Latest news with #LadbrokeGrove


The Guardian
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Pioneering London playwright decried gentrification of ‘writer's paradise'
A groundbreaking Trinidadian-British playwright who paved the way for modern Black British theatre makers warned about the dangers of gentrification in Ladbroke Grove, which he believed would ruin the 'writer's paradise'. Mustapha Matura was the first British writer of colour to have work put on in the West End, and used the west London area as an inspiration for many of his plays, which were also staged at the Royal Court and National Theatre. In a letter written in 1992 that is part of the Matura archive acquired by the British Library, he decried the shifts in the west London area, which was home to a strong Caribbean creative community. 'What more could one ask for?' he wrote about the area. 'It's like being in a real-life, long-running soap opera, which I tell myself I'm only researching in order to write about but – not true … I'm a character and a 'writer fella' who prays that the gentrification process that is taking place in the area now does not totally destroy its unique character and characters.' The bohemian area that Matura found in the 60s and 70s has certainly changed, more synonymous now with rising house prices than creative freedom. In 2024, it was reported that residents of Notting Hill received more in capital gains from 2015 to 2019 than the combined populations of Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle. The son of a south Asian man and a creole woman, Matura left Trinidad for the UK in the 1960s. He worked as a hospital porter, frequented the Royal Court and ended up appearing in a B-movie western shot in Rome. It was in Italy where he saw a production of Langston Hughes' Shakespeare in Harlem and thought he 'could do better than that', and began writing. Like other Caribbean playwrights, Matura had a side job while getting his footing, working in a garment factory off Tottenham Court Road. He would jot down ideas and doodles on the back of order sheets, some of which have been retained in the archive. Matura's wife, Ingrid Selberg, said: 'He was supposed to be counting the rolls of material, and he was always skiving off and writing things on the back of the order forms.' Described by one writer as looking like 'a refugee from a 60s band' who wore sunglasses indoors and sported a 'morose walrus moustache', Matura fit into the countercultural world of Ladbroke Grove. He was a key part of a flamboyant group of Caribbean creatives who injected black consciousness into UK culture, along with Horace Ové (who directed the first Black British feature film, Pressure) and Michael Abbensetts (who went on to create Empire Road). Helen Melody, the lead curator of contemporary literary and creative archives at the British Library, said: 'I think he was aware of the political uncertainty and uprisings of the whole movement in the 1960s, which wasn't just in Trinidad but more widely. 'You can see his plays often chart the experience of people who'd traveled to the UK or elsewhere from the Caribbean, but he also still retained kind of an interest in what was happening in the place he left as well.' The archive contains unpublished work including two plays, one called Band of Heroes about Notting Hill carnival and the other about the real-life Trinidadian gangster Boysie Singh. Despite having no formal training, Matura became arguably the most significant playwright from the Caribbean diaspora in the 20th century. He was a founding member of the Black Theatre Co-operative, which was formed by a group of actors who had appeared in his 1979 play Welcome Home Jacko, while his first agent was the formidable Peggy Ramsay. Matura died in 2019 and a funeral was held in Ladbroke Grove, with a steel band sendoff. 'He was such a Trinidadian,' said Selberg. 'But he loved Ladbroke Grove, he loved Portobello Road. He was a kind of Janus with a two-sided head. Interested, equally interested in both Britain and Trinidad, and equally critical of both.'
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AJ Tracey says he ready to open up on his new album
AJ Tracey is back with his first album in four years, and this time it's personal. "I've avoided speaking about quite personal things," he says, reflecting on his earlier music. The rapper, real name Ché Wolton Grant, tells 1Xtra's DJ Target he's always preferred to keep his real self separate. "I like to keep AJ Tracey as a persona and a person that I don't have to always be connected to," he says. "When I speak about personal things I've gone through as AJ Tracey, then I can't really get away from it." But on his latest album, Don't Die Before You're Dead, he says that's about to change. As his career's progressed, Ché and AJ Tracey can be "quite hard to separate", he says. It's made even harder as an independent artist, AJ says, because "you don't want to ever miss an opportunity". "I feel like when I should be turning off, I'm still awake." Now though, the 31-year-old says he feels "secure and stable enough" to open up more in his music. "If Ché's gone through something and I can speak about it as AJ Tracey I'm willing to receive whatever conversation arises as AJ or as Ché," he says. "I'm happy to divulge, especially if it's going to help someone." Don't Die Before You're Dead delves into British identity, resilience and stories of the west London rapper's journey from Ladbroke Grove to the heights of the UK scene. Single 3rd Time Lucky, which was released in advance of the album, explores AJ's relationship with his mum and her recovery from cancer. She's meant "everything" to his journey, he says. "My mum gave the mandem somewhere to just chill that's away from danger and let us really foster our talent and be creative without being outside on the roads. "Instead of having mandem outside on the streets, it's better that we're in the house and she knows she can keep an eye on us. Even just that gave us the platform to jump off and go do what we're doing." AJ Tracey is speaking to DJ Target at an intimate gig at Maida Vale Studios, performing tracks from the new album in front of friends and family. TV chef and rapper Big Zuu, who's also AJ's cousin, is there and says they used the family's front room as a "harbour". "We would go there and write bars," he says. "It gave us a safety net to just be ourselves, have fun, connect." AJ has been a passionate supporter of dedicated services for young people, lending his voice to calls for more youth clubs and even partnering with Children in Need and McDonald's to pair restaurants with youth workers. "It's essential," he says. "We need safe spaces." AJ Tracey will be live and direct at smaller venues Stormzy launches film company with starring role Radio 1's Big Weekend: Five takeaways from 'Scouse Coachella' With more personal tracks, AJ says it's important his music stays relatable. "That's how you build your fanbase and keep them locked in, by giving them things and showing them you're human," he says. "Like some of Drake's lyrics, I'm not rich enough to relate to any of that stuff. "It's nice to sometimes show people it's not easy but we're kicking on." AJ acknowledges four years has been a long time to keep his followers waiting for new music, and in a promotional video announcing the album earlier this year fans at his beloved Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ask "where is he?" But he thinks it will be worth the wait. "I don't like rushing music," he says. "Music lasts forever - when I'm not here no more the music will still be here and if you put out music that you rush, it's just going to leave a legacy you're not really proud of. "I want to be proud of all my music." 1Xtra's Album Launch Party with AJ Tracey is available on BBC Sounds and will air on DJ Target's 1Xtra show at 20:00 on Monday 16 June. It's also available to watch on YouTube and BBC iPlayer. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.


