P__ and I went to Turn Up for Gaza at The Colour Factory. The venue is very cool. The line up was great, hosted by Jen Brister, and including JJ Bola, the repeat beat poet, Rozi Plain, Robyn Rocket and more. A highlight was Donna Thompson who made magic with her voice and a looper. And of course, my all time favourite Hollie McNish, who made me cry, as always. The event was in support of All Our Relations, supporting families displaced by conflict and violence, providing them with the financial, organizational, and emotional aid they need to rebuild their lives with dignity. I hope the event raised a lot of money. You can donate here or use the QR code.
There has been heavy rainfall in Khan Younis and other areas of Gaza. Osama tells me that conditions have deteriorated. There is no infrastructure. There is no shelter. Everything, everywhere is cold and wet. They worry that tents will be flooded and destroyed. I got paid, so I sent his family more money. Please help with whatever you can. I am matching all donations between now and Friday* so whatever you give will be worth double!
We went to the opening of an exhibition, Tranquil Space, at the Bussey Building in Peckham. It is the work of Jung, who is an intern at the Freeweaver studio in Deptford. It was incredible to see her work, which I have watched being born on the loom, come to life as an exhibition. I find textile art so engaging and expressive. Jung has really exploited the wonders of the floor loom, and the different personalities of different yarns, in this exhibition. An incredible first solo show.
On Friday I went to the Royal Opera House with a friend to watch the ballet interpretation of Margaret Atwood’s Maddaddam trilogy. It’s the most incredible production. I had no idea how choreographer Wayne McGregor was going to bring this wild epic to life in dance, but he has succeeded in making something both true to the books and also it’s own work of art. The narration was apparently added later, and is essential to carry the audience through time and space, as the dance moves from flashbacks to now and back again several times. The set makes great use of video installation and lighting. The music is a masterpiece in itself, fusing orchestral and electronic genres. I was dissappointed that the CD is sold out. The dancing elevates the human body to something beyond. The pigoons are creatively imagined. There is necessarily a lot missing from the books in the three act ballet, and it made me want to read them again. I wanted to see more of the Gardeners, and of Ren. I was reminded of the hymns of God’s Gardeners including ‘The Earth Forgives’ which resonates even more now than when I first read it years ago. There are many lessons in this story, about science, religion, myth and meaning. See the show, read the books, you won’t regret it!
I have almost finished the first of my four reupholstered chairs. The wood needed a little love, so I spent an evening filling in holes with wood porridge! I am in awe of Ana and the others who run The Goodlife Centre, and already have my eye on an armchair as a project for next year. Thank goodness my house is small, or there is a risk I would become a broken furniture hoarder. There is so much potential in pre-loved chairs, but not enough time to give them the care they deserve.
I worked the weekend including a 12 hour shift on Sunday. Thankfully these are less frequent than they were when I was in training but they are tough. Sunday in particular was intellectually and emotionally exhausting. The demands of the job are of course part of this: diagnosing, treating, explaining, breaking bad news, negotiating, supporting, juggling, leading and making judgement calls. But the much bigger factor is the failings of the system. There were no beds free in the hospital on Sunday morning, and ED was full. All day patients kept arriving, in need of emergency care. All day we tried to find space for them, and maintain standards, dignity and care. The level of chaos we work in would be shocking if it wasn’t so normalised. I will not try to describe the scene that surrounded me as I explained to the devastated loved ones of a patient that their friend was unlikely to survive their illness, as it would sound exagerated, a charicature. I assure you it was not. The effects of a decade of disinvestment manifest in emergency departments across the country, in the trauma experienced by patients, relatives and staff who know that we can and should do better than this.
I signed up to Libro.fm in my ongoing quest to quit Amazon. It’s an Audible alternative, which supports local independent bookshops. I chose to support Brick Lane Bookshop, which is one of my favourites. I should visit again soon. Bookshops are calming spaces in a world on fire.
*up to £1000
drlj 