I Am An Immigrant
32 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago -Most of us have a picture in our minds when we hear the word 'immigrant'. For some it sounds like a dirty word. For others, it means someone who needs help. Or an inspiring hero making a 'contribution'. Whatever picture you conjure, this weekly interview podcast with your host Christine Bacon is here to transform that into something way more interesting. Guests are a mixture of celebrities, public figures and regular Janes and they all share the unique experience of moving across borders and making a life for themselves in the UK.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
2.6 Tawona Sitholé: My Uncle and Ambition Brought Me Here
July 25, 2022 04:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBTawona Sitholé, like a lot of artists, does many things. Better known as Ganyamatope (his ancestral family name), he is a poet, playwright, storyteller and musician. He was born in Zimbabwe just before independence and moved to the UK aged 21. He has research and teaching roles in the school of education and medical school, at the University of Glasgow. Other educational roles are with Glasgow School of Art, University of the West of Scotland, University of Stirling and Newcastle University,...
2.5 Leena Nammari: Unapologetically Palestinian
July 18, 2022 04:00 - 39 minutes - 36 MBLeena Nammari is a Palestinian artist printmaker based in Scotland. Her work has been part of group and solo exhibitions within Scotland and in Europe more widely. Leena’s installation, It Will Live can be seen on the façade of the Studio venue at the Edinburgh International festival between August 12 and 27. . We talked about Leena’s favourite Scottish words, the essential herbs and spices to fill your suitcase with before you leave Palestine, and the feeling that, despite living here for d...
2.4 Madison Nonoa: You Can Choose To Get Back On The Horse
July 11, 2022 04:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBMadison Nonoa is an opera singer. She was born and bred in New Zealand and made the big move to the UK in 2017 to complete a degree in opera at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She is based in the UK and performs around the world. Madison will sing in a concert of songs by Brahms with Edinburgh pianists Malcolm Martineau & Steven Osborne on August 13th. We talked about how opera must always strive to be relevant, the all-too common immigrant story of visa woes and the antip...
2.3 Mavin Khoo: Just Call Me An Artist
July 04, 2022 04:00 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MBMavin Khoo is a dancer and coach. He was born in Malaysia and moved between there and India from the age of 10-17. After a short stint in New York, he landed in the UK aged 18. His career has taken him all over the world. He is currently an Associate and Rehearsal Director at the Akram Kahn Dance Company. Their show Jungle Book Reimagined will play at the Edinburgh International Festival August 25-28. We talked about falling in love with dance in Malaysia at age 5, being a young queer man in...
2.2 Akeim Toussaint Buck: Be the one who is in the room the longest
June 27, 2022 04:00 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBAkeim Toussaint Buck is an interdisciplinary performer and maker, born in Jamaica and raised in England. We talked about the good times, the not so good times, the rocky road to British citizenship and how dance became Akeim’s survival tool. His solo show Windows Of Displacement is a dance theatre solo show. Working with dance, song and spoken word, Akeim explores diverse identities in today’s England. Using his own experience of being a Jamaican born citizen now a citizen in the UK as s...
2.1. mandla rae: Expressing rage with fruit
June 20, 2022 07:58 - 29 minutes - 27 MBmandla rae is writer, performer and occasional curator, who was born in Zimbabwe, moved to South Africa aged 2 and came to the UK aged 7. We talked about rage, feeling out of place and talking to strangers in Manchester. Their solo show, as british as a watermelon plays at the Edinburgh International Festival between August 23 and 26. Through the exploration of mandla’s fragmented LGBTQ asylum and childhood migration memories, as british as a watermelon asks powerful questions about belongin...
11. Raph Dilhan: I Want To Win This Thing
September 09, 2021 06:00 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBRaph Dilhan is a textile artist working in the film industry who was born and raised in France and now lives in London. Many of you will know him as a finalist in Season 7 of the Great British Sewing Bee, in which he consistently wowed the judges, despite being the least experienced sewer on the show. We talked about Raph’s MANY hobbies, how his sense of humour doesn’t always translate well here and why he never lost his cool on TV. * I am an Immigrant is and ice&fire theatre produc...
