WELCOME TO OUR ONLINE ARCHIVE FOR PARTICIPANTS TAKING PART IN THE LIVE SHOWS
NEW ANNUAL
NEWCASTLE CITY HALL, OCTOBER 2024
PHOTOS CASSANDRA HANNAGAN
Beverley
“Firm friendships are made through the power of music, and some of these lifelong friendships are still with us.”
Damien
“I’m planning a federal court challenge to make Medicare available in prisons. If I win I’ll get my lost power back.”
Catherine
“I come from a line of strong women. They taught me to stand tall, no matter what this world throws at me.”
Rachel
“I say goodbye to my past which no longer reminds me of who I really am, and what I deserve.”
Joey
“I live softly and wholeheartedly, in defiance of those pain-inflicting titans, who I will refuse to let my fist tighten. “
Ed
“To have our power returned to us when it has gone missing, we need to know that we have been listened to.”
Zippie
”Queer power is beautiful. Trans power is beautiful. People and their stories are beautiful.”
Emma
“Functional Neurological Disorder you may still have power over me but I refuse to let you define me.”
ADELAIDE FRINGE FESTIVAL
KIMBA INSTITUTE TOWN HALL, FEBRUARY 2024
PHOTOS MADDIE MAITLAND
Erin
”I choose to take action, and ask questions of myself and others to improve my own and others existence.”
Philip
”I will not be a toxic male trapped by societal expectations of masculinity and success, for fear of losing my soul.”
Mary
”I’m a mother and a grandmother. Life has taught me that not everyone has the same values and truths as I do.”
Dale
”Domestic violence is not a dirty phrase so let’s talk about it. I am strong enough to hold the lantern for those behind me.”
Andy
”My mum’s childhood experiences motivated her to help high school students as a teacher and counsellor.”
Terry
”My mother no longer has power over me. These days, I create my own power and opportunities for myself.”
Jess
”Power means so much more to me now, because the power you held over me lessens each day.”
FESTIVAL OF FIRSTS
LINCOLN CENTER NEW YORK, USA OCTOBER 2023
PHOTOS LAWRENCE SUMULONG
Betsy
“How do I forgive thee? Let me count the ways. Because it’s not all about men. And it never was.”
Raelle
“Saying what you mean, when you mean it is love and hope to the bravery to whatever has power over you.”
Scarlett
“You never know when perfect timing will show up for you so get ready. Your own hands create the alchemy of your life.”
Analisa
“I pledge to honour my Filipino/Asian half. The half of me that isn’t white. Only then can I truly stand in solidarity.”
Daniel
“The power over me was my imagination and to all those who said no, so I followed my own path and so should you.”
Tai
“Oppression is a mother f*cker. It takes, ruins, discards, displaces, and destroys over equities and equalities.”
Jhonny
“Working-classes are crushed by the power of corporations. But we’ll keep on fighting until the day of Celebration.”
Avery
“People who look for power over others aren’t that powerful themselves. No one has power over me but myself.”
Hanifah
“I am because of the place I was born but your laws strip of my humanity and ability to just be. I wish I could exist freely.”
REPLAY CREATIVE AT RIVERLAND YOUTH THEATRE
RENMARK SOUTH AUSTRALIA, NOVEMBER 2022
Photos GLENDA MALINOVSKY
Kat
”Colonisation, invasion, stolen generations. No more white man laws, acts, and policies. It’s time to STOP.”
Rebecca
”These days I’m safe and ok with bipolar and the power my Dad had over me. I’m in control of that power now.”
Britnie
”I don’t know what I want, what I need, but I know it’s easier to be afraid and risk nothing than be brave and stand alone.”
Penn
”Medical practitioners should not have power over me and my body because I am transgender. That power belongs to me.”
Stuart
”My best friend became my tormentor. I would like to tell him my heart was heavy for so long but I know how to fix it now.”
Bethany
”Time is blind power and my future is a dark mystery. I am a teenager terrified of where my present will lead me. “
Jai
”I was once a broken shell but I fought to overcome my addiction to be a powerful goddess and a ball of strength.”
Miriam
”I reject the power you had over the choices I made and the connections I severed with icy derision. I reclaim my joy.”
Stanley Arts
London UK, MARCH 2022
Photos Vipul Sangoi
Sharon
”The power of choice enabled me to find my voice and achieve things I was made to beleive I couldn’t until now.”
Ursula
”The overbearing, oppressive voice of Western capitalist, hetero-normative, able-bodied, youth obsessed patriarchy.”
Anusha
“The sun shines on everyone and everything. When I choose joy for you, I am.”
