A Multi-talented Black Woman in The Arts

A MULTI-TALENTED BLACK WOMEN IN THE ARTS

By Mellonie Page

Hi, I’m Mellonie Page; I am an established singer/songwriter, recording artist and newly qualified hypnotherapist. Some of you may have attended my performing arts workshops over the years at various schools, colleges, youth clubs, community centres, arts organisations, theatres and churches.

Singing and teaching singing is my first love, and I am passionate about harmonies and working with groups – the larger the better. The biggest group I had the pleasure of working with was a choir of 150 children and young people, for the Millennium Gospel Concert, held at the Royal Concert Hall in 1999. I was part of a team who organised the event which was the biggest Gospel concert in the East Midlands at the time. We also established the Windrush Awards in Nottingham. One of my personal highlights was singing at Malta’s biggest festival.

Drama and dance are also a wonderful way to help people express themselves. I have had the pleasure of working with some super companies as a freelancer. I danced with the young people from a theatre school at the 02 Arena in London, sang in a choir with over 1000 members; got them show ready and chaperoned them at some prestigious West End Theatres.

Black Mime Theatre was one of the biggest black theatre companies in Europe. I became part of the BMT family whilst studying Contemporary Arts at Nottingham Trent University. On tour in a show called Dirty Reality, I honed my skills as an actress, workshop leader, writer and director. The Artistic Director, Denise Wong taught me skills that would last a lifetime. It was a trial by fire but an experience I treasure and take with me everywhere I go. She was a lioness, a great leader with high expectations and standards who knew how to get the best out of every player and help you face and slay your performance demons. One day I will tell you about Tallulah and how she helped me overcome mine.

Music has been more than putting pen to paper and striving to record the next big hit. I have found the arts and music, to be cathartic. My process of healing from a tumultuous and traumatic past. As a people, we have had to navigate through overt and subtle racism, erasure of large parts of our culture and history, inconsistent opportunities to assist generational financial growth, microaggressions and misogynoir. There is also more for me to deal with on an individual basis. We all have our own personal challenges. This sexist, ageist and often racist industry I find myself in, can be soul destroying. One must constantly prove oneself. You are only as good as your last performance or recording. You are expected to come up with interesting and diverse material daily, thanks to the ever-hungry machine that is social media. This kind of pressure can take its toll on your mental health.

I choose to write songs about what I see, experience and hope for. Sometimes I write so that you will question how you treat others. My journey has by no means been plain sailing. There have been some turbulent seas and rocky paths. I often find myself walking through molasses and crying out for help when it feels like quicksand will suck me under. I know what it is like to take cover and disappear for months or even years. I have had my cave experiences and sat in dark tunnels, until I realised that I am the light. The light is in me, and I will shine.

I try to be that teacher who pops in for a day or a few sessions who injects joy, challenges unhelpful thought processes, dares you to dream big dreams and see yourself as the child with a rich heritage. I want to bring a little light into your tunnel, if that’s where you are, and help you see that ‘this too shall pass’, and YOU CAN achieve greatness.

At present, I am a newly qualified hypnotherapist, parttime student counsellor, performing arts and mental wealth workshop facilitator, writer and I perform old school reggae with the Mellonie Page Band.

Instagram / Facebook: @melloniepagemusic @ melloniepage

Email: melloniepagemusic@outlook.com Web: https:// sites.google.com/view/mellonie-page

WINDRUSH DAY

By Pa Modou Faal

June 22 marks the arrival of Afro-Caribbean on the soil of the United Kingdom now called Windrush Day. Three years after WWII, Europe was ravaged by the destructive war resulting into destruction and human capital deficit. On 22 June 1948, the British Empire brought strong men and women from the West Indian islands to help in the reconstruction of their parent colony. Over half a million Caribbeans were shipped to the United Kingdom over decades which later became home to them.

