. We also went onto Ujima radio to talk about colourist and what we are trying to achieve in which the broadcast reached over 20,500 people.

Maddie and Samaiya are head of publicity, Salwa and Ilhaan are our Project managers and Kamara and Amira helped to make our project video.

If you would like to find out more about the girls you can follow them on instagram to keep up with all of their projects and future events @Teamunite_

If you are part of a social enterprise or have something to say...get in touch! info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk

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REGULAR FEATURE

Thoughts from an OLdie Here we are in June, still in the EU and Extinction Rebellion and the media letting us know how much we are damaging the planet.

I was pleased that Bristol voted to keep our two members of EU Parliament as they have the experience we need over there and are both remainers.

Our future is uncertain.

In the meantime I feed the many birds visiting my garden and watch them dipping into water and fluffing up their wings and all the other antics they get up to. I enjoy reconnecting with nature, making sure there are enough flowers for the bees and insects.

Spring brings me out of my winter withdrawal and I get going physically again; digging, planting, pruning and tidying up. I feel so much stronger for this work. I get out and about more and it's good to see kids playing in the parks, and people meeting in street cafes.

Thankfully Bristol is still a vibrant place despite the waterworks everywhere clogging our roads and the resurfacing going on. Proof must be the great day of sunshine food and music we just had at Albany Green for the re-opening of the Star and Garter – a taster before Carnival on Saturday July 6th. Here's hoping the weather will be as good then. I find Carnival too loud (something to do with my age no doubt!) and hope that you young mums protect your babies' ears!

I would like to add, as one of the directors of Vocalise, that we are always on the look out for more talent, people who are good at organising advertisements to help finance this free magazine. We could also use more people for deliveries. Get in touch with ideas for articles, recipes, what's on, poems, art – whatever you think of - by phone, online or person to person. We are quite approachable and eager for more local representation.

Here's to a brilliant summer of fun, friendship and care of each other.

Hilary Finch

BS2 TherApy Rooms

WELLBEING

BS2 Therapy Rooms opened its doors for business in April 2019 this year. Based in the heart of St Pauls, they offer a variety of treatments from therapeutic massage, Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Facials, Body treatments, Waxing, Talking therapies, Body Psychotherapy, Energy healing, accredited Counselling as well as providing space to rent for small workshops, Yoga and Shiatsu 121 sessions.

'A black owned business with a variety of treatments...[and] a diverse blend of practicioners who can operate on a self employed basis.'

Lynn Mareno, proprietor and owner

A booking system is in place for qulaified therapists and practioners to rent either on an Ad Hoc or regualr basis

info@bs2therapyrooms.co.uk

If you run a local business and would like to advertise or do a short editorial please email: info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk

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What's On... regular eventS St Werburghs Community Centre Easy PC Free Computer lessons for beginners. Support with job applications, learn at your own pace and cover the subjects you want.

Every Tuesday 10:30-4:30pm Raking & Baking Free 8 week cooking and gardening course. Thursdays 10-3pm Tai Chi Classes for over 50’s Every Friday, 2-3pm £3 contribution St Werbees Stay & Play Every Tuesday 10-11:45 Drop in preschool baby, bump and toddler group Bristol Museum- Japansese Prints exhibition ends September 8th RWA Flashes to Ashes exhibition ends September 1st

Tiger Stripes Fitness (Zuumba classes) Thursday 6.30-7.30 women only at the Malcolm X Centre Wednesday 5.45-6.45 Trinity Centre (women only) 1st Dings Scout Group Hannah More School Thursday evenings from 1730-1830 Knowle West Media Centre Monthly meetups Sewing and textiles - 7th August Project Night Docklands/Full Circle Docklands has regualr events everyday of the week including girls talk sessions, mens' group and various sport activities. fullcircleproject.org.uk/whats-on/ for more details If you run a regualr activity or events locally get in touch withs us info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk Deadline for the Autumn issue is 16th September

July 10th-12th Circus Nights Circomedia 7.30 14+ BS2 8SJ

19th-21st Bristol Harbour Festival Bristol Harbour

11th CCS Adoption info evening 5pm-7.30pm Rose Green Centre BS5 7DR

19th-21st Real Bodies exhibition City Hall 10am BS1 5TR

11th Racism in LGBT, Interculture Hamilton House 7pm-9.30pm 11th St Pauls Gardens Feel free to come along and garden, chat or just enjoy the outdoors. Sure to be a great event!

11t-13th Marine & Natural History Photography Graduate Exhibition 2019 at We The Curious 13th Colston Hall record fair 18+ 10am-4pm BS1 5AR 13th Bristol Pride Day The Downs Tickets Available www.bristolpride.co.uk/wristbands/

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23rd School Holiday Story Fun at Bristol Old Vic 11am, family friendly event 28th HERE Fest family event, BS4 3AP

in partnership with

free Courses coming soon *subject to eligibility

ESOL - Improve your English (plus a FREE* crèche) Certificate in Principles of Business and Administration HABC Award in Accountancy CCTV Operator Certificate in Business Administration Working as a Door Supervisor Stewarding These courses start weekly and are run at St Pauls Learning Centre in Bristol:

94 Grosvenor Rd, Bristol BS2 8XJ (Bath College run these courses)

If you want details about the date and location of our next course please call: Bob Rashley on 01225 328 720 or visit our website at 17 www.bathcollege.ac.uk/freecourses or www.stpaulslc.co.uk for further details.

AUTUMN 2 01 9 Your pull-out guide to what is happening at the Learning Centre in the autumn term.

The Centre is managed and run by the Ethical Property Company.

Pull out and keep, or pull out and share.

St Pauls Learning Centre is a busy community learning hub. The centre has classrooms and meeting rooms, a creche, a café and a community darkroom. We also have fully tenanted offices. Our tenants all offer something to the local community: this could be support, information and advice or the opportunity to learn new skills and gain new knowledge.