Shelly
”At a time of grief touch is probably the most powerful of senses. The power of touch is the power of love.”
Shaniqua
”I hope you will stay out of trouble, take care of your kids and finally show tender, loving respect to women.”
Spiritual Tiik
”Fear not beautiful soul, we are one. The energy, the energy is the power, it’s got the hold on you.”
Boudicca
”People who are determined to despise us have long lost the the power to hurt and to use up my time.”
CHILDREN’S CAPITAL OF CULTURE
ROTHERHAM CIVIC THEATRE UK, FEBRUARY 2022
Photos OLIVER IBBOTSON
ADELAIDE FESTIVAL CENTRE
ADELAIDE AUSTRALIA, SEPTEMBER 2021
PHOTOS EMMA LUKER
Kathryn
”I am a person that can pass as able bodied, but the harder I try the more it affects my disability.”
Samuel
”To my parents, you are the source of my gratitude. You are the source of my fear of failure, and drive to succeed.”
Tom
”Sussan Ley, accept your duty of care. Start treating the climate crisis for what it is, a global emergency.”
Kyron
”We, First Nations people were forced into labels that were used to justify genocide and the theft of our nation.”
Anjali
”Those in power must be held accountable for their failure to achieve significant progress on climate change.”
Nicky
”Stop expecting everyone to think the same, desire the same, be the same. I’m done hurting.”
Oshanna
”Why am I still pleading my case for flexible work conditions, when I have proved myself, creating so much with so little.”
Anton
”I love the Adelaide crows and my mum who has power over me.”
Dan
”I was a subject of your Surveillance State. I am not a spy. I am not a criminal. Yet you treat me as if I were.”
BUNJIL PLACE
NARRE WARREN
CITY OF CASEY AUSTRALIA, MAY 2021
PHOTOS GRAHAM DENHOLM
Barbara
”My parents taught me to be strong and achieve what I want in my life. I was taught to speak up and to fight for the truth.”
Sandra
”My mum is the benevolent power in my life. She raised me to be emotionally and financially independent.”
Nic
”Locating the source of my power and strength, as a queer person living with HIV, was the first step towards healing.”
Seetha
”My duty to family has power over me. I am here to give my grandchildren love, strength, courage, and empowerment.”
Juan Carlos
”I am a soccer coach for people with special needs. For 32 years I have challenged discrimination in our community.”
Larra
”I wish I could use my power over myself to say I have done enough and that I am more than enough.”
Maroulla
”My conscience has power over me. I don’t argue with her. She is the boss. Sometimes she tolerates my imperfections.”
Misaka
”My principles have power over me for the benefit of my own sanity, and to create a better version of my family and I.”
Lynette
”I am a stolen child from the Bundjahung tribe. When I found my mum, I was told I am from a family of fifteen kids.”
Charomi
”I have three children and three grandkids. I’ve learnt to appreciate the love and power I have in me. My time is now.”
Jeremy
”My mother Beverley is the matriarch in our family. She holds power over all of us. I owe her my life, literally.”
Bev
”The Institute for the Blind (RVIB) has power over me. They gave me confidence to marry, have kids, and live a full life.”
BRISBANE POWERHOUSE
MELT FESTIVAL OF QUEER ARTS AND CULTURE
BRISBANE AUSTRALIA, MAY 2021
PHOTOS BY KATE HOLMES
Brian
”Power is energising. I want to use my power in a compassionate way. Watch out world, here we are .”
Jodie
”I am grateful for the willingness to share my battle with shame. I can see a future where shame can be my wisdom.”
Naomi
”Fear of what I might do when pushed by you, or what I might not do when frozen by you.”
Darsha
”Sexuality stems from a genetic predisposition caused by prenatal biological influences beyond our control.”
Naavikaran
”White man white man, have power over me. White man white man, please let me be.”
Destiny
”People of diverse sexualities and gender identities make things messy for power. Stop fighting and embrace it. “
Taz
”I use my lived experience of homelessness and queerness to advocate for better LGBT+ healthcare.”
Emma
”Words have power over me. And there is a quiet command in those words that only you can possess. “
RIVERSIDE THEATRES
SYDNEY AUSTRALIA, MARCH 2021
PHOTOS BY KEN LEANFORE
Wilfred
”To those who doubted me. Who felt that I was less than. It didn’t work. What it did was strengthen me.”
Alana
”Our paths are not predetermined. We have the capabilities to shape our future and how we define ourselves.”
Max
”My inner monkey-mind is both the holder of the keys and the one locked in the cage I call my own.”
Subini
“Through pain came the healing of me as a beautiful strong woman restoring the meaning of acceptance and letting go.”
