Tripwires

We all like to think of ourselves as free – free to think, free to feel, free to speak our mind. But are we? Can we say what we want on social media? Do we have a right to offend each other?

TRIPWIRES offers a thought provoking workshop; an opportunity to engage with these incendiary issues in an enjoyable and accessible way.

Practically exploring what free speech means, three young facilitators will open the floor with a workshop before delivering an interactive show developed in collaboration with award-winning, censored Lebanese director Lucien Bourjeily.

TRIPWIRES FACILITATORS:

Emma Dennis-Edwards

tripwires_emma (2)Emma is an actress and workshop facilitator, writer and director.

Theatre work includes  Clean (The Traverse Theatre), Upper Cut (TARA Theatre) Crash (North Wall Arts Centre/ Arcola Theatre), Talent (Soho Theatre), Millennium (The Vineyard Theatre, New York),  A New World Order (Barbican/Hydrocracker Theatre) . Television and Film includes Trap for Cinderella (Forthcoming Productions) BBC Ident Over the Rainbow (Red Bee Media), The Naked Poet (Triple Threat Media).

As a workshop facilitator Emma has worked for The National Youth Theatre, Apples and Snakes and Hoxton Hall.

Emma was selected for the Oval House Theatre and English Pen writers group and her debut plays Spice and Dreams of a Scholar were produced by Oval House Theatre’s 33% Festival earlier this year.

What does freedom of expression mean to you?

Freedom of Expression is a right and not a privilege, however I believe that this right comes with great responsibility and it is important to me that I use my voice to aid the freedom of expression of others and also use my skills as an artist to tell stories of those individuals and communities who do not have the freedom to have their voices head.

Lance Kirby
tripwires_lance1 (2)

After completing a Performing Arts: Acting course at Westminster Kingsway College in 2008, Lance has pursued a career as a performer, project coordinator and workshop facilitator in the UK and abroad. In 2010 Lance embarked on a 6 months leadership-training course ‘Tripwires’ combining theatre, acting, writing and movement to create an open space for young people to explore freedom of expression, censorship and offence. Since then Lance has supported and led workshops for arts organisations including: Project Phakama UK, Index on Censorship, English PEN, Apples and Snakes, Urban Development, Immediate Theatre and Al Kasaba, Yes Theatre and Karama Children’s centre (In Palestine).

What does freedom of expression mean to you?

Freedom of expression is to protect the human race from the human race.

Hussina Raja

I studied Criminology and Law while always having a keen interest in Performing Arts. I work as an actress and founded the organisation FREE2B and henceforth, decided to live the life of a struggling creative in hope of gaining invaluable life experience. I came into contact with Index on Censorship via the TRIPWIRES Arts training and leadership programme, a joint collaboration between Index and Project Phakama UK. It is an innovative programme which engaged me into the Social Arts scene through exploration and gave me a sense of direction, a platform for expression and inspiration.

What does freedom of expression mean to you?

Freedom of Expression is a concept I still find very difficult to pin down. I find it vast and inconsistent, varying according to the context. For me it’s an opportunity to freely speak and do as I please, experiment and investigate boundaries without being censored by others. Freedom to express in theory is an individual right for everyone and a responsibility, one that must be reinforced among the human race. However, practically I find it can be exhausting. As a young British woman I still find it hard to express myself without the back lash from communities and conflict with my culture and traditions, leaving me confused and living in a society that  promotes Human Rights and protects your Civil Liberties and yet still leaves me struggling to find a voice and stance that won’t cause offence.