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Programme
HOMEWARD 2022: Soul Food
May 2022 - November 2022Co-commissioned by Creative Estuary to launch in 2022, this year’s body of work focused around HOMEWARD: Soul Food and spotlighted four local Black heritage artists, who worked together to develop and create a collection of performance pieces linked intrinsically with their lyrical talents.
Project Details
Soul Food is a reference for Black heritage food dishes passed down through generations – examples include curry goat, fried dumplings, ackee and saltfish. Throughout this project, Lyrici Arts and our artists examined other elements that can feed the soul in the context of aspirations, culture, identity, music, family and more.
Our incredible artists had access to industry mentorship, training, and profiling, and received directing and producing support from Anthony Ekundayo Lennon, and our co-founders, Keely and Clara.
Our artists took to the stage to share music, dance, truth, honesty, pain, laughter and more for local audiences in East Kent. It was a celebration of life, of soul, of nourishment, and was adored at tour dates running from the 10th to the 18th October at The Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury, The Woodville Theatre in Gravesend, and commenced with a homecoming show featuring a live jazz band and carribbean food at The GlassBox Theatre in Gillingham, Medway!
Lyrici Arts will also be working with Royal Opera House Bridge who are supporting HOMEWARD: Soul Food, through a grant which enables us to provide an educational resource pack around the show to schools.
HOMEWARD is an academy devised by Lyrici Arts for Black heritage artists. Through a programme of yearly events, participants will explore how the word ‘homeward’ connects with themes of personal identity, lived experience, culture and heritage.
Words from the audience...
"Who we are matters. There is so much outside influence that something like our heritage can get lost. ALL of us need to be celebrated."
"I've lived in Medway all of my life and I have never felt the level of connection that I have had tonight."
"This piece of paper is too small to express how I am feeling. This piece of art was SO BEAUTIFUL."
"Every story took me on a different journey."
Meet the Team behind Soul Food
Anthony Ekundayo Lennon - Co-Director of Soul Food
Anthony is an Associate Director at Lyrici Arts.
With over 36 years of experience, he has worked as an actor, director, assistant and co-director, resident director, educator, public speaker and workshop leader for a vast array of organisations with drama/theatre making as a major tool for self - development.
Keely Augustus - Co-Director and Co-Producer of Soul Food
Keely Augustus is the Co-Artistic Director of Lyrici Arts.
Keely has a MDrama Degree in Drama and Theatre Studies with a specialism in directing for the stage, and a Masters in Creative Producing for live and theatrical events. Keely has a passion for artist development, often working with actors, musicians and creatives to build careers, open access to venues and increase performance opportunities. She is an advocate of arts inclusion provision.
Clara Augustus - Co-Producer of Soul Food
Clara is the Co-Artistic Director of Lyrici Arts.
She has had an interest in the arts from an early age, performing in many schools productions which led her to take educational qualifications including Drama and Theatre Studies. She has previously spent 10 years working in the community in libraries, and is passionate about making the arts open for everybody to experience creativity. She believes in promoting confidence and learning via the arts.
Luci Napleton - Creative Producer of Soul Food
Luci is the Creative Producer at Lyrici Arts.
Luci Napleton is a professional and qualified dance facilitator and likes supporting & empowering people to realise their own talent and create positive pathways for personal growth. With 20+ years experience Luci has developed a vast range of dance projects, events, workshops and programmes involving dance, arts, health and wellbeing.
The Creative Team
Co – Directors: Anthony Ekundayo Lennon and Keely Augustus
Creative Producer: Luci Napleton
Set Designer: Jasmine Haskell
British Sign Language Interpreter: Rachel Jones
Company Photographer: Alison Lewis
Company Videographer: Paul Astley
Technical Managers: Rory Alderson and Jack Gschaider
The Lyrici Arts Team
Co-Artistic Directors: Keely Augustus and Clara Augustus
Social Media Manager: Antonia Baker
PR Manager: Francesca Baker
Marketing Consultant: Jas Dhillon
Educational Consultant: Marlon Edwards
HOMEWARD 2022 is a Creative Estuary Co-commission. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport funds the Cultural Development Fund which is administered by Arts Council England. Creative Estuary Co-commissions support a wide range of cultural projects with new commissions for Estuary-based producers and artists, from activity for emerging cultural activists to large scale commissions with a diverse mix of partners. The Co-commissions will raise widespread awareness of existing creative talent across the region and support creative practitioners and organisations to make and present new work.
HOMEWARD 2022 is also kindly funded by Creative Estuary, Arts Council England, Medway Council, Kent County Council and Royal Opera House Bridge. It is supported by Colyer Fergusson Trust, GlassBox Theatre, The Woodville Theatre and The Gulbenkian Theatre.
