Rise Up! Returns this Friday 5th & Saturday 6th of May 2023 to celebrate Black and People of Colour creatives in Scotland, featuring a weekend of events at the Music Hall and the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen.
The event has been curated by We Are Here Scotland and commissioned by Aberdeen Performing Arts, bringing an exciting programme of unity, creativity and expression.
Rise Up! 2023 Programme
The programme offers an array of talented artists, informative panel discussions, and industry-led workshops with live performances and innovative collaborations, all at an accessible sliding-scale ticket price:
- Cabaret: featuring Courtney Stoddart (spoken word), Dorine Mugisha (dance), Sara Sharaawi (theatre performance) and Safeena Rashid (comedy). A multi-creative night with tickets available on a sliding scale price.
- Panels: A Sonic Hug Presents: How do we improve the mental health and wellbeing of BPoC creatives in Scotland with Halina Rifai, Brenda Vengesa, Shaun Noteman and Shirin Karbor; Generational Experiences as a BPoC Creative with Arusa Qureshi, Amanjit Uppal, Ica Headlam and Adjei Amaning; and Uncomfortable Conversations in Safe Spaces with Nasim Rebecca Asl, Salma Faraji, Jideofor Muotune and Elaine Cheng.
- Workshops: Creative Writing with Andrés N. Ordorica and Anti-racism with Ravideep Kaur.
- Creative Performance: Multimedia artist Helen Love and poet Noon Salah Eldin will combine clay, poetry and project as part of “Loved Seeds”, a three-dimensional family tree of the nine children of an enslaved woman from 1832 Jamaica who have connections to Aberdeen.
- Live Music: featuring live performances by 4TUNE, Rue Cooper, Djana Gabrielle & Pooyan Saadati DJ Set, also available on a sliding scale ticket price.
- Live Podcast: Suzie Mwanza and Shirley McPherson of Black Scot Pod with guest Muslim Alim (Commissioning Editor, BBC Daytime TV) explore the topic of diversity and inclusion in the creative industries with a focus on TV.
Rise Under Programme
The festival also offers bespoke workshops exploring the creative industries and performance opportunity aimed at 12-17 year olds:
- Finishing the Song: with Chef the Rapper exploring songwriting, collaboration and music industry knowledge.
- Filming on a Budget: Sara Stroud will teach the basics of filmmaking using your phone or ipad.
- Screenprinting: with Caitlin Dick & Phoebe McBride exploring the art of screenprinting as well as creating your own We Are Here Scotland tote bag.
- Open Mic: Mae Diansangu will host an open mic event welcoming all musicians, singers, poets, and other performers aged 12-17 years old.
For tickets and more information about the event click here.