MOTHERSHIP (2021-22)
MOTHERSHIP is the umbrella for all of Jaz Morrison’s music-based performance, as well as any publications or 'responses' that may arise from them. Though in early stages, Jaz intends to use MOTHERSHIP as a site to explore the Black/African Diaspora, Afrofuturism, Spiritualities & Religion, and Musical & Ritual Performance.
MOTHERSHIP exists to encourage community care, memory-making, and occupying space.
firmament (2021)
As part of IKON's 2021 Migrant Festival, Jaz Morrison collaborated with Millicent B James, the Word Life Corral, and Ikon Youth Programme (IYP) to perform Firmament at Centrala.
Written by Jaz, Firmament is a sendoff song, exploring the movement of the Black Diaspora across sea, sky, and land. It stands as a musical tribute to, and celebration of, the infinite and ongoing passengers of the Ship Called Jesus.
Firmament has since been incorporated into MOTHERSHIP, a roster of collaborative and musical performance art.
Commissioned by IKON Gallery in response to Keith Piper's 1991 and 2021 exhibitions A Ship Called Jesus. Performed at Ikon's fourth annual Migrant Festival (14 July – 17 July 2022).
A special thanks to Ikon Gallery, Freelands Foundation, Ikon Youth Programme, Centrala, and Word Life Centre.
Press Release HERE
MOTHERSHIP (2022)
Jaz Morrison collaborated with Musician Millicent B James, the Word Life Corral, and Ikon Youth Programme (IYP) to perform Firmament and
Get a Life at The New Art Gallery Walsall. The performance name, MOTHERSHIP, now refers to a roster of collaborative and musical performance art.
Written by Jaz, Get a Life takes inspiration from gospel and blues to reflect on Keith Piper's methods of storytelling and foretelling. Morrison considered themes of surveillance, technology, and Speculative Blackness, employing motifs reminiscent of The Matrix, Disney's Hercules, and Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love music video.
Commissioned by IKON Gallery in response to Keith Piper's 2022 exhibition Jet Black Futures at The New Art Gallery Walsall. Performed at The New Art Gallery Walsall, Saturday 23 April 2022, 3pm.
A special thanks to Ikon Gallery (special mention to Rosie Abbey), The New Art Gallery Walsall, Ikon Youth Programme, Word Life Centre
IN LOVING MEMORY OF ERROL
(2021-2)
tTHANK YOU TO OUR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & ARTISTS:
MEYA LINDO - Meya is a Birmingham-based poet and teaching assistant, studying criminology and psychology at Coventry University. Lindo uses her gifts to witness and express her love for God. When she is on social media, she can be found on Instagram.
FRED FABRE - iconic symbols, tales, and narratives are happily intertwined throughout the various styles of Fred Fabre's rendering of life. The paintings are a continual interrogation of colour and form as a means to explore the essence and energy of various concepts Fabre is interested in.
TAMIR DAVID - Tamir describes his work as 'the inner workings of distress'. David draws from personal experiences of environment and displacement, working from a range of visual references to create a 'hybrid of mental and physical realms coinciding'. David uses acids, solvents, asphalt, ink, pencil, and gouache on paper or wood, aiming to fuse the 'media with the material' through trial and error.
BRMTWN - a West Midlands-based platform and online/offline space for creativity, storytelling, and community building.
WORD LIFE CENTRE - Word Life is a charity and church based in Newtown, Birmingham. Contributions were made by Word Life members, including the Word Life Corral (Patricia Morrison, Prisca Bako & Monica Gutzmore), and the Litty Committee (Chenell Robinson, Ethan Fenton, Oduware Koudou, Shivani Mathyalagan & Zachariah Akeem).
IKON YOUTH PROGRAMME - IYP is a group of young people (16 - 21) who share an interest in contemporary art, and meet to engage with artists and exhibitions. Run by Rosie Abbey. Contributions made by Rosie Abbey, Jacob Carter & Kristal Fu.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF ERROL is a publication stylised as a funeral pamphlet, to celebrate the lives of those on the Ship Called Jesus (Piper, 1991, 2021). Errol is a name associated with Antillean* men, meaning 'nobleman', 'warrior', or 'prince'.
Contributors came from creatives and community groups already involved in the project, as well as others responding to a call out distributed online.
'Errol' explores themes presented in Keith Piper's film A Ship Called Jesus (Redux) (2021), and project A Ship Called Jesus (1991). It retroactively honours the life of Errol, an abstract and representative passenger on the Ship Called Jesus, and is designed to complement Jaz's sendoff song Firmament (2021).
This publication was created in response to Keith Piper's A Ship Called Jesus (1991), Jaz Morrison's Firmament (2021), and conversations that arose during workshops with Ikon Youth Programme.
Commissioned by Ikon Gallery, funded by the Freelands Foundation, and curated by Jaz Morrison between August 2021 and January 2022.
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ANGE NZEYIMANA - born in Burundi, East Africa, Ange is a poet, spoken word artists, and author. Nzeyimana is a devout Christian, and student mental health nurse 'by day'. With writing at the forefront of her aspirations, Nzeyimana's debut anthology Echoes of My Heart is available now.
TANAZIA GABRIEL-FLEARY
FÁBIO JORGE "CALUNGZ" CALUNDUNGO is a Birmingham-based filmmaker. A ‘Film and Animation’ alum and BRMTWN member, Calungz is interested in working with various media forms to tell stories and make films. With filmmaking and photography as his primary practices, Fábio builds visual languages, primarily dabbling in short films and video installations.
MIKE BROWN - Mike runs Free Roots, a St. Louis, Missouri-based offline/online platform for Black cultural curation, organising, history, aesthetics, and advocacy.
IRINA NOVIKOVA - an artist and illustrator, primarily using watercolour, ink, gouache, and acrylic. Novikova enjoys experimentation and mixing materials, and gravitates to environmental topics and symbolism.