At Home 08 resident: Akiel Chinelo
Thursday 19 June to Saturday 21 June 7:30 pm
£3 / £2
Marking the final year of At Home residencies, we are delighted to present three emerging artists who collectively span visual, spoken & performance art cultures.
Following six months of development time, Contact presents the resulting “ideas in progress” - taking shape in a variety of spaces and places around the building. From intimate moments to collective reflections in wild forests, At Home has something to whet everyone’s artistic palate.
Akiel Chinelo: Coconut Tree
Coconut Tree is an urban tale rooted in West African Griot tradition. A black westerner ventures to The Gambia and meets a girl. But if he’s serious about her, he has to pass through local tradition…..including the obstacle of a coconut tree.
During the 90s, Akiel Chinelo was well known on the Manchester poetry circuit as ‘Scorcha’. In 2006 he re-emerged and developed a show with Classical Composer Anwen Lewis. The show was called ‘Doin’ Moon’ and was themed around Akiel’s 11 year prison sentence. ‘Doin’ Moon’ toured at a variety of venues which include, The Royal Northern College of Music, Contact Theatre, The Poetry Café in Covent Gardens and Manchester museum.
Akiels spoken word, story telling delivery draws influence from the dramatic West African griot traditions. He recently became a member of ‘Speakeasy’.
He wrote a theatre piece called ‘Afrika Wings’, that included 6 artists from multi-disciplines. It was commissioned by Northern College in Barnsley to commemorate Black History Month 2007.