Keith
”Through truth telling I envision a future without bars, and a world where we take ownership over societal wrong doings.”
Mark
”I am me, a proud Trans gumbaynggirr, murriwarri warrior. I will grow big and strong and be like the ghost gum tree.”
Zander
”Loneliness has been a constant in my life. With the support of people around me I’m controlling it better.”
Teodora
”People who love you should empower you because what wouldn’t we do for the people we deeply love.”
Julie
”Grief masquerades under aliases of loss, pain, regret and sorrow. I emerge from its absolute control.”
Cleonie
”I was removed from my parents when I was 4 years old. To Government I say tearing families apart is a great injustice.”
Rey
”My gender has power over me, much more than my cis peers who identify as the gender they were presumed at birth.”
Shawn
”I’m taking control of my problems, trying to figure out who I am, and what makes me break free from my mental chains.”
Beverley
”My life through the power of music . Music makes me feel passionate about life. Music gets me through.”
Katie
”It doesn’t matter how you look, what they think. I’m walking beside you ready to catch you when you want me too.”
Bonnie
"Ultimately, you hold power over me because I allow you too.
I let you in.”
Graham
”That person who holds power over me is the most important person in my life. That person is my mother, Lynette Sims.”
Kate
”Ageing and death have power over all of us. At 70 I’m taking stock of my body, mind, and soul.”
Blake
”Heteronormative culture is a slow moving insidious force. It is the voice that stops you from holding your partner’s hand.”
Rachael
”I am in the global minority – safe, fed, never thirsty, educated and on the road to being liberated.”
Mark
'“To Bulan and Sidapa from pre-colonised Filipino mythology: Thank you for existing and bringing me closer to my culture.”
Shannan
”We never lose our demons, we gain the power to live above them.”
Shaun
”I say to the people in power be more considerate and mindful of the people out there that aren’t the same as you.”
CAST
DONCASTER UK, FEBRUARY 2020
PHOTOS BY SARAH HICKSON
Kyle
”I have aspergers and polyarteritis nodosa. It’s made me a better person - not a victim of stigma and ignorance.”
Alan
”People on the streets, nowhere to go. No money for bread, use a food bank instead. Austerity kills. It’s murder.”
Bob
”After 35 years resisting my stammer, I learnt to accept it. I’m proud to say my name, Robert William Adams.I stammer.”
Shinder
”Human beings have the power to be compassionate, creative, destructive. The choice is ours to save the planet.”
Maria
I moved to the UK from Portugal 3 years ago. I now confront myself without limits or pre-conceptions. I am the future.”
Mal
”The Trade Union Movement supports the welfare of the working classes, and defines my belief in truth to power.”
Amy
”My daughter has power over me and my ecoanxiety. My family is now ecofriendly. Sustainability is so important now.”
Mike
”Maleness has power over me. When male power and influence is challenged, we will all live in a better world.”
Alfred
”I experienced war and displacement in Sri Lanka. We can achieve more through co-operation, not war and destruction.“
Sam
”Addiction tells you you’re not addicted, so you have another line and another drink. Now I have the power to say no.”
John
”The ruling classes with unlimited wealth control our politicians who sell us the myth we can prosper like them.”
NORWICH ARTS CENTRE
NORWICH UK, JANUARY 2020
PHOTOS SARAH HICKSON
Katy Jon
”The cold hard death of reality, the loss of hope, the loss of love, the loss of family. Carpe diem.”
Esther
”What’s conventional? What’s accepted? Question the obvious. Question the unquestionable.”
Amanda
”So it’s big ben bong. Clock went wrong. Bong, big, ben. Rich white men. Ben, bong, big. Boris in a wig.”
Helen
”The uncertainty of Grandad’s war impacted on my life. Sharing my story is worth 1000 therapy sessions!”
Nina
”There is only one person who has ever had power over me and that is my father. I will always love him deeply.”
Lucy
”Through speaking the truth of my family, I continue to find hope and acceptance. Safe travels.”
Anna Mae
”My mother had asperger’s. It robbed me of my self worth, blurred boundaries, and made the abnormal seem normal.”
Vince
”The DWP personified by Iain Duncan Smith has power over me. Do you know people compare IDS to the Nazis?”
UNITY THEATRE
LIVERPOOL UK, November 2019
PHOTOS SARAH HICKSON
Joao Pedro
”The Home Office has power over me. I can’t stay here for more than 6 months. I am a human being, not a criminal.”
Sue
”My late husband and I bonded over a love of Crowded House. Their music is a time machine in my head and my heart.”
