At Home I Speak
“I speak in Bengali, and Italian a bit. Oh, English… I forgot English!”
Over 300 languages are spoken by London’s children, yet language learning in schools is in decline, and the new Prime Minister is concerned that ‘English is not spoken by some people as their first language’.
As part of an arts residency at Gearies Primary School in Redbridge - which has the coolest Soundcloud of all primary schools ever, and where the students speak over 45 languages - playwright Neela Doležalová and composer Richard Melkonian created a new play that explores multilingualism in contemporary Britain.
Janani Rajendra and Josephine Starte in AT HOME I SPEAK
Gabriel Àkámó in AT HOME I SPEAK
“A beautifully crafted performance, thought provoking on the lived experience and meanings of multilingualism.”
Based on recordings with students, teachers and families, AT HOME I SPEAK explores how the languages we speak (and those we don’t) shape our sense of community, culture and identity. What does it feel like to grow up in a multilingual environment when English fluency is increasingly equated with the right to belong? Does it matter what language we dream in?
Sapphire Joy and Hiftu Quasem in AT HOME I SPEAK
“Best thing I’ve seen all year – and it’s almost December. Will remember this for a long time.”
AT HOME I SPEAK was first performed at Gearies Primary School, and then at Rich Mix as part of the Being Human Festival 2019. The show was followed by a post-show discussion on contemporary attitudes to multilingualism with Dan Lea (Deputy Head, Gearies Primary School), Nicole Moore (EAL Lead, Gearies Primary School), Dr. Godela Weiss-Sussex, Dr. Naomi Wells, and Dr. Amina Yaqin. The discussion was chaired by Dr. Malachi McIntosh (Editor and Publishing Director of Wasafiri Magazine).
The cast for AT HOME I SPEAK included Gabriel Àkámọ́, Atilla Akinci, Yiannis Alexiou, Alin Balascan, Karruna Chimankar, Sapphire Joy, Hiftu Quasem, Janani Rajendra and Josephine Starte. The stage manager was Eric Pollack.
The cast of AT HOME I SPEAK at Gearies Primary School, 2019
AT HOME I SPEAK was commissioned by the Institute of Modern Languages Research (Open World Research Initiative). The art residencies were supported thanks to public funding by the National Lottery through the Arts Council England.
“Such a profound production.”