If you are interested in booking a room for a class a meeting or an event, please check out our website www.stpaulslc.co.uk or call 0117 9145470. On the home page is a link to room booking. You can view room availability and make a provisional booking on-line. We also manage the booking of the Unitarian Meeting Hall on Brunswick Square. This is also bookable via our website. The Learning Centre is wheelchair accessible.

If you wish to hire the creche to support a class or event, please contact anna@bristolrefugeerights.org or visit www.bristolrefugeerights.org

Courses, Classes and Events Autumn 2019 Free ESOL Conversation Club No need to enrol, just turn up.

Practise speaking English in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

Mondays 10.30am - 12pm Bristol Community Learning: www.communitylearningwest.net Bath College free courses (eligibility criteria apply) See Bath College advert overleaf for contact info CCBED Free accredited courses start monthly.

Level 1 Award in Passport to Enterprise and Employment: • Develop your Enterprise Skills • Introduction to Marketing • Problem Solving at Workplace.

Email: admin@c-cbed.com Check out www.c-cbed.com or call 07908687534 for more info and start dates.

Learning Brains Offers English, Maths and Science weekend tuition from year 1 to A Level.

Taught by qualified teachers.

OFSTED registered childcare centre so those who are eligible can pay us through childcare.

We also offer family discounts.

Please contact Syed Shah on 07475081996 and book your free trial.

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August 3rd AfroFest Trinity Centre Bristol 9th Rita Lynch Boomtown at Freak Boutique 3pm

RED ADVERT

8th-11th Bristol international balloon fiesta Ashton court estate BS41 9JN

22nd St Pauls Open Doors day St Pauls Learning Centre and around St Pauls 26th Community Awareness Fun Day 12-8 Rose Green centre BS5 7DR

Did you know that the French for hot air balloon is La Mongolfier after the brothers who invented it!

31st August The Downs Festival The Downs 1pm-11pm Picnic in the Park September

Mina Road Park Free community event. Bouncy 7th-8th Coffee House Project castle, stalls, food and music Sunday 1st Shed, September The Passenger BS11-5pm 6QH

12th Aquarium Quiz Night 6pm-9pm adults only 14th Laser cut jewellery workshop Knowle West Media Centre 13th-15th The Island Open studios BS1 2LE 21st Rita Lynch The Old Book Shop, Bedminster 8pm 28th-29th St Werburghs Arts Trail Annual arts trail in St Werburghs

St PAuls open doors day 22nd August This day aims to allow YOU to meet and greet and ask questions to all the community enterprises in and around St Pauls.

We want to share our presence and our work.

Please come along to the learning centre and the other hosts.

St Pauls adventure playground and Paper Arts will be open for exploration and questions Keep an eye on our social media for more information leading up to the event! or please email info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk

If we've missed your event in this section let us know and we'll share it on facebook! Please send us a message.

b r o o k s d y e

This years St.Werburghs Arts Trail promises to be another resounding weekend of arts, crafts, creative performances and lots of fun activities. Spread across multiple venues throughout the local area.

For more information head to our website. www.stwerburghsarts.org.uk

b r o o k s d y e

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FooD For the People

Born a 3rd generation refugee, the decedent of a holocaust survivor Great-Grandfather and an American migrant Mother, Stephen grew up surrounded by a fusion of DO YOU WANT TO BE APART Southern/Jewish food and culture.

OF A COMMUNITY-BASED Stephen always enjoyed cooking for others COOK? and was never afraid to answer questions about his food heritage or any other foody queries his guests DO YOU HAVE A CULTURALLY, put to him.

AUTHENTIC RECIPE THAT YOU This all led to the creation of the Social Enterprise, Origins WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? Cuisine. Having passed a course from the school for social entrepreneurs and gaining a level 2 in food hygiene Stephen GET IN TOUCH INFO@ORIGINSCUISINE.CO.UK set up his business in October 2018. Despite still being a fledgling endeavour, the enterprise has achieved much already and seems to be bursting with potential. Origins Cuisine aims to collect the culinary knowledge of local Bristol communities and residents and in so doing build connections between people and places. This knowledge will be collated into a cookbook so that these recipes can be preserved and sharedthis is still in development so if you are interested in getting involved get in touch.

The aim of the process is to bridge divides and bring people together within a safe space through the connective power of food. Preserving traditions and show casing home cooking.

Stephen helps facilitate workshops where people can cook and discuss questions to do with race, heritage and culinary specificity that may be uncomfortable to ask in a day-to-day environment. Questions about Kosher and Halal practice are welcomed and encouraged as are explorations of heritage and tradition. Origins also aims to assists young people in getting placements in food and hospitality. With increase in youth unemployment and hate crime, the area cooking and hospitality can provide a career or simply an escape, not to mention a life skill.

If you’d like to know more head on over to:www.originscuisine.co.uk or email info@originscuisine.co.uk

ORIGINS CUISINE

Baba Ganoush, a food legacy Words By Lucille Smith There is no shortage of good falafel in Bristol and there are some good people too, but in Baba Ganoush in St Pauls (St Nicholas Road) you will find arguably the ‘best falafel in Bristol’ and two of the best people. There is always a warm welcome from husband and wife team Mr and Mrs Falafel…I mean Shad and Dael Sampson.

In 1993 Shad had 5 restaurants in London. In 2006 he sold up and moved to Bristol and opened three on Mina road, Biblos wraps, Biblos cake, and Pasta Factory. There have been other restaurants around Bristol including the first Baba Ganoush in Easton. Do you remember Mr Falafel on Church Road and Stokes Croft? That was Shad.

