
Blacklash: Rachael Young + Guests
Recorded live Wed 9 Dec, 7.30pm
#1 What the hell just happened?
2020 was been a madness however you look at it. It wasn’t quite the leveller the super rich predicted, but was one hell of a ride.
For this first episode of Blacklash, artist Rachael Young was joined by Honey Williams, Jamal Gerald, Mika Onyx Johnson and Nima Séne to discuss the mess that was 2020: its effects on our pockets, minds and relationships. It was also a chance to discuss ways we can protect ourselves in what is set to be another challenging year ahead.
Blacklash is an invitation to be witness to a conversation; an informal space where reflection is a form of real talk. It isn’t a space for interrogation or expertise, but a window into the lived experience of Black artists in this wild time.
This event is hosted by the Gate Theatre for Rachael Young.
Generously supported by Arts Council England
Hosted by Gate Theatre
Curated by Rachael Young
Produced by The Uncultured
blacklash featured

Rachael is part of Blacklash
Rachael Young is an award-winning artist and writer based between Nottingham and London. Her interdisciplinary performance practice exists on the boundaries of live art, dance and contemporary theatre. Her work creates space for intersectional realities to be explored and celebrated and alternative narratives and forms to evolve and be heard.
Rachael was the inaugural winner of the Eclipse Award, which supported Edinburgh Fringe 2019 runs of NIGHTCLUBBING and OUT, where both shows were nominated for Total Theatre awards and Rachael was named the British Council’s Artist to Watch.
Most recently Rachael’s writing was performed as part of a curated programme, My White Best Friend, at the Royal Court in 2020. Her work is presented widely across the UK and internationally including: The Place, The Yard, Skopje Pride, Live Collision (Dublin), Theatre de L’Usine (Geneva) and ImPulsTanz (Vienna International Dance Festival).

Honey Williams is a Multidimensional Artist, Singer, Choir Director, Designer, Illustrator and Image Activist. Honey’s art and music looks at decolonisation, humanisation, misogynoir, fatphobia, beauty, fashion, sociopolitics, history and centring black womxn.

Jamal Gerald is an artist based in Leeds. He makes the type of work that he wants to see, to take up space as a Black queer person.

Mika Onyx Johnson is an actor, writer and performance artist from Nottingham now based in London. Mika’s play Pink Lemonade is currently being developed for TV with Balloon Entertainment for the BBC.

Nima Séne, Berlin / Glasgow, is an artist in collaboration working with performance making, curation, directing, writing and producing. They are also a performer consultant. They are interested in an audio visual approach in collaboration with artists through film, costume, live performance, music and poetry ultimately to create complex nuanced expression that may transcend its own form and be present in becoming and belonging. Their work is rooted in a Queer Black European diasporic experience.