Locals are invited to take part on stage!
Leicester’s Curve will mark the 50th anniversary of the Ugandan Asian exodus with a Made at Curve community production this summer.
Local community members are invited to get creative and take part in Finding Home directed by Mandeep Glover.
Commissioned by Curve following an open call-out, writers Chandni Mistry, Ashok Patel and Dilan Raithatha will explore the impact of the Ugandan Asians’ exodus, their journeys to Leicester and contributions to the city over the last five decades.
In August 1972, Ugandan President Idi Amin ordered the country’s Indian and Pakistani communities to leave within 90 days.
Many of the displaced were British citizens and, as a result, around 27,000 people emigrated to the UK, with thousands settling in Leicester.
Director Mandeep Glover said: "I personally believe that theatre spaces should share stories from under-represented groups that are not commonly heard from and this is what Curve is doing.
“This project is incredibly important to me, and I hope to honour the incredible journeys and sacrifices that an entire community had to make after the 90-day order to leave Uganda.
"We will be celebrating the past 50 years and the impact that the Ugandan Asian Community has had in Leicester whilst also remembering the hardships and losses that happened along the way.”
How to take part on stage
Curve’s annual Community Productions have previously offered local people from Leicester and Leicestershire opportunities to take part in a range of shows including Richard III, Fiddler on the Roof and Bollywood Jane.
Curve is calling on local community members and groups to share their stories and take part in the production.
Anyone who is interested in performing, sharing their experiences or getting involved in the project in any way is welcome to join in. Further details can be found on Curve's website or by emailing findinghome@curvetheatre.co.uk.
Real-life experiences
With Finding Home Curve reaffirms its commitment to sharing local stories, following on from the success of the 2018 Made at Curve drama Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual.
"These stories aren’t told in schools and so it wasn’t until I was older that I understood what my own grandparents had experienced.” - Chandni Mistry
“It is the perfect opportunity to reflect on past experiences - some happy and some not - and to learn from the past to help shape the future.” - Ashok Patel
"Throughout my upbringing in the Belgrave area, I was fascinated by the extraordinary stories from my community who experienced the expulsion first hand.” - Dilan Raithatha
A word from Curve
Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said: “The story of the Ugandan South Asian exodus to Leicester is one that begins with trauma for so many. However, 50 years on it is a story of resilience and triumph over adversity,
“In this historic and hugely important year for our city, we are proud to work with our Ugandan South Asian communities and provide a platform to share their unique stories.
“Finding Home is the first of a series of shows we will produce over the coming years curated and created by members of our community.
"Leicester has so many important and remarkable stories to share and we are excited to be able to offer a platform for these incredible stories on our stages.”
Tickets for Finding Home will go on sale soon.
Finding Home will run from Friday July 29 to Saturday August 6.
Words by Emily Miller
Emily is a Senior Journalist for Niche Magazine with over a decade of journalism experience. She enjoys going to gigs, visiting galleries and walking in all weathers.
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