As we celebrate Windrush Day, we should be continually reminded of the people who are still fighting for their liberation and restoration of their human dignity. Affected people of the Windrush generation continue to be stateless in a country that became their home after living and working there for decades which is the United Kingdom. The Windrush Scandal which came as a result of the tenacious journalistic investigation on families and generations of Windrush carried out by Gentleman, revealed the States authorisation of discreet arrestation, detention and deportation of people of West Indies origin , notably Jamaicans, whose documents have not been rightfully processed and updated. The scandal brought about shame and distraught not only to the government and its operatives but to many who had not been aware of such dehumanising treatment on people who know only Britain as their home yet being whisked away to a foreign land, they have no clue about; despite being their ancestral land. The state that they expected and trusted would have protected them, turned its back on them. The Windrush phenomena is one of neocolonialism, exploitation and a political travesty which benefits their political orgy and capitalistic satisfaction. They have been deprived and denied their political and social rights and human rights. According to awarding winning Journalist, Amelia Gentleman who was honoured for her bravery and courage in the coverage of Windrush scandal, the letters were sent to many people who joined their families through the Empire/Commonwealth colonies framework and had lived and worked in the UK for over 50 years. The ‘liability for removal’ letter was the decisive step yet most shocking moment for victims of the Windrush generation. This was news to many when the scandal broke. The letter emanated from the Home Office indicating that “you are specifically considered to be a person who has failed to provide evidence of lawful entry to the United Kingdom […] therefore you are liable for removal’. These letters were sent to people who joined the parents, who were then “British Subjects” which had an equivalence of British citizenship and on the other hand citizens of the Commonwealth which represented the Empire. The Immigration policy which was famous in 2010 during Theresa May’s era as Home Secretary was described to be ‘really hostile environment for immigrants’ as some opined that it was meant to target a certain group of immigrants on grounds of illegal residency to reduce the number of immigrants and remove undocumented persons. The 2014 Immigration Act empowers officials to arrest, detain and deport undocumented people. The Act becomes a threat to members and families of the Windrush generation which is discriminatory and deprives them from accessing many services which they had access to earlier. According to the 2014 Act, if a person’s status is termed “illegal”, he/she becomes deportable. The sad part of being deportable means appeals against the decision has to follow the deportation process which is done outside the UK territory.

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Concerns Network Information Operation STRIVER Please complete and submit this information sheet if you have concerns regarding CSE. This form should be used by you to identify information concerning people, places, activities, or vehicles which you believe may be involved with, or connected to CSE. Please complete and submit this information sheet if you have concerns regarding a young person at risk of child sexual exploitation. This is not a referral form and should not replace your usual practice of referring to social care, SEIU or CAIU • Anything of immediate risk should be reported via 999 or 101 to the police control room • This is an intelligence sharing form for LOW level non-emergency information • Please be aware this inbox is monitored 24/7 The information contained herein will be shared with Nottinghamshire Police to: • Develop disruption strategies to be implemented by a multi-agency panel • Collate intelligence concerned with children and young people exposed to or at risk of CSE • Inform current/future investigations concerning the sexual exploitation of children and young people Summary of concern: (Please give a brief account of the information), for example; Names of perpetrators (including nicknames), addresses of interest, areas, locations, Vehicles (registration, colour, make etc..), Patterns of behaviour (connecting either YP/ Perpetrators), hotels, parks, shops takeaways etc….

Please be SPECIFIC

For more information, please follow this link:

https://www.bassetlawccg.nhs.uk/publica tion/10238-child-sexual-exploitation-cse-concerns-network-information-operation-striver

COME & WORK WITH US

Come and join the Estates and Facilities Team! We are a vibrant and diverse team, responsible for looking after the beautiful campuses of University of Nottingham and are looking for enthusiastic, motivated and customer focused people to provide an excellent experience to our wide range of customers. We have a mix of positions available for cleaners, catering assistants, bar staff and many other roles in our halls of residence, university buildings and Café’s, over a range of hours and days that are fl exible and could fi t around your family and other commitments. The University of Nottingham has been providing an outstanding student experience for over 140 years and is a leading university of worldwide signifi cance with established campuses in UK, China and Malaysia. Our award-winning sites at University Park and Jubilee Campus are only 15 minutes by bus or tram to Nottingham city centre. https://fumbu.org/0ej