Rob
”What once made me feel pathetic, now makes me feel empathetic. I am stronger. I can live for longer with love.”
Jennifer
”As you go through life, you unlearn what you arrive knowing. I have the power, and I say to myself well done, keep going.”
Felix
‘Being transgender is not the thing that’s difficult. The Government are the ones who make it hard for me to be me.’
Asma
”Institutions and support services must listen to survivors of domestic abuse. I am here to help women like me.”
Wayne
”I am 54 and lost everything through my drinking. For 7 years I have been in AA recovering through art, music and sport.”
Jacquie
”My dad (rest in peace) made me feel as if I could never be chosen, but today I choose myself.”
Tom
”Power, you will not, beat us. As long as there is one solitary flame still burning somewhere, we will never give up.”
THE ARTS CENTRE
ORMSKIRK UK, November 2019
PHOTOS SARAH HICKSON
Sue
”Music can dominate any mood I’m in, at any time, and in any place. It has the power to bring me joy.”
Rebecca
”I recognise a continuous negotiation with power; skills for skills, time for money and the choice I have within that.”
Kadisha
”Time has the power to remind me I’m alive. It connects us to the right amount of time, in time with my life.”
Rob
”Mental illness, you once had power over me, but no longer though… You’ve now set me free!”
Asma
”My husband had power over me for 6.5 years. Don’t be scared to walk away from oppression and ill treatment.”
Wayne
”Low self-esteem, you plagued me from an early age but not anymore. I’ve learned to love myself.”
Bryony
”Depression does not discriminate but it favours the poor. Today I chose to speak from the fire ignited in my heart.”
Ren
”I’m trying not to put myself in a box as it’s dark in there. Why be there, when you can be out there in the stars.”
BLOOMSBURY FESTIVAL AT CONWAY HALL
LONDON, UK OCTOBER 2019
PHOTOS SARAH HICKSON
Erkan
”I am Erkan Affan. I am Arabic. I am Turkish. I am 'Alawi. I am Queer. I am Trans*. I am Muslim.”
Laura
”I am a #RevoltingMidwife. I want to talk to all who undermine women’s* ability to birth.”
Rakaya
”I write about overlapping identities, faith and culture as self-affirmation. I am the Roundhouse Slam winner of 2018.”
Bryony
"Depression does not discriminate, but it does favour the poor. The politics of poverty is a conversation in all my art."
Ruth
”I am 84. I came from Berlin on the Kindertransport at age four in 1939 to escape from the Nazis."
Errol
”Look at me! I was a repeat offender for 30 years. Theatre helped me stay out of prison and now I’m a wordssmith.”
Mick
”I am a co-founder of Lesbian and Gays Support the Miners and a leader in the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign.”
Bruce
”I am Ruth's son and a second generation Kindertransportee. I’m a child of a child refugee from Nazi Germany.”
Nick
”I am a playwright. Self-expression does not belong to a particular class, race or creed. Let’s take a walk to equality”.
Joe
”Disempowerment has power over me. On 14th June 2017, 72 people died and I lost my home in Grenfell Tower.”
TOUCHSTONES
ROCHDALE, UK OCTOBER 2019
PHOTOS SARAH HICKSON
Asma
“I am a survivor of domestic abuse and I could not be broken. Life is for living and loving.”
Uroosa / Ruby
Even though society tries to debilitate my identity, it is what helps me understand how I view the world.”
JP
”I want to be free from immigration controls, which prevent me from being with the one I love.”
Julie
”It's the men in my life - but it shouldn't be - I'm a feminist for fucks sake! This is not a time to be a bystander.”
Nathaniel
”I love you. I miss you. Now I’m grieving for you. And I’m only sorry I couldn’t have done more.”
Catherine
”By God’s grace, I stand free from abuse and anger and empowered to live my best life.”
Jennifer
”I sing Manchester street and Lancashire dialect work songs. I am accountable to those who have gone before me.”
Debbie
"The truth and my spirit of faith defines me. No one has power over me because I am taking it back."
Liesl
”The education systems impacts negatively on those children who have special educational needs.”
Janet
”To bullies, past and present, thanks for making me stronger. You made me what I am today, an independent woman.”
SQUARE CHAPEL ARTS CENTRE
HALIFAX, UK OCTOBER 2019
PHOTOS SARAH HICKSON
Danny
”The person with power over me is my inner self. They will not win. I’m here to take back control.”
Nadia
”Don’t take your voice for granted. I have a voice because of my communication aid. It is important to speak out!”
Sam
”The abuse that followed me into adulthood. I was silent, but no more. The power and the voice is within, my voice.”
