Latest news with #Igwe
The Guardian
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Film London Jarman award nominees range from Algerian mountains to Jamaican rivers and east London roads
Whether it's roaring through Lagos on the back of a motorcycle taxi or gently rafting down Jamaica's waterways, this year's nominees for the prestigious Film London Jarman award promise to take you on quite a trip. The six-strong shortlist for the £10,000 prize, which recognises British artists who work with moving images, also features work made in southern Italy and Algeria's Hoggar mountains, as well as the (arguably less glamorous) M11 link road in Hackney, east London. The latter work is by Onyeka Igwe, a British-Nigerian artist whose 2022 film The Miracle on George Green is inspired by the 1993 protests in Wanstead that attempted to save a 250-year-old sweet chestnut tree from being cut down. During the resistance, schoolchildren wrote letters addressed to the tree, and Igwe uses these as a starting point to explore radical protests dating back to the 17th century. Also firmly on the road is Machine Boys, a 2024 film by the Hamburg-based Karimah Ashadu that delves into the macho world of motorcycle taxi drivers in Nigeria's largest city. We hear the riders discuss their philosophy around death and rebellion amid the noise of revving engines and thick clouds of dust. Elsewhere on the shortlist are artist, writer and musician Morgan Quaintance, whose 2024 film Available Light uses interviews with people renting in both Tokyo and London in order to explore what the idea of home means in a big city, and George Finlay Ramsay, the Scottish film-maker behind 2024's Flesh, Wax and Glass II: The Age of the Son, which focuses on a grieving Calabrian lorry driver performing a bloody ritual during Holy Week. Named after pioneering film-maker Derek Jarman, the prize is known for spotting talent in the UK art scene. Now in its 18th year, previously shortlisted artists include Heather Phillipson, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Monster Chetwynd, Luke Fowler, Imran Perretta, Charlotte Prodger, Laure Prouvost, Sin Wai Kin and Project Art Works – all of whom went on to be shortlisted for, or to win, the Turner prize. Making up this year's shortlist are Manchester film-maker and researcher Hope Strickland and the artist duo Arwa Aburawa and Turab Shah. The former's 2024 film, a river holds a perfect memory, traverses water from the Martha Brae River to Falmouth lagoon in Jamaica while subjects discuss concepts such as ancestral memory; the latter artists' And still, it remains (2023) takes us to the remote Algerian village of Mertoutek to study the lasting impact of the Reggane series of nuclear testing carried out by the French during the final stages of the Algerian war in the early 1960s. Last year, Maryam Tafakory was awarded the prize for works that had been inspired by her watching 417 films made in post-revolution Iran. She will be a member of this year's jury, who said in a statement that this year's shortlist 'is a powerful reflection of the richness and diversity of moving image practice in the UK today. The nominees each bring a distinct voice and vision, pushing the boundaries of form, storytelling, and experimentation. From intimate explorations of identity to bold political commentary, the works demonstrate an exceptional standard of creativity and innovation, reaffirming the vital role of artists' film in contemporary culture.' The winner of the Jarman award will be announced in late November at a ceremony in London. In the lead-up to that announcement, work of the shortlisted artists will be going on tour across cultural venues in the UK. They will also be presented as an exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, from 18 November until 14 December 2025.
CBC
02-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Moncton high school student organizes summit for Black youth
Opportunities to ask questions, make connections and share experiences are all important aspects of the high school experience. Chinazam Igwe from Moncton's Harrison Trimble High School said she wanted to have that interaction and connectivity — not just for her — but for all Black high school students across the Moncton area. The Grade 11 student decided to create a space for Black youth from four different high schools to be able to share their experiences and interact with some keynote speakers, including the city's mayor and New Brunswick's education minister. "I think there's a really big ecosystem of entrepreneurs and professionals here, but a lot of the time they're not really interconnected in our school system and there isn't always a lot of pathways for that," she said. On Friday afternoon, Black students from Moncton High School, Riverview High School, Bernice MacNaughton High School and Harrison Trimble High School attended the summit that Igwe helped organize. The Elevate: Empowering Black Youth Summit was a partnership between Igwe and the Anglophone East School District. Rokeebah Adeleye is a Grade 12 student at Moncton High School who attended the event. "This event was important for me because I got to connect with a lot more students that look like me." Adeleye said when she came to Moncton, she was the only Black student in her classroom and an event like this made her feel more comfortable and inspired. She said she made four new friends, including three from Harrison Trimble within an hour and a half. She also witnessed a rap battle between the high schoolers, which made her feel close to Black culture, she said. Adeleye also had the chance to get some advice about her post-secondary studies with a Black doctor who was part of a panel at the event and who also competed in a rap battle with students. "I think it's such a good opportunity to go back and forth with them having conversation because they have so many great insights and their experiences are so deep, and there's a lot for us young students to learn from." She said often speakers at events have a great message, but there isn't enough opportunity to talk to them and clarify any doubts. However, this event helped her to not just interact with the speakers but also make friends with students from other high schools who come from the same background and culture, she said. Oluwashemiire Aderibigbe of Riverview High School also attended the summit and participated in the rap battle. Although he lost the competition to the doctor, he found out they both share a love of making music. "That kind of inspired me," he said. "The rap battle was good. I was kind of nervous, you know, stumbled on my words a bit, but it was fun." Aderibigbe said he was glad that he could connect with the doctor, as he can now get some guidance about resources to make music. "This is my first-ever event here and, you know, kind of enjoyed it ... I feel like I could definitely ask questions if I really needed," he said. Standing beside her group of new friends, Esther Ademola said she did not have an opportunity to ask a very important question while the speakers were on stage. "But the good thing about it was that after the events, the speaker was like, if we have any question, we can go in and meet them ... so I could easily talk to her from there." "I think that's actually very good." The students had the opportunity to speak with Moncton's Mayor Dawn Arnold, who encouraged them to attend city council meetings and present solutions to any issues they see around the city. Moncton High School student Omosigho Nosegbe spoke with Claire Johnson, New Brunswick's minister of education and early childhood development, about creating a platform where students could directly share their thoughts and suggestions with the minister about various topics. "I think it removes that feeling of being isolated and being alone. I think building a community and understanding is great," said Nathaniel Fells, who works with the Anglophone East School District. He said it is great to see a high school student organize an event like this. And he hopes it expands to students with other backgrounds as well. Igwe said the need for an event like this felt very important to her, not just for the Black community but for students belonging to other minorities as well. "It's important because a lot of times we don't have a voice at that upper table always. And you know, I think it all starts in here. It all starts with the students in this room."
