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asian media awardsWINNER Best Production 2021! We are delighted to have won the award for Best Stage Production 2021 at the Asian Media Awards! Thank you to all involved in the event and to the creative and media community for supporting the show. |
FULL ENGLISH explores personal histories from the Canterbury Estate, where Associate Artist, Natalie Davies, grew up, along with her mother and her Nan - a reggae loving, dance enthusiast.
Back in the late fifties the first wave of migrant workers arrived from Pakistan and Bangladesh. These young men soon met and started to fall in love with local lasses, including Nan. When she fell for her man, her life was thrown into chaos. It was only when she arrived at Canterbury Estate with her three kids that she found the solidarity of a small group of women who were loving across the boundaries.
Using first hand stories, FULL ENGLISH is a poignant, funny and life-affirming homage to the strength of the women. Those who married Pakistani men and brought up mixed race children. Those who struggled with their identity. Those whom never really belonged to any particular culture or race. Those who constantly had to stand up against racists. Those who just didn't care.
Just as Natalie becomes a mother herself, her beloved Nan is diagnosed with dementia. Full English charts Natalie's journey as she attempts to piece together the fragments of her own identity through understanding the courage & tenacity of her Nan's story.
What emerges is a love letter - between young people who loved across the boundaries, to Natalie's Nan, to Bradford and to the courage of women everywhere facing prejudice.
Alongside the creation of the play, Bent Architect worked with young people from around the estate today to explore how much has changed from the time of that first generation of mixed race kids; and older people who are suffering from dementia.
Bent Architect have a growing reputation for creating innovative new work which challenges expectations. Their acclaimed THIS SPACE IS OCCUPIED (2018) took over a disused pub and turned it into a 1970's commune, whist their international tour of WOMEN OF AKTION (2018) looked at the stories of German women's resistance to war.
Funded by Bradford Producing Hub, the National Lottery through Arts Council, England and Bradford Council, and developed in partnership with Kala Sangam and Coop Grange Academy, FULL ENGLISH is an exciting new project which places diverse and female voices at the heart of the work.
Back in the late fifties the first wave of migrant workers arrived from Pakistan and Bangladesh. These young men soon met and started to fall in love with local lasses, including Nan. When she fell for her man, her life was thrown into chaos. It was only when she arrived at Canterbury Estate with her three kids that she found the solidarity of a small group of women who were loving across the boundaries.
Using first hand stories, FULL ENGLISH is a poignant, funny and life-affirming homage to the strength of the women. Those who married Pakistani men and brought up mixed race children. Those who struggled with their identity. Those whom never really belonged to any particular culture or race. Those who constantly had to stand up against racists. Those who just didn't care.
Just as Natalie becomes a mother herself, her beloved Nan is diagnosed with dementia. Full English charts Natalie's journey as she attempts to piece together the fragments of her own identity through understanding the courage & tenacity of her Nan's story.
What emerges is a love letter - between young people who loved across the boundaries, to Natalie's Nan, to Bradford and to the courage of women everywhere facing prejudice.
Alongside the creation of the play, Bent Architect worked with young people from around the estate today to explore how much has changed from the time of that first generation of mixed race kids; and older people who are suffering from dementia.
Bent Architect have a growing reputation for creating innovative new work which challenges expectations. Their acclaimed THIS SPACE IS OCCUPIED (2018) took over a disused pub and turned it into a 1970's commune, whist their international tour of WOMEN OF AKTION (2018) looked at the stories of German women's resistance to war.
Funded by Bradford Producing Hub, the National Lottery through Arts Council, England and Bradford Council, and developed in partnership with Kala Sangam and Coop Grange Academy, FULL ENGLISH is an exciting new project which places diverse and female voices at the heart of the work.
