Meet the Artists: Public Interest

EZE: “Joint Enterprise is a common law doctrine which basically states that there is a principal offender and a secondary offender. It creates this large grey area. The measuring point for where that starts and stops is so vast and so many people are, unfortunately, caught in between” 

 

NESCIO27: “It can happen to anyone which is the worrying part. Because there’s a lot of vulnerable kids… they can find themselves in situations. It’s good to just spread the word”

KEMMI: “I feel like music, and art, and theatre are so powerful in spreading messages like this… I think that’s the beauty of it and why Common/Wealth are amazing at what they do because they get real-life issues and do it through theatre” 

 

NESCIO27: “I’ll second what Kemmi says. For me, I never thought about acting before in my life. I like the fact that [Common/Wealth] try and do something about it rather than just observing” 

 

KASHI: “I was introduced to it by the director. She came down saying she’s looking for people to join a production trying to make something worldwide. I wanted to get involved. I’m a family man and not a lot of people understand me, so I just look for a bit of understanding” 

 

EZE: “Somebody involved in Public Interest told me that it was happening. I said, ‘You know what, this is something I’ve been meaning to talk about for a while’” 

BR4D: “I’ve been working on my songs every day. I’m trying to get the bars and structures of the songs […] so it’s not going to come across confusing. I’ve been doing a lot of research, learning about Joint Enterprise […] and just trying to get my own understanding of it” 

 

KASHI: “It’s been a lot of teamwork, a lot of hard thinking, trying to sort everything out. The whole team’s just been working together most of the time. We had one evening here [Common Space] held by JENGbA, where they talked about Joint Enterprise and how it affects the families and what happens to the people that were charged. A lot of people never did anything wrong. It made me understand what type of stain it leaves on their life. It’s a big burden for them to carry. It’s just a lot of pity for these people – especially their families – a lot of mourning” 

 

EZE: “To be able to speak about [Joint Enterprise] in a way that will reach people, it’s only right that you do further research. For example, going to panel talks, speaking to people who have actually had this happen to them… so that I can speak about it in a correct way” 

KEMMI: “The main thing you can expect is energy because, you know, we’re doing it through music. [The music] kind of carries a story. It’s gonna be hard-hitting…” 

 

NESCIO27: “The way the show’s being done; it’s got some magic in there, it’s got all sorts of different elements to it. We’re getting the message across but in a way that you’ve never seen before” 

 

KASHI: “In Public Interest, we will be performing grime and R&B and bassline. It’s Bradford. This is the music that we have here in our city” 

 

EZE: “You should expect a lot of [storytelling] when you come to the show. I’ve been heavily influenced by Grime. To me, especially in the UK, it’s one of the realest and rawest forms of art that I’ve come across in terms of people’s lived experiences […] that so many people don’t see because they’re not involved or living in a certain area” 

BR4D: “In the booth, I said to [Eze] that when I’m hearing the bars that he’s making, I’m hearing certain words that I’ve never used before. So, definitely, like, word play and the way that songs have been structured. 

 

You know, you don’t get taught how to be a rapper, you come with what you’ve got to give. So, I reckon working with the professional side of things, I’m learning a lot more…” 

EZE: “One thing I’ve learnt is definitely, like, song structure […] making sure it slaps in a correct way…There’s so many things that come into that I didn’t really think about before. Learning from J3, learning from Brad, learning from Kemmi… even learning from Evie and May, who haven’t necessarily made a song before but they’re coming to it with their own experiences. It’s interesting” 

 

KEMMI: “I can answer this real easy. I love Common/Wealth. They give young people a voice through theatre. I know young people will feel comfortable; they’ll feel at home to come watch a Common/Wealth show. The first ever show I came to was ‘Peaceophobia’. It was on the roof in a car park and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so weird, but it’s so amazing…’ 

 

I’ve done work in schools with Common/Wealth; some acting stuff, some freelance stuff and it’s like they always bring you through… You see sometimes where you go to a show and it’s like ‘Oh yeah, these people are lovely’, but that’s it. You work with them once and then you probably don’t work with them again. But Common/Wealth are like a little family. Once you’re in, you’re in. 

 

They give opportunities to so many young people. I think it’s needed in Bradford more than anywhere. Young people need somewhere to put their energy into. When you do music, when you do art, when you do theatre — you get a feeling, you know what I mean? I call them happy butterflies” 

 

KASHI: “I was 15 [when I started making music]. It was music and God, the only things that brought me to light. It just helped me out a lot. Common/Wealth is really helping me get my name out there. It’s helping me become friendly with other people, working and doing collaborations. Bradford has its own community. I get to learn about who else is here; the up and coming, the ones who’ve already been here…”