Kauthar Abdi
In her story Good People Outnumber the Bad, Kauthar reflects on her fear at the prejudice she faced after the 7/7 London bombings in 2005 because she wore a hijab and was visibly Muslim and how simple acts of kindness from strangers helped her regain her faith in humanity.
Kauther Proposch née Abdi is a British Somali woman living in North West London. Her time is taken up with raising four children, working as a secondary school English teacher, and she has recently started a master's in History at University College London. Kauthar first got involved with the East Storytelling Project as a participant in 2021 where she shared a story about growing up in Somalia and escaping war.
Marshall Savage
Telling the story of Ahthon-ali, a story of the most beautiful soul, who navigated herself through a world that should have been kinder to her.
Marshall Savage, also known as Mijan, is a Bangladeshi-British queer person born and raised in the heart of East London. Marshall’s identity is shaped by their heritage and the borough they grew up in, Tower Hamlets, which fuels their passion for activism and community. Marshall’s intersectional identity are the reasons why they are passionate about LGBTQ+ rights and welfare not warfare. Marshall didn’t come from a creative or academic background, but they love learning new skills and embracing new experiences wherever they lead.
Sef Townsend
Sef will be telling stories from an East End Jewish background.
Sef Townsend is an internationally renowned storyteller who has spent many years inspiring both children and adults with stories, language, rhythm and song. He has worked widely on refugee, peace, reconciliation and inter-faith projects, and has performed his stories and workshops across schools, museums, cultural centres, refugee camps and festivals around the world. He is a co-founder of the East Storytelling Project, along with Shamim Azad and Paul Burgess.
Hosts: Paul Burgess and Tasnim Siddiqa Amin
Hosting the event are Daedalus's artistic director and assistant artistic director. Paul, a locally based theatre maker and a descendant of East End Jews, will introduce the event with a brief history of The Battle of Cable Street, while Tasnim, a local British-Bengali artist, theatremaker and activist, will facilitate the open mic.