Dael became involved when Baba Ganoush was on Stapleton Road. She started helping out as a supportive neighbour, attracted by the way Shad operated his ‘business from the heart’ she eventually gave him her heart too and they have been married for 3 years and are a great team. ‘I go home every night so happy that I have made people happy’ she says.

With falafel salad for just £2.50 and a 99p Wriggle deal they certainly aren’t in it for the money. Their mission is to make it affordable for people to eat good healthy food every day.

Shad came to Bristol because of its community vibe and community is a big part of his ethos. 5p from every wrap goes to Bristol Animal Rescue Centre, they also donated 5 crates of falafel salad to the Centre for their open day, and a buffet to the Jam Jar for their 5th birthday. They support Bristol Refugee Rights, Feel Brave women’s football, provided fruit for Hannah More sports day and sponsored safeguarding booklets for Cabot School. ......

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cont...... They want to help the younger generation to eat more healthily too. After the summer Dael will be going to be going local nurseries on a Friday delivering vegetarian food and talking to the children about healthy eating. A local musician will produce a CD to go along with the project.

Shad would like to support a community supervisor to check the shelves of the local shops ‘It’s no good me selling good food if my neighbour is selling bad food.’ A new mural is going to be done by a local group. There are plans for a bike station with tools, a pump and free water. They already offer a free meal for new cyclists who have given up their cars and they offer 20% discount for police, NHS staff and teachers.

They have recently teamed up with Wriggle to offer the MindBlowing Falafel Wrap which is available from getawriggleon. com. ‘Everybody loves it because we are providing what they need love, money and food!’ (And the best falafel in Bristol!)

What is the secret of the amazing falafel? It’s the spices which are imported from Jerusalem every month. ‘That’s what makes them so special. Also they are affordable and they are made and served with love.’

RECIPE

Venezuelan arepas Recipe by Carlos Casas Arepas are maize meal based buns, whose origin is disputed between Colombia and my home country, Venezuela (if you ask me, we invented them, of course).

We usually fill the arepas with Caribbean and South American ingredients like black beans, plantain or shredded beef, but I went for something more approachable, so you can start including arepas in your diet. Oh, this recipe is also vegan and gluten free!

Ingredients (serves four): - 300g of pre-Cooked White Maize Meal - 500g of your favourite mushrooms - 200g of fresh spinach - Seasoning (salt, pepper, paprika) Steps: 1. Cut the mushrooms and set them aside. You can also chop some of your favourite veggies to sauté alongside the mushrooms later on.

2. Slowly mix the maize meal and a pinch of salt with roughly 500 ml of warm water, kneading with your hands until you have a soft dough.

3. After preheating a pan or skillet with just a drizzle of vegetable oil, take chunks of the dough and shape them like discs of about 10 cm in diameter and 1,5 cm thick. Gently place them in the pan and cook for 7-8 minutes on each side, until a crust is formed.

4. Simultaneously, sauté the mushrooms to taste, adding salt, pepper and paprika. Again, feel free to incorporate any other spices.

5. Once the arepas are cooked, open them horizontally with a knife (similar to what you’d do to a pitta bread) and lay the fresh spinach inside. Place the mushrooms in the spinach bed, and simple as that, you cooked arepas. Felicidades!

The arepa is a highly versatile food, we eat them for breakfast or dinner, and it goes great with most savoury fillings. Now it’s your turn to create your own recipes.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

The network what is the network?

Written by Louise Clark

The Network works alongside residents in Lawrence Hill, Easton and Ashley Ward to self-organise in the community around identified local issues, shared interests and passions!

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED? We would love to hear from you if you’d like to: ● Develop an idea based on a passion or vision for your area ● Share a skill with an established community group ● Attend a local resident-led event/activity (promoted through our Facebook page) TYPES OF PROJECTS YOU CAN DEVELOP Cultural events, street parties, campaigns, reclaiming community spaces, establishing regular activities, developing community assets, direct action, group development, fun days and fundraisers!

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU: Lou and Saed (based at St Werburghs City Farm) will work with you in Ashley and support you to: ● Connect with others that share or support your idea ● Develop your idea into action plans ● Access relevant training ● Share local knowledge and experience ● Provide resources to kick start your idea!

Get in touch Contact: info@thenetworkbristol.org.uk Facebook @TheNetworkBristol RECENT RESIDENTS ACTIVITIES St Pauls Walkabout: We organised with residents in St Pauls, led by TALO community group and supported by Dr Tom Allport and Dr Vanessa Er from University of Bristol, for a walkabout for parents and children to explore play opportunities and barriers around St Pauls. Children took photos and talked about what they had seen, during lunch at St Pauls Adventure Playground.

Open Doors and Open Minds: A resident plans to work with her neighbours to throw open front doors and provide an artstrail style weekend, where you can find out about all the skills hiding behind doors in just one small street. It might be art, cooking, workshops, gardening, upcycling or showcasing a lovely home. The Network will provide promotional materials and support residents plan the event. Look out for more information.

Health and Wellbeing Awareness: Two local residents organised this event at the Learning Centre, to support older residents, those living with a disability and carers, to find out about support services. The residents felt many local people are isolated and don’t know what’s on offer. Through a campaign of leafleting, posters and even a radio slot on BCFM, the marketstall event saw people staying and talking all morning, gathering information and enjoying refreshments.

Further events are planned now that other residents have shared contact details.

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POWERFUL PEOPLE

Interculture Interview with lisa Whitehouse Written by Mia Acevedo-Feron Lisa Whitehouse is ...the woman behind the St Paul’s-based community interest company, Interculture. Since 2015 the organisation has been supporting and promoting intercultural communication, awareness and sensitivity.

They also provide tailor-made workshops and training. I had a chat with Lisa and asked her a few questions about what she does. Interculture has organised several events, workshops, panels and talks to get the diverse community of Bristol together to talk about these sometimes uncomfortable topics.

