Rise Up Reflections
In 2022, We Are Here Scotland curated the first-ever Rise Up! Festival as commissioned by Aberdeen Performing Arts. Hosted across multiple venues in Aberdeen, it was a weekend of performances, talks, workshops and community spaces celebrating Black and People of Colour Creatives from the North East and across Scotland.
As part of the festival, We Are Here Scotland programmed and took part in a host of panels exploring different subjects. Those panels were recorded and in the lead-up to this year’s festival, we wanted to look back at those conversations, listen to them in a bit more detail and explore them one year on. How have things changed since those conversations? Have they even changed? And what do we still need to change?
This is the Rise Up Reflections Podcast
Find the podcast on your preferred platform or stream below (episodes released weekly):
Episode 1
In this first episode, Taking the Initiative which looks at forging and evolving a career and work within communities as BPoCs, you will hear different parts from a conversation We Are Here Scotland Founder and Director Ica Headlam had at the first panel of the festival with Briana Pegado. Briana continues an impressive career embedded in the creative sector, politics and policy, consultancy and much much more. Her latest work sees her facilitating valuable anti-racism work with organisations and bodies.
Taking the Initiative
Episode 2
More of Our Faces in Decision-Making Spaces
This second episode discusses more of our faces in decision-making spaces. You will hear different parts from a conversation hosted by Cultural Producer Tomiwa Folorunso, Independent Consultant and Campaigner Talat Yaqoob and Director and Founder of We Are Here Scotland, Ica Headlam exploring this.
Episode 3
How can the North East be more
supportive of BPoC creatives?
This third episode asks how can the North East be more supportive of BPoC creatives? You will hear different parts from a conversation hosted by Aberdeen Archives, Galleries and Museums as a Learning Manager Rachel Thibbotumunuwe, self-taught digital illustrator Natasha Falconer, self-taught Ceramist potter Leonie Cowie and Director of Film & Television Tim Courtney.
Episode 4
Why does representation within Scotland’s
creative industries matter?
In our penultimate episode of this series, we ask why does representation within Scotland's creative industries mattrer? You will hear different parts from a conversation hosted by podcast producer and music writer Halina Rifai with panellists Danielle Jam, Kumi McKenna and Mobo Agoro. Originally from Aberdeen, Danielle trained as an actor and now does this professionally, Kumi is an illustrator and designer and her work is primarily in print-making, and she takes a lot of inspiration from her Japanese culture and Scottish heritage. Mobo is a talent manager based in Glasgow working mainly in the genre of hip hop, he also runs the platform UP2STANDRD.