Tracy
”I’m autistic and I live with Asperger’s Syndrome. To those who wrote me off - read my Doctorate in Autism Studies.”
Saalihah
”We live in a culture where male dominance chokes you and leaves you feeling devalued.”
Rhiannon
”Propaganda is still as prevalent during the War. The older I get, I realise how important fact checking is.”
Max
"People often have power they are unaware of, we must do our best to be aware of our own."
Therese
”For years, in my marriage, he had the power. Then came a day I felt the power coming back to me and became free.”
CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION
CAMBRIDGE, UK SEPTEMBER 2019
PHOTOS SARAH HICKSON
Irving
”Once you let one person have power over you, others take it too. I don’t let anyone have power over me anymore.”
Lynne
”Iain Duncan Smith’s benefits system is discriminatory and dehumanising towards disabled people.”
Al
”The planet burns; educated to obey the rules, we’ve lost our power and our dreams. Rebel for Life!”
Iman
”We are categorised as minorities who are disadvantaged and underprivileged, and all because of our ethnic identity.”
Dani
"By all means continue with your non consensual celebration of my difference, but do you have to make it so personal?"
Eden
”Power is something we share, not hoard. We are here to express our uniqueness and celebrate each other.”
Simona
”I feel almost voiceless after seven years of no human contact, but I’m here to tell the truth, to weep, and to love.”
PINTER LEGACIES CONFERENCE
WORKSHOP THEATRE LEEDS, UK SEPTEMBER 2019
PHOTOS SARAH HICKSON
Bryony
"Depression does not discriminate, but it does favour the poor. The politics of poverty is a conversation in all my art."
Caitlin
”A lull in the night waiting to be stirred. My own creations, my past. You are the power that haunts me.”
Amanda
”I have been in recovery for three years. The change came from within. There I found the power to unlock my true self.”
Mark
”We cannot allow others to do our thinking for us. If we submit to political rhetoric we are doomed (Harold Pinter).”
Mev
”I’m Muslim and a second generation immigrant. To the citizens of England - stop painting me as the other.”
Ella
”Patriarchal structures of a pre-internet age represent an irreparable divide. This is the power I’m afraid of.”
Fanjin
”Sometimes I think I’m not pretty, not fit, and not outgoing enough, and then I realise love will get me through.”
Joanna
”I struggle with the power of being a parent, and now that I am, I’d like to tell my mum it’s ok to make mistakes.”
BARNSLEY CIVIC
BARNSLEY, UK JULY 2019
PHOTOS SARAH HICKSON
Lee
”When people in power speak words of kindness, they are much more powerful than those of hate.”
Gavin
”All hail those weapons of mass destruction, while we stand, we smile, we breath and apologise.”
Leon
”I was once a working-class beginner. I felt unworthy to those who held the power in the arts, but not anymore.”
Joan
”I love making people laugh and sometimes cry. It helps with my panic attacks and brings me out of my shell.”
John
”The ruling class exercise power over us via wealth, but the world is ours to own, so I’m fighting to take it back.”
Brooke
”Have the freedom to choose how you live while living with autism, and let it bring you all the happiness you deserve.”
Nigel
”When you find the true heart, you were given, and look up to the skies, you will see that you are driven.”
Tony
”Clinging on to power matters to people with power over me. Fight for what you believe in and be willing to have a go.”
Lee
”I was born in Barnsley. My generation is responsible for climate devastation. I want to fix it for my daughter.”
hebden bridge arts festival
trades club hebden bridge UK, JUNE 2019
Photos by SARAH HICKSON
Janey
“I defend the disenfranchised. I speak to those holding economic power over us, over people and planet”
Debs
”Art has power over me. Through art I found the means to express myself, overcoming bipolar and depression.”
Lucy
”So many things make me feel powerless. Brexit. We need to listen to the voices of the powerless.”
Phil
”My father taught me how to fight for what’s right. Now that I’ve overcome the darkness, I’m on a path to light and love.”
Sharena
”Fear once squeezed my heart and slowed my pulse. You no longer control me.”
Shannah
”Grief is just the aftershock of the earthquake that is loving someone. It taught me to be my own saviour.”
Tessa
"The blood of our grandchildren and people who died in drought, famines and floods is on the hands of capitalism."
BACK TO OURS, HULL
HULL MINSTER UK, JUNE 2019
Photos by SARAH HICKSON
Aneesa
”I am a working class Asian woman in a time of polarising politics. Every day I fight the fear which has power over me.”
Andy
”I came out in 2002 after realising I wasn’t as straight as I thought I was. I love my daughter. I am gay with delay.”
Karen
”The love from my mother made me feel special, and still holds the power over my life and my identity.”
