The Colour of Chalk

Episode Four: Not So Far Apart with Dulani Kulasinghe

On a rather lively Saturday morning in July as the heatwave arrived on our shores, Alinah Azadeh took a walk up towards Seaford Head with writer and educator Dulani Kulasinghe, to hear her poetry on the climate emergency through a personal lens – and to learn about how Dulani’s own cultural heritage has influenced her writing on home, belonging and the legacies of empire within the Sussex landscape. Dulani Kulasinghe is an American of Sri Lankan heritage living in Brighton. Her writing explores contested histories and belonging. Her education work supports Brighton & Hove's anti-racist school strategy through training and curriculum interventions around Britain's colonial past. She is a recipient of a Developing Your Creative Practice grant from Arts Council England and a Shifting the Gaze bursary from Writing Our Legacy/South Downs National Park to explore new stories in the Sussex landscape. Dulani was commissioned to write a site-responsive poem about the Chattri Memorial as part of Witness Stand, a Brighton Festival 2022 production. She is part of the inaugural cohort of New Writing South Fellows, a member of Writing Our Legacy and a core writer on the We See You Now project. Dulani’s narrative poem Letters Home, on the Caribbean soldiers stationed at Seaford Head during WW1, will form part of the We See You Now audio anthology across the landscape, as will Alinah’s poem, If You Can Imagine, a creative response to recent huge chalk cliff falls through the Seaford Archeology project. Books recommended: The World’s War by David Olusoga [https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-worlds-war/david-olusoga/9781789544497] Jazz by Toni Morrison [https://www.waterstones.com/book/jazz/toni-morrison/9780099750918] Further links: We See You Now project [https://www.sevensisters.org.uk/about/alinah-azadeh-seven-sisters-writer-in-residence/]as part of Alinah’s Seven Sisters Writer residency More on the Carribean Soldiers stationed at Seaford during WW1 here. [http://www.eastsussexww1.org.uk/west-indian-soldiers-seaford-3/index.html] Dulani’s work on the Chattri Memorial for Brighton Festival’s 2022 Witness Stand here. [https://www.witnessstand.art/] If You Can Imagine – performed on film by Alinah Azadeh [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW_6tInJsgo] as part of Seaford Archeology Clifffall project [https://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology-south-east/seaford-head] Campaign for National Parks – Park Protector Awards [https://www.cnp.org.uk/news/park-protector-awards-2022-shortlist-revealed-ahead-awards-ceremony] Anjana Khatwa @jurassicgirl – Heritage Beneath Our Feet – Transmanche GeoPark project [https://kentdowns.org.uk/geopark/] --------------------------- "The Colour of Chalk" is supported by funding from Arts Council England [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.artscouncil.org.uk%2F&e=3ca04339&h=3769c4de&f=n&p=y] as well as the South Downs National Park Authority [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.southdowns.gov.uk%2F&e=3ca04339&h=0890a37b&f=n&p=y]. Production is thanks to Sonic Boom Audio and Alinah Azadeh.

Episode Three: Both Sides of the Valley with Razia Aziz

In company with the skylarks, Alinah takes us on a Summer’s walk along the meanders of Cuckmere Valley to the sea, at the heart of Seven Sisters Country Park, with fellow writer Razia Aziz - to share her work and explore the landscape of family, honouring mothers, writing outdoors, seeing life from all sides and nature’s role in healing trauma. ‘Nature doesn’t see the divisions we see’ Razia is an artist in word and song, facilitator and consultant in equality, diversity and inclusion, interfaith minister and holistic coach/healer. She comes from a multi-heritage, multi-faith family which spans continents and herself grew up in Lagos and London. Razia moved to Brighton for postgraduate study, and the Sussex Coast, Downs, and connections to people in the area have lured her to stay in the area for most of the last 34 years. She lives in Lewes with her partner and son. Razia’s musical work can be heard at this year’s Brighton Festival, at the Chattri Memorial, as part of Witness Stand [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbrightonfestival.org%2Fwhats-on%2Fwitness-stand-the-chattri-5413%2F&e=a159d9ca&h=25a9182e&f=n&p=y]. https://www.waytu.co [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waytu.co%2F&e=a159d9ca&h=defbb623&f=n&p=y] Books recommended: In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts – Gabor Maté [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.penguin.co.uk%2Fbooks%2F111%2F1117147%2Fin-the-realm-of-hungry-ghosts%2F9781785042201.html&e=a159d9ca&h=8ce8b3f2&f=n&p=y] Green Unpleasant Land - Corinne Fowler [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peepaltreepress.com%2Fbooks%2Fgreen-unpleasant-land&e=a159d9ca&h=3546f9b7&f=n&p=y] --------------------------- "The Colour of Chalk" is supported by funding from Arts Council England [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.artscouncil.org.uk%2F&e=3ca04339&h=3769c4de&f=n&p=y] as well as the South Downs National Park Authority [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.southdowns.gov.uk%2F&e=3ca04339&h=0890a37b&f=n&p=y]. Production is thanks to Sonic Boom Audio and Alinah Azadeh.

