Final Project
Looking Back to Move Forward
My audio-visual performance installation explores how living in colonial Guyana and migrating to the UK during the Windrush era has shaped my family’s cultural identity.
Using oral storytelling, we confront the trauma of being disconnected from our Indian ancestral heritage, alleviating shame and guilt rooted in internalised colonialism.
Through automatic dance and music improvisation, I explore my subconscious responses to these anecdotes- challenging hegemonic, Western perceptions of what “Fine Art” is.
Their vulnerability encourages audiences to consider the universality of suffering, regardless of background.
The final installation creates an intimate space for active listening. The audio piece features anecdotal stories, mixed with music from my family’s personal archives layered with vocal harmonies that are played across a quadraphonic sound system for an immersive experience.
An improvised dance performance accompanies this, reflecting my personal response to their stories in real time.
Storytelling itself is inherently a collaborative process, where both the teller and listener depend on each other for the story to take place. The audience, therefore, becomes an essential part of this work, if they choose to listen.
Friends who can empathise with the message of my work have contributed to this final piece. I am also grateful for the members of the Loughborough Choir, who participated in a vocal harmony workshop that I led. Their voices carry mine throughout the work- emphasising the strength of the collective. I deeply appreciate their support and admire their sense of community.
Working with others has been an integral part of my holistic practice. I thank my family for participating in Storytelling Workshops with me. This cathartic experience has transformed our relationships with each other and the way we see ourselves. This work is a testament to the healing power that oral storytelling can have.
Visionary Thinkers
Visionary Creators
Visionary Makers