Barby Asante – Declaration of Independence 

Declaration of Independence brings together women of colour in a discursive performance to explore what it is to find a sense of place as we navigate life and a world where we rarely hear our stories although so many of us are working to create a more equitable world, whether this is through creativity, activism or in our everyday actions, By inviting women to share stories in a backdrop of postcolonial/decolonial and migration histories these performed her-stories intervene in the archive of these cultural histories.

Declaration of Independence is part of Barby's wider project As Always a Painful Declaration of Independence – For Ama. For Aba. for Charlotte and Adjoa, begins with a personal familial reflection on the idea of independence and agency for women of colour from the departure point of the independence of Ghana in 1957. The title also draws upon Ama Ata Aidoo’s poem that speaks of the Independence project as a separation not just from a paternalistic country, but also as a break up of a relationship and an independence for Ama.

Declaration of Independence will be performed by Selina Rose, Paula Pinho Martins Nacif, Chloe Filani, Marwa Belghazi, Buki Bayode, Foluke Taylor, and Aisha Mohammed.

The group performance will be followed by a conversation between Barby Asante and Dr Karen Salt.

Barby Asante is an artist, curator and educator based in London. 

Dr Karen Salt is Co-director of the Centre for Research in Race and Rights (C3R) and leads Europe’s first ever Black Studies PhD programme at the University of Nottingham. 

Declaration of Independence is the first Library of Performing Rights (LPR) annual commission additionally supported by South Bank University and The Study Room In Exile.

The LPR commission for 2018 is part of LADA’s contribution to the EU-funded Collaborative Arts Partnership Programme (CAPP), and Restock Rethink Reflect Four on Live Art and Privilege (2016-18).