We worked with Selina Thompson in 2020 on her performance installation Oh God, Not Another One! with members of our local community.
Selina’s artistic practice Selina Thompson Ltd is a Birmingham-based, interdisciplinary performance company. Selina creates passionate, political work with a clear focus on those excluded by society and how identity politics defines our lives and environments.
First working with East Street Arts, based out of Union 105, in 2013-14 Selina created Dark & Lovely exploring Afro hair by collecting stories in Leeds’ Chapeltown’s salons and beauty shops. Through personal conversations Selina explored the politics, it’s connotations and what it tells us about being young, British and Black in the UK today. Dark & Lovely then became a touring solo show inspired by this research.
Selina was a studio holder at Patrick Studios, Leeds in 2015 and was a valued member of the artist community there, before returning to Birmingham in 2016. We welcomed her back in 2020 to produce and develop Oh God, Not Another One—commissioned by 14-18 NOW, East Street Arts, Leeds International Festival and The Lowry—with the residents of Mabgate, Lincoln Green and Burmantofts in Leeds.