What is Interculture?

We do intercultural training, events, consultancy and campaigns. Interculture brings people together to break down perceived cultural barriers, get people talking about unconscious and conscious biases, individual experiences and shared experiences, identity, whiteness, British culture, settling in the UK, and giving refugees a platform.

How many of you are involved in the project?

It varies, between 5 and 8 currently. We are always looking for more volunteer team members.

What projects have you done so far?

Our launch event was Challenging Islamophobia which involved a great mix of activists, academics, community leaders, mosque leaders, spoken word and musicians. Following the demonising and dehumaising comments Boris Johnson made, last September we had an interactive event at Malcolm X Centre with a panel of Muslim women.

The aim of the event was to highlight the individuality of Muslim women’s experiences and explore the ideas about misconceptions many people have, where they think they are often portrayed as the oppressed victim or dangerous.

Our Women’s Day event was all about hair and skin because I like to look at things we all have in common and we can all relate to, but then look at the deeper issues and historical context. We looked at the history of colourism, the history of tanning, the idea that afro hair is something you can touch without permission. One of the best things about all of intercultures events is that there is always a huge mix of people from diverse backgrounds. We have delivered several training courses to fostering agencies, housing associations schools and refugees.We have also been doing outreach work alongside our ‘I’m Interculture' photo campaign at Hamilton house and in the street, which was all about getting people to reflect on and discuss their own cultural experiences.

The main aims for all of our events is to bring people together, build stronger communities and give people a platform. We do not just discuss how we are going to break down cultural barriers we actually do it with everything we do.

Inspirations or personal experiences that encouraged you to start interculture?

Living abroad, teaching English for over 20 years to over 25 nationalites, my university studies around, identity, multiculturalism and the rise of the far right, I became mildly obsessed with the concept of the Other how it was part of the process that led to the enslavement of Africans, and how it manifested in modern day Islamophobia. My family is also a huge inspiration to me as my foster brothers were refugees. I have been inspired not only by the rich cultural diversity of Bristol, but also the high levels of inequality. I have also been inspired by people like Akala, Afua Hircsh and Robin DiAngelo.

Upcoming events In October we are launching our being mixed race campaign, and in October as a part of black history month we are going to be doing a panel called Black Men Talking.

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WELLBEING

Music on the mind

investigating the power of music Written by Anna Ruggiero “The good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain..”

Like a best mate, music is always by your side through the ups, downs and in-between bits of life. Having grown up listening to my step-dad’s rock band gigging in local boozers during my zany 80s upbringing, music has always played a major role in my life. From listening to Oasis on my Walkman during my late teens trying to work it all out, to enjoying the local sounds as I travelled through Nepal last year and still trying to work it all out, music always seems to compliment what I’m feeling. It’s been a great partner in crime for me during my rollercoaster teens, unsettled 20s and now my chilled (sort of) 30s.

Music has a power all of its own.

It meditates the soul through melodic beats, creates romantic moments between lovers, brings communities together, unites groups of strangers, and connects us humans in so many ways. I wanted to find out just how music stimulates our brains so I did a little research and wasn’t surprised to find that music is actually magic. Well, it’s scientific actually but it’s magic to me!

Did you know that music activates and stimulates almost every part of the brain?

When music enters the brain, it weaves its way to the auditory cortex – this is the part of the brain that tracks loudness, pitch and rhythm. Playing and reading music stimulates the visual cortex and when we’re dancing to our favourite beats, the motor cortex is stimulates. The hippocampus is a small curved formation in the brain which is associated with learning and emotions and plays an important role in our memory and is stimulated when we hear a song that takes us back to a happy/sad or just indifferent kind of place.

When we listen to music, all parts of our brain come alive. Front, back, top and bottom! That’s pretty impressive stuff and could explain why we can become so captivated by music. When I listen to my favourite sounds, I’m transported to a place of complete mind serenity. My racing thoughts disappear and I’m completely in the moment. A welcome break for my ADHD brain!

It has such an energy that it can create a physical reaction too. Ever listened to a piece of music and the hairs on your arms stand to attention? Powerful stuff. I wanted to find out a little bit more about how music effects our mental wellbeing so I got in touch with the fantastic guys at MusicSpace - a charity providing music therapy for children, young people and adults with a wide range of disabilities. MusicSpace use music in a specific way to help people with communication and self-expression.

Julia Dunn, a senior Music Therapist for MusicSpace told me: "It is known that everyone responds to music and has the ability to connect and feel emotions through listening to or playing music.

“At MusicSpace we use shared music making to help people communicate and express themselves without the need for words, and we witness the positive effect this can have on their emotional wellbeing.

“A parent, after witnessing his daughter’s music therapy session when she was very ill in hospital, wrote ‘making music is the best anti-depressant she could have’.

I couldn’t agree more. Radio 6 is now playing in my bedroom and I finally have the motivation to get out of bed, face the day and be amazing.

Magical music motivation!

For more info on MusicSpace visit www.musicspace.org and make sure you check out the What’s On pages in this issue for some music mayhem happenings in Brizzle! Check out our website too www.vocalisemagazine.org.uk for all things happening in the city.

P.S If you have a story to tell, community ventures, music happenings, foodie news etc, drop me a line at - anna. ruggiero81@hotmail.com

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COMMUNITY NEWS

St PAuls Carnival A CArnival of Celebration and Growth Written by Carlos Casas

We hope you all had a wonderful celebration this year. Rather than reflecting on the events of this year we decided to look to the future - discussing ideas for years to come and preserving the heritage of the community and carnival.

This year’s St. Paul’s Carnival faced the usual challenge of condensing hundreds of years of African and Caribbean heritage in a day-long event, and also the desire of a CIC board with multiple new faces to make it a safe, authentic and community-oriented celebration.

