While our ‘Music Seen’ exhibition has continued in the atrium, we have been busy collecting more oral histories, with our group of volunteers proving themselves to be excellent researchers, interviewers and transcribers. One of their subjects in April was Riverside’s former Cinema Director Shira MacLeod, who was responsible for our celebrated film programme between 2003 and 2014. Shira explained to interviewer Kiz her processes for selecting appropriate and enticing double-bills, her Riverside journey from box office assistant to cinema directorship and memorable encounters with film industry figures such as Nicholas Roeg, Ken Loach and Jean-Marc Barr.
In May, our interviewees were Tête à Tête Opera Company’s Artistic Director Bill Bankes-Jones and Administrative Director Anna Greg. They were both responsible for and very involved with the delivery of their annual opera festival which, during the month of August, took over the majority of the performance spaces in our original building. Riverside also co-produced with Tête à Tête the hit production of the musical ‘Salad Days’, which had two popular runs at our studios in 2010/11 and 2012/13. Also interviewed was television producer Chris Cowey, who was Executive Producer of ‘Top of the Pops’ from 1997 to 2003, during which time the programme was recorded in Riverside’s Studio 1.
In June, we spoke with actor Caroline Langrishe who had starred in Riverside’s very first in-house production, ‘The Cherry Orchard’ in 1978. Ten years later, she returned to Riverside to perform in Kenneth Branagh’s production of ‘Twelfth Night’ alongside Richard Briers and Frances Barber.
We aim to begin making our growing collection of audio interviews available to the public via the Riverside Studios website later this summer. Look out for a ‘Riverside Reflections’ link via the ‘Our Story’ section of the website; www.riversidetsuios.co.uk/ourstory.
In May, we held a special event paying tribute to the late writer, musician and Riverside alumnus Benjamin Zephaniah. Produced by heritage Project Manager Daniel Thurman, ‘Eat Your Words: A Celebration of Benjamin Zephaniah’ featured readings curated by our former Creative Associate Reuben Esson-Parkes and writer and dramaturg Nadine Gray. Archival material from our own collection was selected by our Archivist Hope and projected onto a large screen behind the nine readers, who were made up of Benjamin’s friends, colleagues and admirers. The sold-out audience enjoyed an evening of poetry, personal recollections and music, which ended with Benjamin’s wife Qian – dressed in Benjamin’s suit and hat - reciting one of her husband’s poems by heart. The running order was as follows:
Kadija Sesay (poet/editor/literary activist) - The One Minutes of Silence
Anoushka Lucas (actor/writer) – Carnival Days
Elisha Gabb (poet) - Recollection by Elisha Gabb
Trevor Laird (actor/director) – Man to Man
Nadine Gray (actor/writer) – Having a Word
Sarah Hehir (poet/playwright) - Poetics
Elisha Gabb – Faceless
Kadija Sesay– What If
Trevor Laird – As a African
Simon Burrowes (poet) - Poem by Simon Burrowes
Nadine Gray – What Stephen Lawrence Has Taught Us
Kid Anansi – How Straight Am I by Kid Anansi
Anoushka Lucas – Pencil Me In
Sarah Hehir – The Death of Joy Gardner
Kid Anansi (poet) – According to My Mood
Trevor Laird – The British
Nadine Gray – Foreword, Too Black, Too Strong
Kadija Sesay– Waiting for Adu
Yaz Alexander (reggae artist) – Who Are We?
Yaz Alexander – The Spirit Level
Qian Zephaniah
We would like to thank everyone who participated in this very special event and reiterate our love and condolences to Benjamin’s friends and family.
Benjamin Zephaniah
1958 - 2023