Sally
”Society has made me fight against limitations, push hard against ceilings, and move with grace, power and beauty.”
Liam
”See me through my eyes or don’t see me at all. I am no less of a man to the body I was born in.”
Annabel
”Everything is a distraction until we die. My biggest battle is and always has been, with my own head.”
Liz
”The patriachy, NHS and my neurogolist, and to Arts Council England - make creative policy for all, not government.”
Sean
”I work incredibly hard and on weekends too, which restricts my ability to find love. I have a heart. I want love.”
Dan
”I confound the stigma of deafness and each day overcome the difficulties arising from my speech.”
Dom
”My power relationship is mainly positive but can also be negative. My creative urges lead my life.”
Martin
”Those with power to generate hope, control hope and treat love as a currency to be traded.”
Magda
”Despite cultural, social and political challenges, I’m a Polish Yorkshire Lass, fighting to be my true self.”
ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE
MANCHESTER, UK APRIL 2019
Photos by SARAH HICKSON
Greg
”The father I never met and never had. Everything I don’t know about my dad is a force I have to reckon with.”
Ushiku
”I’m done diluting myself to be palatable for those who would deny my power and indeed their own as conformity suits.”
Lorraine
”A bad experience at the hands of a teacher can affect a person’s confidence for the rest of their life.”
J Ahmed
”The paradigm of truth, so people see that black and white are just two greys with proof.’”
Polly
”Renal consultants have power over me. They should trust my feelings/instincts more than the numbers on a screen.”
Tina
”There's power in our tower. A community built up, we refuse to be silenced, refuse to accept what's unjust.”
Iffat
”I am a VIP - visually impaired person. I won’t stop living my life to the absolute best, because that is what I deserve.”
Margaret Mary
”We are masters in the demolition of own well-being, experts in using words that destroy joy. Words can hurt you”.
Hugo
”I am the only person who has power over me. I control how I react. I would like to tell myself to remember this.”
Jenny
”The arts industry has power over me, I am tired of living in a world where the arts are still for the elite.”
Ryan
”Fate and her twin Destiny had my life mapped out, but they can’t snuff my light, I will achieve all that I desire.”
Amanda
”Nobody told me I couldn’t be a mother…nobody told me I could. I reflect on the power this exerts today.”
Julie
”I am the Labour MEP for NW UK. I am a feminist and campaign on issues including violence against women.”
Marvin
”I am working class born and bred In Manchester. I’m in thousands of pounds of debt just for going to Uni.”
Geoffrey
”Social values of the 1950s & 60s, hold power over me, and parental aspirations from beyond the grave.”
Mark
”I'm in recovery from non-acceptance of self. Art is my hero, my higher power. I will find my freedom and truth in that.”
Stephanie
”My poem is written to address the bullies, as part of an Employment Tribunal for disabiity discrimination.”
GULBENKIAN ARTS CENTRE
CANTERBURY, UK FEBRUARY 2019
Photos by SARAH HICKSON
Thomas
“Black in a white world, and a refugee in a new land, grandma’s words of survival have power over me.”
Sasha
”Life unlocks a world of sexual, erotic and psychological possibilities than the current gender fascism allows.”
Camilla
”I'm angry at patriarchal, and radical feminist stereotypes of sexual diversity and gender dictatorships.”
Johanna
”I spoke truth to the power of diet culture and fatphobia, My body is not an apology!”
Tanja
“Believing I dont deserve love because of my weight has power over me. I want people to love me for who I am.”
Andria
“This is not a time to let our pain dominate. Seeking outside fixes from internal struggles will not work.”
Otto
”I am down syndrome and I prowl like a lion. I speak up for people with disabilities. Don’t hide in the shadows.”
Bex
“The notion I can succeed frightens me and has power over me. I’d like to prove the little voice inside of me wrong.”
NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND,
DUNDEE UK, NOVEMBER 2018
Photos by SARAH HICKSON
Benn
”All abuse. I think the worst thing you can do to someone is uncertainty. No one owns my power now.”
Ryan
”I love the power of words. I have a story to write, a world to build. I must catch that ship beneath the moonless sky.”
Matt
”The beasts in my life have been bullies. True power is in my truth and when I left them behind.”
Donna
”Grief had power over me. It gripped my heart and tore me apart. In time it gave me gratitude. I became empowered.”
Kathleen
”I released my depression and fear with love and compassion, and uncovered my own power and autonomy.”
Cait
”I silenced myself, but look at me now, a woman full grown; an anger and rage, all of my own.”