“New ways of engaging with [the public]" LaToyah McAllister-Jones, new executive director of the company, said the mission for this year was “sustainability, improving logistics from other editions, and giving the community the carnival they want”. With the motto of Our Journey as a common thread, the event was focused on acting as homage to our AfroCaribbean ancestors, and their influence on the Bristol we thrive in nowadays.

Regarding the role of local residents in their planning, she clarified that the board will look into new ways of engaging with them, discarding public meetings (not constructive, in her opinion) whilst maintaining the drop-in sessions, and working with local organisations to rebuild the relationship between company and community.

Future plans There is much more to Saint Paul’s Carnival in the mind of McAllister-Jones and her colleagues. They intend to break the once-ayear model and turn it into a year round group of cultural events and activities, with the name Carnival 360 as a possible umbrella brand.

“We need more spaces to showcase our talent, and more ways to educate ourselves and the rest about our heritage”, she insists.

For LaToyah, the best way to guarantee a sustainable and successful carnival for many years to come is through education and preparing the new generations. “We (the CIC) have to make the most of our time here, and then pass the torch to the newcomers”, she says.

It seems like our carnival is moving towards a broader and more ambitious approach,

“We need more spaces to showcase our talent" while trying not to forget where it comes from, and the people that fuel this entire event: the community.

If you would like to write about your experience of carnival, from this year or years before please get in touch. We'd love to showcase your stories and memories on our website and social media.

Send us photos too, we may feature you in the next issue! info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk

27

POLITICS

Taking Pride Written By Cllr. Mike Davies

The month I’m writing this article, June, is LGBT+ pride month, and in July Bristol Pride is celebrated.

There are a range of events happening in the first two weeks of July, the main day being 13 July where there is a march through central Bristol, an event on the Downs, and several after-parties (see bristolpride.co.uk). In June and July people around the world are celebrating their identities and the achievements of LGBT+ rights movements. The achievements of these movements have been immense, and there is a lot to celebrate, but there is also much left to fight for, with many countries criminalising LGBT lives, in some cases with the death penalty.

Recently you may have seen coverage of an attempt by Brunei (a small country in Southeast Asia) to introduce stoning to death as a punishment for homosexuality. Although Brunei eventually backtracked on this plan, and in many countries important advances are being made (India recently legalised same-sex relations, for example), in many other places the situation for LGBT+ people is getting worse, as populist leaders (Trump, Bolsonaro, Putin etc.) stigmatise LGBT+ people along with other groups in the population.

It is not just in countries like Brazil and Russia where things are getting worse. In the UK, hate crime against LGBT+ people has risen 144% since 2014. You may have seen a news story recently about two women on a London bus who were physically assaulted because of their sexuality. The assailants were teenagers, which shows how important it is that young people receive LGBT+-inclusive relationships and sex education.

If Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister, perhaps forming a pact with Nigel Farage and the Brexit Party for the general election, the situation for LGBT+ people may only get worse. Both men have a questionable record on LGBT+ issues, and a recently-elected Brexit Party MP for the South West (Ann Widdecombe) recently reiterated a long-held view that gay people may be able to be ‘cured’ by science.a Bristol has a rich LGBT+ history, and you can find out more about this on the council’s Pinpoint map service (maps.bristol.gov.uk). Click on the ‘Historic information’ tab on the left, and then on the ‘LGBT life’ box to find out about LGBT+ venues and events in history around the city – there are several entries for Stokes Croft, St Pauls and St Werburghs. You can also use Pinpoint maps to find a whole range of useful and interesting information, such as about listed buildings, historic maps of Bristol, ward boundaries, polling stations, bus stops, cycle routes and planning applications.

So please support Pride if you can this year and in future years. Our city and community must stand strong against a rising tide of hate and bigotry.

Hello from Kurdish Community ‫ﺳﻼو ﻟﮫ ﻧﺎوه ﻧدى ﻛوردﯾﮫ وه‬ ‫ﺷوﻋﻠﮫ ﺳﻠﯾﻣﺎن–ﺋﺎﻣﺎده ﻛردﻧﻰ‬

Slaw -‫ﺳﻼو‬

This is how we say hello in Kurdish, tell us which language you speak and how you say hello in your language

‫ﺳﻼو‬SLAW ،‫ﻧﺎوه ﻧدى ﻛوردى ﺳﻼو ﻟﮫ ﺧوﯾﻧﮫ راﻧﻰ ده ﻛﺎت‬ ،‫ﺋﮫ ﻣﮫ ش ﭼوﻧﯾﺗﻰ وﺗﻧﻰ ﺳﻼوه ﻟﮫ زﻣﺎﻧﻰ ﻛوردﯾدا‬ ‫ﭘﯾﻣﺎﻧﺑﻠﻰ ﺗو ﺑﮫ چ زﻣﺎﻧﯾك ﺋدوﯾﯾت و ﺳﻼوﻛردن‬ ............... ‫ﭼوﻧﮫ ﻟﮫ ﻛﻠﺗور و زﻣﺎﻧﻰ ﺗودا‬ 28

‫وﯾﻧﮫ ﯾﺎﺧود ﻧوﺳﯾﻧﮫ ﻛﺎﻧﺗﺎن ﺑﻧﯾرن ﺑو ﺋﮫ م ﺋﯾﻣﮫ ﯾل ﯾﺎﺧود واﺗس ﺋﺎﭘﮫ ى ﺧواره وه‬

We'd really love to share the diverse array of languages in the Ashley Ward community.

Email: info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk and let us know how you say 'hello' We're also looking for a longer dual language article to share something special about your culture. So, if you speak one or more languages please get in touch!