1.11. Raph Dilhan: I Want To Win This Thing
September 09, 2021 06:00 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBRaph Dilhan is a textile artist working in the film industry who was born and raised in France and now lives in London. Many of you will know him as a finalist in Season 7 of the Great British Sewing Bee, in which he consistently wowed the judges, despite being the least experienced sewer on the show. We talked about Raph’s MANY hobbies, how his sense of humour doesn’t always translate well here and why he never lost his cool on TV. * I am an Immigrant is and ice&fire theatre produc...
10. Lisa Caruccio Came: Citizen of the World
September 02, 2021 06:00 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBLisa is an actor who was born in Hong Kong and has lived in Brazil, Italy, Canada, the United States and the UK. She has worked with my theatre company ice&fire and we live in the same area of Hackney in London. We chatted about being perceived as foreign, what has led Lisa to move from place to place and her dreams in which she argues publicly with Teresa May. * I am an Immigrant is and ice&fire theatre production hosted by Christine Bacon, edited by Helen Clapp. Cover art by Ada J...
1.10. Lisa Caruccio Came: Citizen of the World
September 02, 2021 06:00 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBLisa is an actor who was born in Hong Kong and has lived in Brazil, Italy, Canada, the United States and the UK. She has worked with my theatre company ice&fire and we live in the same area of Hackney in London. We chatted about being perceived as foreign, what has led Lisa to move from place to place and her dreams in which she argues publicly with Teresa May. * I am an Immigrant is and ice&fire theatre production hosted by Christine Bacon, edited by Helen Clapp. Cover art by Ada J...
1.9. Maryna Sulym: You Can Get Out Of Your Box Here
August 26, 2021 06:00 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBMaryna Sulym is originally from Ukraine and moved to London six years ago. She is completing a Masters in Photojournalism and runs the Local Foreigners project recording stories, images, and experiences of immigrants in the UK. We talked about how to interpret British politeness, the insecurity of speaking in a second language and smiling for the sake of it. I am an Immigrant is and ice&fire theatre production hosted by Christine Bacon, edited by Helen Clapp. Cover art by Ada Jusic. ...
9. Maryna Sulym: You Can Get Out Of Your Box Here
August 26, 2021 06:00 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBMaryna Sulym is originally from Ukraine and moved to London six years ago. She is completing a Masters in Photojournalism and runs the Local Foreigners project recording stories, images, and experiences of immigrants in the UK. We talked about how to interpret British politeness, the insecurity of speaking in a second language and smiling for the sake of it. I am an Immigrant is and ice&fire theatre production hosted by Christine Bacon, edited by Helen Clapp. Cover art by Ada Jusic. ...
8. Agnes Harding: I Am Reminded Often That I Am Still An Immigrant
August 19, 2021 06:00 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBAgnes is 23 years old and recently completed a Physics degree at Manchester University. She is from Gambia and has lived in the UK since she was 4. We talk about Gambia’s weird borders, growing up in Dagenham when the British National Party had a big presence there and what happened when, despite aceing her A-Level exams and being offered places at four Russel Group universities, she found that her visa status scuppered everything. I am an Immigrant is and ice&fire theatre production ho...
1.8. Agnes Harding: I Am Reminded Often That I Am Still An Immigrant
August 19, 2021 06:00 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBAgnes is 23 years old and recently completed a Physics degree at Manchester University. She is from Gambia and has lived in the UK since she was 4. We talk about Gambia’s weird borders, growing up in Dagenham when the British National Party had a big presence there and what happened when, despite aceing her A-Level exams and being offered places at four Russel Group universities, she found that her visa status scuppered everything. I am an Immigrant is and ice&fire theatre production ho...
7. Nicolas Hatton: I Felt Like Someone Had Died in the Family
August 12, 2021 06:00 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MBNicholas Hatton was born in France and now lives in Bristol. He is the CEO of the 3million – the largest campaign organisation for EU citizens in the UK, which he was instrumental in founding after the 2016 Brexit referendum We talked over zoom during lockdown about getting by in the UK without speaking the language, being lucky enough to find your calling in life and what the next post-Brexit battles will be for EU citizens living here. I hope you enjoy our conversation. * Fi...
1.7. Nicolas Hatton: I Felt Like Someone Had Died in the Family
August 12, 2021 06:00 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MBNicholas Hatton was born in France and now lives in Bristol. He is the CEO of the 3million – the largest campaign organisation for EU citizens in the UK, which he was instrumental in founding after the 2016 Brexit referendum We talked over zoom during lockdown about getting by in the UK without speaking the language, being lucky enough to find your calling in life and what the next post-Brexit battles will be for EU citizens living here. I hope you enjoy our conversation. * Fi...