Michael
”I’m taking my power back. I’m not afraid anymore. I’m a fighter. I’m a survivor. I’m an actor. I’m Michael Johnson.”
Dylan
”When cool chick lifted the powerlessness in my life, the next chapter was about to begin.”
Michael
”The greatest love stories have not been made up, they have been lived. I am good at this.”
THE ARTS CENTRE
ORMSKIRK UK, OCTOBER 2018
PHOTOS SARAH HICKSON
Otto
”I am new generation Down syndrome. I am taking back control of my life. I am master of my destiny.”
Lucy
”I have adopted four boys with Down syndrome. Despite social services, I keep them happy, healthy, and liberated.”
Mark
”Muting my critical father and the policing of bodies in society, enables me to be comfortable in my own skin.”
Jacquie
”The one who wields the power in her ivory tower is me. Tonight my voice has been heard. I am powerful”.
Daniel
“I have seen abandoned children with disabilities with no names and no ages in cages. This has power over me.”
Stew
”Substance abuse once eroded my ability to give and receive love. I am recovered. My love is hard earned.”
Peter
”Today, I have power over me, but it wasn’t always like that. Listen, listen, hold it, I have my own voice now.”
Eddie
”Spinning the wheel, a slip of the card, I can’t remember life being this hard. I was once a compulsive gambler.”
WELCOME TO THE VILLAGE
LEEUWARDEN EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE
THE NETHERLANDS, JULY 2018
Photos by SARAH HICKSON
Eva
"Advertising has power over me. It distorts my thoughts and judgements, and makes me want things I don't like."
Regina
"My son Jim was my soulmate but he died when he was 19. The greatest gift he gave me is the power to be me."
Jamila
"Work harder, achieve more, be better, run faster, try harder, do more, work harder, work harder, work harder."
Annemarie
"I am responsible for the mental health of people I love. I support them during their depression, whatever the cost."
Anne
"It's time the Evangelical Church found respect, compassion, and sensitivity towards LGBTQI+ communities."
Ronald
"An ode to my autism: I love you. I hate you. I accept you. You are my autism. Because of you, I am stronger."
Thiadmer
"My parents have a benevolent power over me, through which I’ve learnt to be me. I want to thank them. I love them."
Rick
"My insecurities have power over me. My parents help and I love them, but I want to stand on my own two feet now."
Richte
"I'm a musician and a songwriter. I have power over myself. I take care of myself. I reach for my goals."
Nicole
"I spend too much time thinking about my imperfections, when I'd rather just live and let live."
Timara
"Society tells me I’m a victim of sexual abuse, but I’m not a victim, and I'm not defined by that experience either."
Elise
"I am 16 and my life experience is limited, so I think other people will always have power over me. I follow."
Coco
"Sometimes it's ok to make choices for yourself, without feeling you have to put ten other people first."
Annelore
"Unconditional love for my bf, family and friends, and loyalty to my boss can hurt. Please take care of me now and then."
QUEER ZAGREB
CROATIA, MAY 2018
Photos by SARAH HICKSON
Adriana
"When I imagine speaking back to who or what has power over me, I become silent and can't put it into words."
Ivana
"I reclaim my sovereignty, I reclaim my power, and I use it for the benefit of all human beings."
Aida
"What I cannot talk about has the greatest power over me."
Zvonomir
"I have the power to make people happy, and sleep like an innocent child, but food is my addiction. Food has power."
Hrvoje
"To fear or not to fear the system and those who believe in that system has had power over me in the past."
Rina
"I'm taking my life back. I call the shots. I decide what I want to do now. I am no longer defined by being bipolar."
BLEACH* FESTIVAL FOR FESTIVAL 2018,
GOLD COAST AUSTRALIA, APRIL 2018
Photos by KATE HOLMES
Nicole
"Fantasy has power over reality, and I have perpetual feelings of wanting more, being more, having more."
Livia
"I spoke of the love I have for my adopted country Australia, the land and its peoples."
Petra
"Bullies once had power over me but not anymore. Even though I might be different, I own my difference now."
Tim
"I spoke of my ability to overcome and the power of empathy and family in my life."
Simone
"The patriarchy has power over all of us, dumbing us down to value a bottom line of greed."
Anne
"I spoke about the time I felt the most politically powerless, and my journey to a mass movement for change."
Tani
"My desire to be perfect has power over me, but my memory loss hinders me from achieving my potential."
Jeff
"In my 50th year, I am finally stepping into the power of my own life through story telling, and a loving relationship."
Kerrie
"Pharmaceutical companies who put people over profit have power over most of us."