POLITICS

THe Spirit of BS2 Written By Thangham Debbonaire Recently I was delighted to see the latest of the murals of Iconic Black Bristolians by Michele Curtis and the Paintsmiths go up in St Paul's- this one of Roy Hackett and the Bristol Bus Boycott he helped to lead in the 1960s, along with Owen Henry, who is the subject of the first mural (City Road), and others.

The second is of Delores Campbell, on Campbell St, who was the first woman member of the Commonwealth Coordination Committee which highlighted the grave injustices of racial discrimination in Bristol in the 1960s and campaigned against them. She also fostered many children and helped to start the very first St Paul's Carnival we now all love so much.

Each of these murals is an uplifting reminder of the history of BS2 and of the remarkable people in our midst. Thanks to them we have community facilities such as the Malcolm X Centre, Lakota, St Paul’s Adventure playground and the refurbished Star and Garter pub. It's the people who make these places work, inside and out. Malcolm X Centre recently hosted the magnificent Chineke! Orchestra, an all-black and minority ethnic group who are transforming the perceptions of classical music as being somehow ‘not for us’. It was a packed event with a specially commissioned piece to commemorate the Bristol Bus Boycott, and we owe Dr Marie-Annick Gournet our thanks for all she is doing to bring the resources of St George's Hall to BS2.

We are now days away from the 2019 St Paul's Carnival [as I write this] - thanks to the dedication of many wonderful people who gave us all such joy last year when their hard work returned Carnival to our streets!

As I write, however, we're dealing with the sad news of a fatal stabbing in our area, another tragic incident of knife crime, with terrible consequences. This is not who we are. I am proud of how our neighbourhoods come together to reject knife crime and protect and support our young people. Let's make sure that the joyful experience of Carnival reminds us again who we really are, spending the day with love and respect, and pride in our history and hope for our future. Have a safe and joyful Carnival and a happy summer!

PS - do contact me at Thangam.debbonaire.mp@parliament.uk or my office on 0117 3790980 if you need my help advocating on your behalf. if something has gone wrong with a government department (e.g. DWP, Home Office, NHS) my team and I will always do our best to help!

YOUTH VOICE

What an Adventure!

Written By Christina Ennion

As a year 5 pupil from Cabot Primary School, I went to Deanfield Study Centre for 3 days in May. Before this fantastic trip I felt very excited but a bit nervous as well because I didn’t know what activities we would do. Some of my friends were nervous as well, because it was the first time they’d stayed away from home.

But as we arrived, we were all too excited to feel worried! We did loads of things like stream walking and did a nature study where we got to look inside a bluebird’s nest with a hidden camera. We even went on a fun, but scary, zip wire. It was built on a very high tree with a platform where we were attached to a harness, then we jumped off. The place we were staying in was very comfortable and had delicious meals that we looked forward to. My favourite activity was the tunnels. You climbed into either the big or small tunnels, where there was a ball pit, slide and latches on the tops of the tunnels so you could have light or darkness when you climbed through. I explored all the tunnels with my friends because it was so much fun! We stayed with another school called Bannerman Road, which is nearby in Easton. We were sad to go back to Bristol, but the year 5 children could go again next year! – By Christina Ennion, a year 5 pupil.

Aged 10.

Cabot is a successful, high achieving primary school in the heart of St Pauls. It was rated “Good” by Ofsted in November 2018). Our vision is to learn together, respect each other and achieve forever. We have some great facilities, our own library, the Art Room, ICT suite and outdoor science & play areas that enable us to do this, along with some great staff who deliver a “curriculum rich in experiences to motivate pupils” (Ofsted 2018-19). To find out more about this lovely school and whether there are still any spaces in your child’s year group please check out the website www.cabot.bristol.sch.uk or email cabotp@bristolschools.uk or phone 0117 3772630

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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Star and Garter celebrating the reopening of A local pub Written By Tina Brown Last year, a successful campaign to save the Iconic Star and Garter pub from developers was celebrated with a huge sign that said, ‘Site Acquired…To Stay a Pub’.

‘Apologies to those who wanted to turn it into flats’, said Malcolm Haynes who is the sole proprietor and manager of the pub that will continue to be run as a ‘family affair’.

And on Saturday the 1st of June the community were invited to come together once again for the grand and spectacular reopening of the newly renovated Star and Garter.

When I arrived at 10.30am, the square was already buzzing with activity as everything was being put in place ready for the ‘party’. It looked organised and well thought out, with a big stage ready and waiting for a mix of performers and DJs. As the day rolled on, heads nodding in greeting to familiar local faces, some young local talent got on stage. It always warms my heart to see these youngsters having the honour of sharing a stage alongside some heavyweight names.

Just the kind of inspiration and acknowledgement they need, especially with the backdrop of whispers and anticipation about the eagerly anticipated headliner act Damien Marley!

The party went down “with the kind of bang that people are going to be talking about for many years to come”. Ronnie Size manned the decks, (and has, according to rumours, taken residency inside the juke box)! “And Damien Marley performed on the green outside the pub to a couple of thousand locals who could barely believe what they were seeing. Inside the Star, something more familiar to older Brook Road residents was playing. Among the many artefacts of Bristol’s rich black cultural history, that now adorn the pub’s walls; a lovingly restored 1960’s juke-box was pumping out Born Jamaican by The Astronauts. It’s one tune out of many that I’ve compiled and recorded into 50 mini mixes from DJ Derek’s collection, […].

It’s taken me the past couple of months and I can honestly say that it’s been the most emotional and rewarding work I’ve ever done, not to mention the greatest honour I could have ever imagined. […]

Today, Derek’s music is back where it belongs.” Said Count Skylarkin in his facebook post on the event.

Yes, a day to remember, as history and culture get etched into the very fabric of this community.

