IT’S TIME TO SPEAK YOUR TRUTH TO POWER
Bloomsbury Festival, Conway Hall and London Artists Projects are inviting ten people, who live or work in Bloomsbury, to participate in ‘Truth to Power Café’.
Truth to Power Café is a 60-minute performance event devised by award-winning theatre maker Jeremy Goldstein and directed by Jen Heyes. The event is intercut with monologue, poetry, image, music, memoir, and live and spontaneous testimony from participants speaking truth to power in response to the question ‘who has power over you and what do you want to say to them?’
Speaking truth to power has its roots in the anti-war movement as a non-violent means of conflict resolution. In our era of fake-news, alternative fact and post-truth, speaking truth to power is now widely accepted to mean saying something to those in authority, or position of trust who don’t want to hear it. Is it to your parents, a sibling, politician, lover, landlord, neighbour, religious leader, boss, banker, or simply your best friend? It’s time to tell them the truth before it’s too late.
Participants of all beliefs and backgrounds aged 14+ can take part in the event, and will have up to 500 words of their choosing to respond to the question before a live audience.
We encourage participants, some of whom will be first time speakers, to interpret the question in ways which are meaningful to them. Past participants have spoken from the personal, professional and the political, addressing themes and topics such as sexuality, ethnicity, homelessness, addiction, climate change, loneliness, advertising, sexual abuse, grief, fear, depression, love, HIV, bullying, family, class, autism, down syndrome, asylum, war, and power as a force for good in our lives.
Participants are photographed by leading UK photographer Sarah Hickson whose portraits are projected into the show itself, and shared with participants after the event. Participants’ portraits and stories are preserved in an online archive.
To take part in the event please register your interest by signing up via the website with no more than 150 words about who you are and what you’d like to say in response to the question. If you have any questions please contact Jeremy@londonartistsprojets.co.uk.
‘Truth to Power Cafe’ is inspired by the political and philosophical beliefs of Harold Pinter and his Hackney Gang.
Created by Jeremy Goldstein; Verse Henry Woolf; Director Jen Heyes; Photography Sarah Hickson; Banners Ed Hall; Lighting Nigel Edwards; Music David Bowie arranged by Sven Ratzke
‘Truth to Power Café’ performance is part of the 2019 Festival hub at Conway Hall, Small steps and Big Ideas… Click here to book tickets and find out more.