BBC News
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
AJ Tracey says new album more personal than before
AJ Tracey is back with his first album in four years, and this time it's personal."I've avoided speaking about quite personal things," he says, reflecting on his earlier rapper, real name Ché Wolton Grant, tells 1Xtra's DJ Target he's always preferred to keep his real self separate."I like to keep AJ Tracey as a persona and a person that I don't have to always be connected to," he says."When I speak about personal things I've gone through as AJ Tracey, then I can't really get away from it."But on his latest album, Don't Die Before You're Dead, he says that's about to change. As his career's progressed, Ché and AJ Tracey can be "quite hard to separate", he made even harder as an independent artist, AJ says, because "you don't want to ever miss an opportunity"."I feel like when I should be turning off, I'm still awake."Now though, the 31-year-old says he feels "secure and stable enough" to open up more in his music."If Ché's gone through something and I can speak about it as AJ Tracey I'm willing to receive whatever conversation arises as AJ or as Ché," he says."I'm happy to divulge, especially if it's going to help someone."Don't Die Before You're Dead delves into British identity, resilience and stories of the west London rapper's journey from Ladbroke Grove to the heights of the UK scene. Single 3rd Time Lucky, which was released in advance of the album, explores AJ's relationship with his mum and her recovery from cancer. She's meant "everything" to his journey, he says. "My mum gave the mandem somewhere to just chill that's away from danger and let us really foster our talent and be creative without being outside on the roads."Instead of having mandem outside on the streets, it's better that we're in the house and she knows she can keep an eye on us. Even just that gave us the platform to jump off and go do what we're doing."AJ Tracey is speaking to DJ Target at an intimate gig at Maida Vale Studios, performing tracks from the new album in front of friends and chef and rapper Big Zuu, who's also AJ's cousin, is there and says they used the family's front room as a "harbour"."We would go there and write bars," he says. "It gave us a safety net to just be ourselves, have fun, connect."AJ has been a passionate supporter of dedicated services for young people, lending his voice to calls for more youth clubs and even partnering with Children in Need and McDonald's to pair restaurants with youth workers. "It's essential," he says. "We need safe spaces." With more personal tracks, AJ says it's important his music stays relatable. "That's how you build your fanbase and keep them locked in, by giving them things and showing them you're human," he says."Like some of Drake's lyrics, I'm not rich enough to relate to any of that stuff."It's nice to sometimes show people it's not easy but we're kicking on."AJ acknowledges four years has been a long time to keep his followers waiting for new music, and in a promotional video announcing the album earlier this year fans at his beloved Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ask "where is he?"But he thinks it will be worth the wait."I don't like rushing music," he says. "Music lasts forever - when I'm not here no more the music will still be here and if you put out music that you rush, it's just going to leave a legacy you're not really proud of."I want to be proud of all my music." 1Xtra's Album Launch Party with AJ Tracey is available on BBC Sounds and will air on DJ Target's 1Xtra show at 20:00 on Monday 16 June. It's also available to watch on YouTube and BBC iPlayer. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.


The Independent
24-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Mental health A&E units in England to open
The NHS is launching a network of mental health A&Es across England to alleviate pressure on hospitals and address the "corridor care" crisis, offering 24/7 support for individuals experiencing mental health crises. These units will be staffed with specialist doctors and nurses, providing a calm environment for patients who can walk in, be referred by a GP, or the police. NHS England aims to improve mental health care by offering quicker access to appropriate support, reducing hospital stays, and relieving pressure on busy A&Es, where 250,000 people experiencing mental health crises visited last year. Ten NHS trusts have already established separate mental health crisis units, with plans to expand the scheme nationally as part of the 10-year NHS plan. A new mental health unit in Ladbroke Grove, London, ensures that every patient is seen by a mental health specialist within 10 minutes, offering early intervention and connections to community treatment.