Jukebox Collective curated a series of performances and short films highlighting Welsh creatives for Gŵyl 2021.
Jukebox Collective worked with Jaffrin a Welsh, Bangladeshi, Muslim poet and multi-disciplinary artist living in Cardiff. Her two poems SKN & FAITH have been brought to life through poetic visuals filmed in the National Museum Wales. Directed by Liara Barussi and styled by local Welsh-Somali stylist Asma Elmi.
SKN draws similarities from the British royal family, questioning the parallels between them and the ideologies that families from racially minoritised backgrounds uphold in order to retain a good reputation within their community. The short questions colonial narratives and how western standards of beauty have been ingrained into South Asian communities.
“Growing up, skin colour was a regular topic of conversation in my family and I was often encouraged to stay out of the sun because my skin would get darker, implying that it would make me less desirable.”
The poem draws from Jaffrin’s personal experiences, including a trip to India where she was faced with the unnerving reality of the country’s devotion for Queen Victoria. This narrative became even more obvious when a news article broke about Meghan Markle breaking royal protocol by crossing over her legs rather than sitting with a slant. Something which was similarly frowned upon in her own family, and inspired part of this poem, “is that what happened when we adopted their ideology”, she asks.
Jaffrin says, “I have felt alone in my skin and my soul so many times and I know that is a very relatable thing – I just want people to feel comfort in relating through my work and to understand they are not alone.
Jaffrin says, “I have felt alone in my skin and my soul so many times and I know that is a very relatable thing – I just want people to feel comfort in relating through my work and to understand they are not alone.
FAITH draws heavily on Jaffrin’s own experiences, exploring religion, rituals and the battles between ‘deen’ and ‘dunya’ (religion and real life).
Gŵyl 2021 was a collaboration between Festival of Voice, FOCUS Wales, Other Voices Cardigan and Aberystwyth Comedy Festival. Together they assembled some of today’s most urgent and exciting voices, from Wales and beyond. The result was a digital experience like no other: a heady mix of cutting-edge comedy, thought-provoking talks, energetic showcases and jaw-dropping headline sets.