Episode Two: On The Same Edge with Josephine Hall

On a clear, warm Summer’s day in 2021, Alinah takes a walk from Birling Gap with writer and artist Josephine Hall up onto the Seven Sisters cliffs to ask about her creative work, her relationship to the sea and to edges, ancestors and migration. They speak of writing, walking, activism and the restorative power of the coastal Downs through these intense times of change. Josephine also shares her poetry, and her book recommendations are listed below. Josephine Hall is a writer and artist, living in a brown body. She grew up in rural West Cornwall and is currently based in Brighton. Her creative work explores themes such as identity, nature, adventure and healing and her sense of belonging is constantly shifting and redefining. www.josephinehall.org [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.josephinehall.org%2F&e=a159d9ca&h=fd99292a&f=n&p=y] Books recommended: PET by Akwaeke Emezi  [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblackwells.co.uk%2Fbookshop%2Fproduct%2F9780571355112%3FgC%3D5a105e8b%26gclid%3DCj0KCQiAoNWOBhCwARIsAAiHnEiyOxR6ju8RDINY-lpR9UoEUhFRMYbWsTvMgV73k7nfnWuWDn20WzEaAiDOEALw_wcB&e=a159d9ca&h=b6b30e12&f=n&p=y] These Ghosts are family by Maisy Card [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblackwells.co.uk%2Fbookshop%2Fproduct%2F9781982117443%3FgC%3D5a105e8b%26gclid%3DCj0KCQiAoNWOBhCwARIsAAiHnEhJ60NGVRLu570IKOHQB2MP9xwgKlOIv3-i_DJEn8bRm8bJhsS-a5EaAmAzEALw_wcB&e=a159d9ca&h=2240f1e9&f=n&p=y] Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fmrs-death-misses-death%2Fsalena-godden%2F9781838851194&e=a159d9ca&h=0ffb207f&f=n&p=y] --------------------------- "The Colour of Chalk" is supported by funding from Arts Council England [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.artscouncil.org.uk%2F&e=3ca04339&h=3769c4de&f=n&p=y] as well as the South Downs National Park Authority [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.southdowns.gov.uk%2F&e=3ca04339&h=0890a37b&f=n&p=y]. Production is thanks to Sonic Boom Audio and Alinah Azadeh.

Episode One: "A Landscape for All"

Writer and artist Alinah Azadeh introduces "We See You Now", a project dedicated to bringing together diverse writers to share their reflections and create new work inspired by the landscape of the Sussex Heritage Coast, taking in Seaford Head, Seven Sisters, Cuckmere Haven, Birling Gap and Beachy Head. Every month, Alinah will be bringing you a new podcast with one of the writers who will be sharing how their connection with this magnificent stretch of coastline in southern England has been shaped by their upbringing, identity and background. Books recommended by Alinah this episode: * Hidden Sussex: A New Anthology for Sussex [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwritingourlegacy.org.uk%2Fhidden-sussex-anthology-now-on-sale%2F&e=3ca04339&h=f768c2bb&f=n&p=y] * 'I Belong Here: A Journey along the Backbone of Britain by Anita Sethi [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloomsbury.com%2Fuk%2Fi-belong-here-9781472983930%2F&e=3ca04339&h=1e497c8d&f=n&p=y] --------------------------- "The Colour of Chalk" is supported by funding from Arts Council England [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.artscouncil.org.uk%2F&e=3ca04339&h=3769c4de&f=n&p=y] as well as the South Downs National Park Authority [https://urlsand.esvalabs.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.southdowns.gov.uk%2F&e=3ca04339&h=0890a37b&f=n&p=y]. Production is thanks to Sonic Boom Audio and Alinah Azadeh.