The Playground Theatre and Siana Bangura presents
'An Evening with Siana Bangura & Friends' | Celebrating 10 Years of 'Elephant'
30th May | 7pm
A special event with Multi-award winning writer, producer and performer, Siana Bangura and special guests
Join us for an evening of poetry, music, and celebration as multi-award winning writer, producer and performer, Siana Bangura, returns to the stage to mark the 10th anniversary of the publication of her celebrated debut body of work, ‘Elephant’.
Taking us back to 2016, a time of socio-political unrest and change, in her raw and unapologetic style, Bangura addresses the elephant in the room and ‘magnifies the flames within us all’.
The evening will also include sharings of new work as the poet transitions into her next era of artistry, with a particular focus on memory and water.
Joining Siana will be a selection of fellow artists and peers:
Shareefa Energy
Tolu Agbelusi
Abu Yillah
Marcus Joseph
About ‘Elephant’:
‘Elephant’ is the brave and bold debut collection of poetry by writer, poet and performer Siana Bangura, exploring a wide range of subjects from womanhood, Black Feminism, racism, and identity to gentrification, changing urban landscapes, and love inhibited by patriarchal norms. No stone is left unturned. The elephant in the room is finally confronted. Bangura does not shy away from dealing with even the most taboo of subjects with a brave, bold and candid approach.
Grab your tickets and get set for nostalgia, reflection, community, and calls to action.
wwww.sianabangura.com | @sianaarrgh
BOOKING INFORMATION
Duration: 120 mins
Interval: 15 mins
Start Time: 7pm
Content Warnings: May contain strong language, adult themes, and explorations of grief.
Recommended for 16 years +
Tickets (All unreserved)
General Admission £20
Concession | Senior over 60 £15
Access for All | Unemployed | Student £15
Note: Please contact boxoffice@theplaygroundtheatre.org.uk for your complementary ticket for a carer/companion/friend
Siana Bangura is a multi-award-winning writer, playwright, producer, filmmaker, curator and community organiser hailing from South East London, currently living and working between London and the West Midlands. Her creative practice spans literature, theatre, film and live events, rooted in care, political urgency, community archiving and collective storytelling. As a playwright, Siana's work includes 'Swim, Aunty, Swim!’, winner of Best New Play at the UK Theatre Awards and earning her recognition as Best Playwright at the Black British Theatre Awards. As a filmmaker, she has won international awards in Chennai, New York, Los Angeles, and Cannes for her production and directing work on her short film, 'The Waves'. As a poet, she is the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection 'Elephant', exploring Black British womanhood and life growing up in London. Siana is also founder and former editor of the Black British feminist platform No Fly on the WALL; producer of '1500 & Counting', a documentary examining deaths in police custody in the UK; and founder of Courageous Films, a social-justice-led documentary production house. Additionally, she is the producer and curator of Siana Bangura Productions, a creative studio curating multi-disciplinary work and events with care and intention; and is co-founder and co-curator of the Sierra Leone Arts & Culture Festival (SLACfest). Across all her work, Siana is committed to moving voices and experiences traditionally marginalised, from the margins to the centre. More at www.sianabangura.com.
REVIEWS:
‘‘Elephant’ captures Bangura’s compassion for life – her own and those of the people around her wherever her travels have taken her. However it is her refusal to apologize for her blackness, her womanhood, and all of the intersections therein which make ‘Elephant’ that much more compelling’. - Joseph Guthrie, Media Diversified
'...as a debut work of raw emotion, style, the human condition, displacement, diaspora and the power of mothers in all of us, ‘Elephant’ magnifies the flames within us that should not be merely existing but burning brightly. Most of all, what ‘Elephant’ tells us is to never forget our past experiences; to never give up on our futures and most importantly: be thankful for our presents.' - Alex Holmes, Mostly Lit Podcast & Author