The grand opening was a massive success, and over the limit of people coming. However, everything was well planned with no ‘car movement’ around the square and security in place. The vibes were really

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good and the whole community came together. It was a big ‘opening statement’. But then would one expect any less from Malcolm Haynes, a senior figure in organising the Glastonbury festival and a promoter of music in the city for a generation, who was also a key figure in getting St. Pauls Carnival back up and running.

When I walked into the pub on Saturday, I have to admit that I didn’t notice the ‘many artefacts’ on the walls’ of which Ronnie Size and Lawrence Hoo invested time and energy to collect. Sylvia Marshall and Kate were responsible for gathering and designing the interior of the new Star and Garter and have done an incredible job! However, it was the overall atmosphere that has been created that struck me immediately and my eyes were continually drawn to the speakers that make up the bar. Qualitex built speakers, QSS boxes, the real deal! Some of which, I’m very happy to mention, are active and in use. A lot of thought and consideration has gone into this renovation, and I will most definitely go in for a drink and take a really good look at the artefacts! Malcolm said, last year; ‘This is a venue full of music history that has always welcomed all-comers and we are looking forward to reinstating the vibe of the legendary former landlord and friend, Dutty Ken’. Though the pub is all newly refurbished, there is an incredible amount of attention to detail and sensitivity to the character of its former owner, and it still looks dark and old! I did think that the painters and decorators might have forgotten about the toilets…then again, maybe not??

‘The Star and Garter is an iconic pub and we are not just continuing the legacy of Ken but of this pub being an African Caribbean pub’. This is ‘regeneration. …[Seeing] great improvement [in the area] whilst still retaining its original strong Caribbean identity and vibrant community spirit’, and I think we are in good hands with the Star and Garter under the management of Malcolm Haynes. He looks to me like a man who knows his business. ‘Off course I

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT would like to make a profit from the pub, however, my consideration is first and foremost for the community we serve. I want this pub to be a community pub and to respect the neighbours. We won’t be open so late, it will be more like having a ‘lucky lock in’ and the music isn’t going to be blasting out’. It’s not going to be a pub where people from town turn up at 3am completely drunk. ‘I have a good relationship with licencing and the police, and I want people to come in and feel safe.

We won’t be serving people who are drunk and we won’t be putting up with ‘harassment’.

Malcolm has a five-year plan that certainly has the community very much at its heart. ‘I’d like to work with youth. Start a basketball team. And I can use the music connections to put on surprises. I want people to come to the pub because it’s a pub. And its location is just perfect for welcoming and including all members of the community. The parents, who bring their children to the green, can buy a drink and sit outside a pub that will be fuller and more vibrant earlier in the day. It will be nice to have music from local DJs playing on the juke-box, and gossiping with neighbours as to who Malcolm may bring in to entertain us all. I think this community will benefit greatly from the ‘connections’ Malcolm Haynes has in the world of music that will bring big people into a smaller more intimate space! I mean would any of us have had the chance to get that close to Damien Marley at a mega big concert??!! What a treat and what a boost to the local economy. Maybe the councillors ought to think more of the potential of investing money into regenerating ‘iconic’ community venues rather than building one big stadium to hold all the big people. It spreads the wealth, and acts to preserve the history of the communities that make Bristol the wonderfully diverse city it is.

I have heard shouts that this community is a community that is divided, however, this day was a fine example of a community coming together, to save and preserve their history.

We have seen many changes within this community over the past few years as the impact of gentrification has resulted in the loss of many local music venues and community owned ‘assets’ such as the Bierkeller, Surrey Vaults, Lakota, Blue Mountain and the Brunswick Club, all of which are to be replaced by flats, with very little consideration for the ‘social impact’ this will have.

‘This [gentrification] is what is happening to communities around the world’, said a local resident at the news that the pub was to be saved, ‘Communities are getting pushed out and pushed out and pushed out, until we fight back. And today is a example of us fighting back.’

This is also a fine example of a community rallying together and ‘testament to the power of the Bristol music and arts scene [being] greater than we realised.’

Star and Garter Music and memory Written by Aidan Larkin Many of you will know that the late, great DJ Derek and I were close friends, and that following his passing in 2016 I inherited his vast music collection - 25,000+ tunes - all painstakingly recorded over a number of years onto briefcases full of minidiscs by the man himself.

Derek first made his name playing records at the Star & Garter in St Paul's - a Caribbean family-run pub around the corner from his modest Bristol basement flat. This unlikely DJ residency for a white, middle-aged former accountant would become the subject of Helena Appio's cult BBC2 documentary in 1994, and Derek's association with the Star would last for 40 years.

Following the death of Dutty Ken, the venue's legendary landlord, in 2017, the Star was closed down for a period, and for a while it looked like this incredible cornerstone of the St Paul's community and Bristol's musical history would be lost forever to redevelopment. Thankfully this has not been allowed to happen.

Under the management of Malcolm Haynes, the newly-renovated Star and Garter reopened [June 1st] with the kind of bang that people are going to be talking about for many years to come. Roni Size manned the decks. Dave Chappelle presented the meat raffle(!) and Damian Marley performed on the green outside the pub to a couple of thousand locals who could scarcely believe what they were seeing. It really was the most incredible of days.

Inside the Star, something more familiar to older Brook Road residents was playing. Among the many artefacts of Bristol's rich black cultural history that now adorn the pub's walls, a lovingly-restored 1960s jukebox was pumping out Born Jamaican by The Astronauts. It's one tune out of many that I've compiled and recorded into 50 mini-mixes from DJ Derek's collection, annotated by interview snippets of Derek and some of his friends. It's taken me the past couple of months and I can honestly say that it's been the most emotional and rewarding work I've ever done, not to mention the greatest honour I could have ever imagined. I have a great many people to thank for their help, support and encouragement. Today, Derek's music is back where it belongs. Derek's Island Discs have finally come home.

If you have memories to share or want to write about a community event please email us! info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk We welcome all ideas and writers.

