I Am An Immigrant

Ada is from Nigeria and has lived in the UK for over 20 years. She has worked in a number of fields, has a legal background and is also a trained early years practitioner. We talked about the Nigerian phenomenon of 'japa', Ada's inner tomboy and how the UK's so-called 'hostile environment' policies have impacted her life here.I Am An Immigrant is an ice&fire theatre production hosted by Christine Bacon, edited by Helen Clapp. Cover art by Ada Jusic.This season is supported by the Garden Court Chambers Special FundWe love hearing from you – email actors@iceandfire.co.uk 

Maggie, the first Scandinavian on the podcast, is from Sweden and first came to the UK in 2006 on a whim after her studies, like so many back in the EU free movement days.  She landed mysteriously in Exeter and has lived there ever since. Maggie and I accompanied by her dog Cass, talked about having no plan, Maggie’s passion for spreadsheets and the best Swedish sayings. I Am An Immigrant is an ice&fire theatre production hosted by Christine Bacon, edited by Helen Clapp. Cover art by Ada Jusic.This season is supported by the Garden Court Chambers Special FundWe love hearing from you – email actors@iceandfire.co.uk 

Mr Mahmoud asked me not to use his real name. He is from Pakistan and came to the UK as a student in 2006 when he was in his mid 20s. He completed a Masters in Law and was in the middle of doing a Legal Practice Course in 2015 and just a few months away from being eligible for indefinite leave to remain here, when a letter from the Home Office accusing him of cheating on an English test changed the course of his life. We talked about the toll that this has taken on him and why, after 10 years of fighting the allegations against him, he won’t stop until he clears his name.*Find out more about Migrant Voice here https://www.migrantvoice.org/Follow their campaign about this issue #myfuturebackI am an Immigrant is an ice&fire theatre production hosted by Christine Bacon, edited by Helen Clapp. Cover art by Ada Jusic.This season is supported by the Garden Court Chambers Special FundWe love hearing from you – email actors@iceandfire.co.uk

Lara Parizotto is, to her knowledge, the first Brazilian born person to be elected as a local councillor in the UK. She moved to the UK from Brazil temporarily at the age of 11 and returned here in order to pursue further education at the age of 17. She soon discovered that the immigration rules meant that she would have to put her plans on hold for a while. We talked about how Lara handled the baffling interview before being offered a place at Cambridge University, discovering her flatmate would be deported to Brazil following an immigration raid at his workplace and why she enjoys crocheting with her grandmother. Follow Lara here https://x.com/laracparizotto?lang=enFind info about the Migrant Democracy Project here https://www.migrantdemos.org.uk/*I am an Immigrant is an ice&fire theatre production hosted by Christine Bacon, edited by Helen Clapp. Cover art by Ada Jusic.This season is supported by the Garden Court Chambers Special FundWe love hearing from you – email actors@iceandfire.co.uk

Mitya Savelau is a campaigner and an actor who was born and bred in Belarus and has also lived in the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and the USA. He made the move to the UK around 5 years ago. We talked about finding the perfect job with Change.org, how it feels to be prevented from returning to his native Belarus and how the pandemic gave him the time and space to take the plunge into a new career.Find out more about Mitya here https://www.mityasavelau.com/*I am an Immigrant is an ice&fire theatre production hosted by Christine Bacon, edited by Helen Clapp. Cover art by Ada Jusic.This season is supported by the Garden Court Chambers Special FundWe love hearing from you – email actors@iceandfire.co.uk

Sergio Maggiolo is a performer, director and theatre-maker from Peru who has lived in the UK for 10 years. Over a bottle of wine on a sunny evening in May, we got into themes such as being a Peruvian soap opera star, the early days of Grinder when he was living in New Jersey and how it feels when a border guard greets you with the word ‘Welcome.’Follow Sergio here https://www.instagram.com/sergiomaggiolo*I am an Immigrant is an ice&fire theatre production hosted by Christine Bacon, edited by Helen Clapp. Cover art by Ada Jusic.This season is supported by the Garden Court Chambers Special FundWe love hearing from you – email actors@iceandfire.co.uk

Tawona 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, and Scottish Book Trust. He is co-founder of Seeds of Thought, a non-funded arts group. Tawona is one of the writers of immersive production Muster Station: Leith which will be performed at the Edinburgh International Festival on August 15-26 (tickets are limited so get booking!). We talked about the expectation of success people have of you if you go overseas, how the legacy of the colonisers in Zimbabwe still persists and getting to grips with the Glaswegian accent. Book your ticket to the show HEREhttps://www.eif.co.uk/events/muster-station-leith#dates-and-timesFollow Tawona herehttps://twitter.com/tawona_sitholeFind info on Seeds of Thought hereseeds of thought - seeds of thought (weebly.com)*I am an Immigrant is an ice&fire theatre production hosted by Christine Bacon, edited by Helen Clapp. Cover art by Ada Jusic.This season is a special commission for the Edinburgh International Festival https://www.eif.co.ukWe love hearing from you – email actors@iceandfire.co.ukWe are particularly keen to hear your suggestions for future guests*Social Media:ice&fire - @iceandfireuk

Leena 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 decades, being here still feels temporary.  More info about Leena's FREE installation HEREhttps://www.eif.co.uk/events/it-will-live#about-the-showFollow Leena herehttps://www.instagram.com/leena_nammari_lool70/?hl=enhttps://leenanammari.co.uk/ *I am an Immigrant is an ice&fire theatre production hosted by Christine Bacon, edited by Helen Clapp. Cover art by Ada Jusic.This season is a special commission for the Edinburgh International Festival https://www.eif.co.ukWe love hearing from you – email actors@iceandfire.co.ukWe are particularly keen to hear your suggestions for future guests*Social Media:ice&fire - @iceandfireuk

Madison 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 antipodean obsession with good coffee. Book your ticket to the show HEREhttps://www.eif.co.uk/events/malcom-martineau-steven-osborne#about-the-showFollow Madison herehttps://twitter.com/madison_nonoa*I am an Immigrant is an ice&fire theatre production hosted by Christine Bacon, edited by Helen Clapp. Cover art by Ada Jusic.This season is a special commission for the Edinburgh International Festival https://www.eif.co.ukWe love hearing from you – email actors@iceandfire.co.ukWe are particularly keen to hear your suggestions for future guests*Social Media:ice&fire - @iceandfireuk