1.6. Amber Murrey: So I Sent Out A Tweet
August 05, 2021 06:00 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBDr Amber Murrey is a professor in Human Geography at Oxford University and is originally from the USA. Amber’s wide-ranging and fascinating work focuses largely on resistance and social change in Africa (links below). We spoke about growing up in small town USA, the implications of being in a bi-racial relationship and, despite the UK government’s refrain about welcoming so-called highly skilled migrants, the difficulties Amber faced when seeking visas for her children to come and live with ...
6. Amber Murrey: So I Sent Out A Tweet
August 05, 2021 06:00 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBDr Amber Murrey is a professor in Human Geography at Oxford University and is originally from the USA. Amber’s wide-ranging and fascinating work focuses largely on resistance and social change in Africa (links below). We spoke about growing up in small town USA, the implications of being in a bi-racial relationship and, despite the UK government’s refrain about welcoming so-called highly skilled migrants, the difficulties Amber faced when seeking visas for her children to come and live with ...
1.5. Babou Ceesay : The Monster and I Are Now One
July 29, 2021 06:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBBabou Ceesay is a BAFTA-nominated actor from Gambia. You may have seen him in BBC film Damiola, Our Loved Boy or the Star Wars film Rogue One, or Guerilla, the TV mini-series about British black power movements. He plays the lead in an upcoming Sky drama Wolfe, created by Paul Abbott (Autumn 2021). We talked about how Babou has dealt with the several twists and turns in his life – from barely getting by on poverty wages as a cleaner in London, to being recruited by Deloitte and working in th...
5. Babou Ceesay : The Monster and I Are Now One
July 29, 2021 06:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBBabou Ceesay is a BAFTA-nominated actor from Gambia. You may have seen him in BBC film Damiola, Our Loved Boy or the Star Wars film Rogue One, or Guerilla, the TV mini-series about British black power movements. He plays the lead in an upcoming Sky drama Wolfe, created by Paul Abbott (Autumn 2021). We talked about how Babou has dealt with the several twists and turns in his life – from barely getting by on poverty wages as a cleaner in London, to being recruited by Deloitte and working in th...
4. Meltem Avcil : And So I Stood Up
July 22, 2021 06:00 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBMeltem is 28 years old, a social entrepreneur and award-winning campaigner, and she lives in Cambridge with her partner and one year old son. Originally from the Kurdish part Turkey she and her mother fled to seek asylum in Europe when Meltem was very young. They ended up in the UK and waited six years for a decision on their case, which was rejected, after which they were taken to the notorious Yarl’s Wood immigration detention centre in Bedford and was locked up there at the age of 13 for ...
1.4. Meltem Avcil : And So I Stood Up
July 22, 2021 06:00 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBMeltem is 28 years old, a social entrepreneur and award-winning campaigner, and she lives in Cambridge with her partner and one year old son. Originally from the Kurdish part Turkey she and her mother fled to seek asylum in Europe when Meltem was very young. They ended up in the UK and waited six years for a decision on their case, which was rejected, after which they were taken to the notorious Yarl’s Wood immigration detention centre in Bedford and was locked up there at the age of 13 for ...
1.3. Francisco Gomez : The Only Immigrant in the Village
July 15, 2021 06:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBFrancisco Gomez is a veterinary surgeon from Spain who lives in a small town in Derbyshire. He came to the UK in the early 2000s thinking, like many of us do: I’ll stay six months or so, do a bit of travelling, have a little adventure. But life happened, love happened, jobs were offered, and he stayed. We talked about what it’s like to be the only immigrant in the village, how stressful a vet’s life can be, and what happened when his English colleagues found out he routinely had a glass of w...
3. Francisco Gomez
July 15, 2021 06:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBFrancisco Gomez is a veterinary surgeon from Spain who lives in a small town in Derbyshire. He came to the UK in the early 2000s thinking, like many of us do: I’ll stay six months or so, do a bit of travelling, have a little adventure. But life happened, love happened, jobs were offered, and he stayed. We talked about what it’s like to be the only immigrant in the village, how stressful a vet’s life can be, and what happened when his English colleagues found out he routinely had a glass of w...