FESTIVAL 2018
GOLD COAST AUSTRALIA, APRIL 2018
Photos by KATE HOLMES
Ian
"I spoke of the power of community, the importance of activism, and the love I have for my father."
Beverley
"I'm a 75 year old woman. Thirty years after her death, my mother still has power over me."
Gregory
"I am Waanyi and Jaru from North West Queensland. I believe in a higher power for Indigenous peoples globally."
Tiah
"I believe in the power narratives around the acceptance of failure as part of the entrepreneurial journey."
Lizi
"I have a disability and that's all my employer ever sees. Labels are for soup cans not for people."
Tristan
"The modern world-order has power over me. I'd like to say your time is up. You're in urgent need of elimination."
Kerrie
"I created Clarity to connect to your subconscious to release feelings and beliefs not working for you."
Arwen
"I released the dark me of self doubt. I don't need you anymore. I've got a better offer. Goodbye!"
Donna
"I was bullied as a child and I've now founded Dreamguards to take the power back for ourselves."
Eve
"I spoke of the fear that has power over me and prevents me from realising my potential and my dreams."
Adam
"Casting directors have power over me: they control my access to the right people and charge me for the privilege."
Nadia
"Love has power over me in moments with family, friends, strangers and in the natural world."
Nasrin
"I have power over myself. I learnt that the only one who can effect me on any aspect of my life is myself."
Rebecca
"I'm a poet and I'm 16. I spoke about asylum and the injustices immigrants and refugees experience."
Stephen
"Is Shakespeare the real pensman? Those in power fear losing their revenue by exposing the truth."
Pete
"The mind and heart are powerful weapons against pain and fear, and how much power it has over you."
Josh
"Nothing has power over me anymore. I feel good. I’m moving forward."
Robbie
"The person with power over me gave me HIV. Without him, I would not have found the power to be out and proud."
Julia
"I have a deep respect for the power that music has to increase human consciousness."
MJ
"I'm a slam poet and I'm 16. I spoke of the tale of Humbert Humbert and the power he had over Lolita."
Anne
"The people who have power over me are extremely rich people, but I revolt and I'm an activist on the streets."
THEATRE IN THE MILL
BRADFORD UK, february 2018
Photos by Sarah Hickson
Aisha
"I spoke about my father’s honour and my family's expectation to maintain it, but it’s my honour and I’m taking it back."
Jenny
"Live your truth, live it hard, live it well, live it every single minute of every single day."
Richard
"I’m offended that in 2018 more than four thousand people live on the streets and one million people use food banks."
Sharena
"Fear, you have controlled my life for too long. I dam you to an eternal wave of light."
Leon
"I spoke of bad rhetorical language corroding our society, and the damage it does in the arts."
Si Pi
"I have the power and you have the choice. Take it. Power must be taken. It will never be gift wrapped."
Ryan
"I am a trans non binary queer artist. The people who have power over me are my ‘allies’."
Fay
"The men who called me a whore, a fake and all the voices they created in my head that say I'm not good enough."
Lucy
"I’m a mermaid and I spoke of the mammal exploitation of sea dwellers who are forced to live in concrete tanks."
Betty
"My depression has power over me. It's part of who I am, my twisted darkness... And I am sick of it!"
CAST
DONCASTER UK, FEBRUARY 2018
Photos by Sarah Hickson
Ciah
"I’m a sixth form student and at 16 almost everyone has power over me. I must take the power back for myself."
Kieran
"I’m empowered by my 3 year old daughter Bonnie, who is top of the heart transplant list."
Mev
"I wrote a love letter to the UK that I know will never write back. White people paint me as the other."
Louise
"Doctors wielded power over my life, but I realised it is benevolent. I am grateful for our NHS."
Frank
"I'm just a man. This government are creating a society that starve the poor and feed the rich."
Amy
"I know there is no magical cure for my depression, but I’m no longer taking its calls.
Anonymous
"It’s very hard when you move to a new country to stand up and face my problems which have power over me."
THEATRE IN THE MILL
BRADFORD UK, NOVEMBER 2017
Photos by Sarah Hickson
Deb
"I spoke of the injustices of the British class system in the wake of Grenfell with the fury and pain in our ears."
Ele
“I used my time to inspire. Let’s be driven more by our emotions, and not by fear of a social construct."
Jenny
“Smash the patriarchy. It’s time to build a culture of consent and remember what it's like to be human and to love."
Lynne
"Private train operators don’t care for our freedom of movement. They lack dignity, empathy, and basic humanity.”
Natasha
“I am my own person, and I create my own power and opportunities for myself."
Uzma
“I spoke of the daily grind and attitudes towards favouring sons over daughters. Some things just need to be said."