T.O.Y is a short film which seeks to challenge people’s perceptions and prejudices of young people. Following one local youth’s journey into violent crime, focusing on the adults in society who have a responsibility towards the young person. Looking at how this affects the young person and their emotional responses which in turn effects their behaviour and actions.
Click here to watch the film:
T.O.Y stands for The Other Youth and also makes reference to toys. The Youth is a child who wants to play with toys and finds it difficult to discriminate between the toy knives he was given as a child and the real ones he is introduced to as he grew older. Also, it makes reference to the idea that he is being used as a toy in a political game. We also use toys as props in the film to further add to this association.
To The T brought together 10 artists from across London, all with a personal interest in raising awareness about knife crime to create this short experimental dance film. This film is unique in the sense that we are using purely artistic and creative mediums to raise awareness about a topic which deserves more attention. Due to cuts from youth services, which have happened over the last few years, young vulnerable people, who already had very little, have limited choices which can lead to a life of crime.
We hope this film will help to highlight the need for more support and to nudge adults in society with power who do not do enough to help young vulnerable people in our London community.
“On January 23rd 2017 Quamari Serunkuma-Barnes, aged 15, was stabbed multiple times in an unprovoked attack outside his school at around 3.30pm, sadly he later died in hospital. He was murdered by another 15 year old boy.”
Tamsin Nathan witnessed the loss of Quamari’s life and was inspired to produce something to commemorate his life.
This dance performance, which she curated and also designed the costumes, depicts two characters - the boy who did it and the victim, Quamari. The contrast of these individuals is part of what she wanted to convey, one loved & celebrated and the other rejected & vilified. But they were both 15, both children. One died and the other incarcerated. One judged, one celebrated. Neither one of these boys has had a good outcome, the grief and loss for both families is immeasurable but in very different ways.
The title of the piece ‘Not Another Youth’ has come from a song Quamari wrote and recorded called ‘Children’, which lyrically addresses issues of violence and the grief suffered after someone dies under the same circumstances as his own.
These pictures were created and captured during the recording of the dance performance. This project resonated with me having lost a childhood friend of my own to knife crime.
We are hoping to develop this project to bring attention to schools and communities, to offer positive, creative alternatives and link support networks to those affected by knife crime.
Lineage Main Band Members:
Byron Wallen (Trumpet/Flugel Horn)
Trevor Watkis (Piano)
Tony Kofi (Alto & Soprano Saxes)
With
Rod Youngs (Drums)
and Larry Bartly (Pictured) currently with Daniel Casimir (bass)
All Fours, also known as High-Low-Jack or Seven Up, is an English tavern trick-taking card game that was popular as a gambling game until the end of the 19th century. Nowadays the original game is especially popular in Trinidad and Tobago where it is the national card game.
These photographs were taken in North London in the late 90's, of members of the Lions Social club. Now games and events are held at the Trinidad & Tobago Association in Haringey.
Even before I started teaching photography I have always enjoyed sharing the process and my experiences in photography.
I have found it intriguing to see different perspectives on visual language, how we record things and the way it shapes perception and culture. There is never a single approach to something photographed and we reconstruct what we see and need in the moment we look back on these 2D representations.
These are some portraits of people/students/photographers I have shared my interest and empathy in the process of recording light.
This is the start of an on going project about the processes and craft that go into various elements of music.
For a long time the focus and appreciation of main stream music has been about the vocalist. (Thanks X factor and The Voice).
This is a visual study of elements and connected crafts, that have made music the tradition that effects, inspires and moves people.
The story of the Double Bass began about 500 years ago in Upper Italy. In 1778 the violin maker Carl Ludwig Bachmann from Berlin constructed a screw mechanism on the pegbox: thumb screws on the outside of the pegbox turn small metal cogwheels that can be adjusted with such precision that the strings can be tuned. From the 1830s onward four-stringed double-basses are as we still see and use them today. Since the beginning of the 20th century the double-bass’s range of tasks and playing techniques has increased enormously, inspired by entirely new tonal concepts.
These images were taken at Bass Place, Herne Hill, London.
