Peaceophobia / Speakers Corner
Speakers’ Corner is a social collective co-run by women and young girls in Bradford to bring people together and create positive action. One of the projects campaigns has become the inspiration for a major new production by Common Wealth which will tour major festivals.
Performers, producers and crew form the new Common Wealth production Peaceophobia strike joyous poses in front of, behind and on top of the three beautifully modified saloon cars that are the stars of the show. The cars are parked on the roof top level of a multi-storey carpark with striking Bradford cityscape in the background
Image Credit ©Karol Wyszynski
Mariyah Kayat
I’ve been part of Speakers’ Corner since 2017. I’m an apprentice producer with Common Wealth Theatre, so it’s almost full circle for me working where I used to volunteer.
Speakers’ Corner helped me grow as a person. I spoke at panel discussions and in front of crowds at a young age about personal topics like my mental health, self-care, body image, and body positivity. I’m also an assistant producer for a Common Wealth play called Peaceophobia, a story about three Muslim men and their cars. Seeing a play grow from start to finish from when Peaceophobia was a campaign about Islamophobia in 2018 has been amazing.
We have Speakers’ Corner, this amazing platform that allows young people to share creatively. But where else can people do that?
Sajidah Shabir
I’d heard about Speakers’ Corner from my friends who were taking part in WOW Bradford in 2018. During my A-levels, I felt really uninspired. Just hearing them talk about going after school one day a week to this cool place where they could be creative and put on events inspired me to go and see what it was about.
When I was at Speakers’ Corner, I remember saying to one of the producers, ‘Ever since I was a little girl, I loved watching Bollywood movies. I want to recreate them, bring them to Bradford and share our beautiful culture.’ She said, ‘You could get an apprenticeship in directing!’ Then Common Wealth Theatre opened up this post for assistant producer. So, I applied, and I got it.
I’m working on a bunch of things. I had the amazing opportunity to co-produce a photography project with Mariyah called Sisterhood which showcased and celebrated the beautiful talent and the uniqueness of Bradford’s young women. As part of International Women’s Month in March 2021, it appeared in Lister Park and on billboards in Bradford.
As a young teenager and as a south Asian woman from Bradford, spaces like Speakers’ Corner nurture your creativity and identity, they’re really important. These spaces allow you to be free.
Two young women stand together shoulder to shoulder, smiling and looking confidently out toward the viewer. The decorated and colourful windows of the old Speakers Corner shop unit in Bradford city centre are in the background
A young woman speaks through a megaphone to organise the many cars, car owners and performers at the Peaceophobia event in City Park, taking place out of the image