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KIDS ACTIVITY

Wonderful windmills You’ll want to capture every wisp of wind we get this sizzling hot summer. Pop these cheery windmills into your plant pots, impress your friends as you whizz by with them on your scooter, or simply blow as hard as you can, and enjoy the colours spin around!

You will need: 2 pieces different coloured paper that can be cut to squares the same size A penny, a pencil, a glue stick, a pipecleaner, a bendy straw, a bit of carboard.

Step 1

Fold your vertical A4 sheet so the bottom left corner touches the right side of the sheet. Fold so there is a diagonal line, then trim off the top. Fold the square piece of paper that’s left into four smaller squares, then cut out the four pieces. Fold each of the four smaller pieces diagonally, then cut them down the diagonal line. Fold each triangle piece, creating a bend across the middle (pattern side up). Repeat with a different coloured piece of paper. What a lot of folding!

Step 2

Draw round your penny on the card to make two circles. Cut them out. Mark a dot in the centre of each. Pierce the centre of each with the pencil, ready for later. Take one piece of triangle and glue the larger corner to the centre of one of the circles, so that wings from the crease bend downwards. Repeat with the rest of the pieces, so that they overlap. Don’t forget to alternate the colours.

Step 3 Once the pieces are all stuck to the circle, take the outer tip of each triangle and bend it back towards the centre. Stick it down firmly so it doesn’t spring back. Keep sticking until they’re all done. Once you have finished, take the other circle and stick it to the centre to help keep the pieces in place. Pierce through the centre of the circles and the pieces of stuck down paper. You are now ready to go to Step 4!

Step 4

Insert a pipe cleaner through the middle. Scrunch it on top so that the stalk doesn’t slip out. Turn it over so you can see the stalk. Stick the pipe cleaner into the top of a bendy straw. Put your lips together and blow! Watch as your new creation swirls around….and around…..and around….and oooops! Don’t get yourself in a spin and topple over!

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PUZZLE PAGE

Activities

Wonderful submission from William Saville A design for a computer game!

If you'd like any art featured email info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk

HIDDEN TREAT

We've hidden ice-creams all thoroughout this issue of Vocalise!

Can you count them all!

FUN ICE CREAM FACTS The world's favourite flavour is vanilla!

COTTON CANDY MAPLE WALNUT PECAN BANANA COCONUT ROCKY ROAD

GREEN TEA FUDGE CHOCOLATE VANILLA

The ice cream cone was invented by accident in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904 The tallest ever ice-cream cone was 9 feet tall! It was made in Italy.

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DOcklands Youth Centre

Taking community buildings into your own hands, Live from Docklands, Carnival HQ. Written by Jon Newey

St Paul’s is becoming a land of change. Some for the good, some yet to be seen but the speed at which it’s changing is dizzying. But amongst all these buildings, being torn down and built up, there are some pillars within our community that have held us stable whilst the world around us spins.

Docklands Youth and Community Centre is one of those. Sitting on the crossroads between Brigstocke and City Road, it was built in 1927 as part of Docklands settlement charity and is now the home to Full Circle and ACE youth services and also the year round Carnival HQ. It was the third of the Settlement buildings built in the UK and the first outside of London with the aim of bringing welfare and recreation to the youth of the poorer dockland areas. Skip forward almost 100 years and under the management of Full Circle and ACE, the Docks maybe lying dormant but Docklands is still alive and thriving and living in to this aim.

Each week this space rents out offices to local charities, social enterprise and cultural organisations.

It rents out by the hour spaces to dance, cook, talk and learn. All this with the aim of generating enough cash to support affordable, open access youth activity.

From a coding club for kids, to all ages fencing, this is a youth centre as you remember it.

Speaking with Kassim Hanid from the School Exclusion department of BCC, “It’s important to have buildings like this as multiple generations regard them as a consistent presence in a constantly changing environment. This is not only important for young people, but also very reassuring for local parents and grandparents.”

Over the past 6 months, Bristol Outreach Services for the Homeless have also made a weekly home from here. Each Friday this place converts into the warmest cafe offering a place to come, hangout, grabs some sneaks, eat some food, play some basketball and maybe get a new haircut.

If you'd like to feature or advertise in our next issue please send us a message info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk We are also always looking for volunteers so if you can spare a few hours let us know!

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Looking through the history of this building, it feels like it has a will to be what it wants to be with each generation living into the buildings original aims. Being the home to the city’s biggest celebration of our afro caribbean heritage the carnival streak is no different.

From some of the UK’s biggest recording artists mixing at studios to the discos and sound systems of the 70s there has always been a beating heart within these walls.

This beat lies in the ACE Music Studio these days, where the team inspire and empower the next generation through their work. ACE have been operating from Docklands since 2009 from a near derelict centre but with no security over the use of the building, it felt like the future was out of their hands.

In 2014 when the building was put out to tender, this almost became the case. Darren Lynch Burton remembers being approached with an idea of how the community could come together to take it on themselves.

“Delroy, from Full Circle, was buzzing with ideas on how both of our organisations could parter-up to implement a new phase of youth deliver at the centre, which was music to our ears. We worked together and decided to apply for a Community Asset Transfer, which BCC heavily supported. After a testing but valuable process, BCC approved our application, and the rest is history.”

The rest is history, and with the local community, businesses, funders and the council still supporting these centres, the future is almost certainly a bright and constant one too.

http://fullcircleproject.org.uk/

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We hope you enjoyed this issue of Vocalise Please let us know what you think by emailing

info@vocalisemagazine.org.uk We're also always looking for contributors and volunteers So if you want to write, edit, manage our social media, help with funding, deliver... or anything else please send us a message!

The deadline for submissions our Autumn issue is:

SepTember 16th PLease contact us before then with any ideas or advertising queries so we can make sure you get a spot.

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