Bexley Somali Group

Performing on the Unison Stage at 2pm

We are delighted that Bexley Somali Group have kindly agreed to travel from Kent to Maindee to perform at this year’s Festival.

Born and raised in Mogadishu, Somalia, Deka Abdirahman, founder of the Bexley Somali Community Group, was at home on New Year's Eve 1990, getting ready to welcome in the New Year . "All of a sudden you realise that you can't go out because on the television you can see loads of soldiers in the town, artillery's going off, and you don't know what's happening. You're in the house and you can't get out." It was the start of civil war and a complete breakdown of law and order. Abdirahman, however, was fortunate that she was able to leave Somalia with her children, and claimed asylum in the UK in 1991.

Unsurprisingly, memories of New Yea'r Eve 1990 have remained with Abdirahman, and formed the inspiration for the first piece of theatre produced by the Bexley Somali Community Group, using the stories of parents and friends who had lived through it. Formed in 1999, the BSG was born out of a desire to support Somali artists and musicians based in the UK and to bring Somalian culture and history to the community's children, many of who had either been born in the UK or had left Somalia when they were very young and consequently had no sense of belonging.

Abdirahman also thinks bringing Somalian culture to a wider British audience is important. "It's good for refugee-phobic people to think "Wouldn't you do what I did, if you were in the same shoes and you had the chance? The reality is that we all deserve to live."

"I come from Mogadishu in Somalia. I've always loved to dance. We have so many different folklore dances, and I learnt them all. Everyone in my family was musical, but I'm the only one who went into it. I've been acting and dancing and singing since 1983.

I've been here in the UK for seven years now and I perform with the Bexley Somali Group. There are around ten of us - musicians, singers, dancers. We play traditional Somali music with hand drums, guitar, organ and the Kaban (it's like a guitar, but it has four strings and the sound is nicer). In our dance we try to put over the meaning by talking with our hands.

My kids are English - I have two girls and a boy - and every weekend I take them along to practice so that they can learn some of the music and dancing. They love it and they're good at it. My youngest, the five-year old, she dances exactly like me! It's good that they know the sounds and the movements - helps them to know where their Mum comes from.

I married their father in 1985. We met in Mogadishu. In 1990 he was kidnapped along with eight other United Nations people and kept for nine days. They would have been killed if the UN hadn't paid for their release. When he was released and the media interviewed him, they asked if he would go back and he said "yes, it's my second country". So he's in Somalia trying to help the people, and the kids worry about him. He always comes to see them, and we keep in touch with those in my family who ran away to Kenya and neighbouring countries. But the ones who are still in Somalia - no. I don't think it will be possible to return for another ten years. Kids of eight and nine are being given guns and taught how to kill now, so I don't think the killing will stop any time soon.

Right now we're working on a film about the awful things that have happened in Somalia - what has been done to kids, to women, to old people and to whoever tried to help. In translation the title means "What has happened to this family? What has made them divide and fight?" The plan is to take the film to Somalia and show people what they're into and help them to see that things have got to change. I hope it will be worth it. I hope everything will be OK in my country, because the madness has been going on for twelve years and so far there's been no hope."

The group works with artists in all forms, including theatre, dance, visual arts and music. They have performed at WOMAD, for the BBC, and at the Coin Street Festival on the South Bank - and they present regular shows in Bexley, working particularly in local schools where Abdirahman presents herself as a case study to humanise the issues of refugee and asylum seekers.