3. Francisco Gomez : The Only Immigrant in the Village
July 15, 2021 06:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBFrancisco Gomez is a veterinary surgeon from Spain who lives in a small town in Derbyshire. He came to the UK in the early 2000s thinking, like many of us do: I’ll stay six months or so, do a bit of travelling, have a little adventure. But life happened, love happened, jobs were offered, and he stayed. We talked about what it’s like to be the only immigrant in the village, how stressful a vet’s life can be, and what happened when his English colleagues found out he routinely had a glass of w...
2. Lucian Msamati
July 08, 2021 06:00 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBLucian Msamati is an actor who grew up in Tanzania and Zimbabwe and has lived in London since his early 20s. He has worked extensively in theatre, TV and film (Game of Thrones, His Dark Materials, Gangs of London). I saw him most recently in an unforgettable portrayal of Salieri in Peter Schaffer’s Amadeus at the National Theatre (which you can watch via NT at Home). We talked about what makes a place home, the long shadow of Robert Mugabe, paying the bills in an unpredictable profe...
1.2. Lucian Msamati : This is London, people. London!
July 08, 2021 06:00 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBLucian Msamati is an actor who grew up in Tanzania and Zimbabwe and has lived in London since his early 20s. He has worked extensively in theatre, TV and film (Game of Thrones, His Dark Materials, Gangs of London). I saw him most recently in an unforgettable portrayal of Salieri in Peter Schaffer’s Amadeus at the National Theatre (which you can watch via NT at Home). We talked about what makes a place home, the long shadow of Robert Mugabe, paying the bills in an unpredictable profe...
2. Lucian Msamati : This is London, people. London!
July 08, 2021 06:00 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBLucian Msamati is an actor who grew up in Tanzania and Zimbabwe and has lived in London since his early 20s. He has worked extensively in theatre, TV and film (Game of Thrones, His Dark Materials, Gangs of London). I saw him most recently in an unforgettable portrayal of Salieri in Peter Schaffer’s Amadeus at the National Theatre (which you can watch via NT at Home). We talked about what makes a place home, the long shadow of Robert Mugabe, paying the bills in an unpredictable profe...
1.1. Siobhán McSweeney : The London-Irish Experience
July 01, 2021 06:00 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBSiobhán McSweeney is an actor from County Cork, Ireland, who now lives in London. She is perhaps best known as Sister Michael in Channel 4’s Derry Girls and more recently as the host on The Great Pottery Throw Down. We had a lovely chat about the London-Irish experience, how Siobhán found her tribe, and about the huge gaps in the majority of British people’s knowledge of Ireland. * 'I learned quickly to stop talking to people at bus stops and it took me ages to not feel dreadfully rude...
1. Siobhán McSweeney : The London-Irish Experience
July 01, 2021 06:00 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBSiobhán McSweeney is an actor from County Cork, Ireland, who now lives in London. She is perhaps best known as Sister Michael in Channel 4’s Derry Girls and more recently as the host on The Great Pottery Throw Down. We had a lovely chat about the London-Irish experience, how Siobhán found her tribe, and about the huge gaps in the majority of British people’s knowledge of Ireland. * 'I learned quickly to stop talking to people at bus stops and it took me ages to not feel dreadfully rude...
1. Siobhán McSweeney
July 01, 2021 06:00 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBSiobhán McSweeney is an actor from County Cork, Ireland, who now lives in London. She is perhaps best known as Sister Michael in Channel 4’s Derry Girls and more recently as the host on The Great Pottery Throw Down. We had a lovely chat about the London-Irish experience, how Siobhán found her tribe, and about the huge gaps in the majority of British people’s knowledge of Ireland. * 'I learned quickly to stop talking to people at bus stops and it took me ages to not feel dreadfully rude...
I Am An Immigrant - Preview
June 09, 2021 10:26 - 2 minutes - 2.16 MBWelcome to I am an Immigrant – a podcast series where I talk with people who used to live somewhere else and now live here, in the UK. I'm Christine Bacon, an Australian of Irish descent who moved here 15 years ago. Most of us have a picture in our mind when we hear the word 'immigrant'. The truth is (don’t tell anyone) we immigrants are mostly people who live regular lives, subscribe to streaming television services, work in a variety of jobs, socialise with friends, fall in and out of love...