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Awate is a critically acclaimed writer focused on stories at the intersection of race, class and surrealism - with a dose of humour.
A former Artist in Residence at the Tate and British Library in 2020 and 2019, Musician in Residence for the PRS Foundation and British Council working in Brazil in 2018 and Resident Artist at The Roundhouse in 2016 - Awate has produced a wide range of commissioned multimedia works mixing music, film, theatre and visual art.
Awate’s 2018 debut album, Happiness, was supported by BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Spotify, Noisey, MOBO x Help Musicians UK and called a, “British rap masterpiece” by Trench Magazine.
Awate will conduct research into local stories of resilliance and resistance, putting together an online archive of oral histories, text, photos and short films.
Resistance Stories
As Activist-in-Residence, Awate Suleiman is producing a five-part podcast series exploring four local fights to save community assets in the boroughs of Camden, Islington and Haringey. The case studies shed light on the catalysts for these campaigns, the ways they mobilised, their successes, and reflections on the struggles they faced.
The four case studies are:
- New Beacon Bookshop. The community efforts to save the last independent Black bookshop and publisher in the UK after 56 years.
- The SHED. How a council funded youth music studio was established and the impact it had on the young people and workers in the face of cuts.
- Reclaim Holloway. A direct action campaign by local women to turn the site of HM Prison Holloway into social housing and a women’s centre.
- Justice for Cleaners/3Cosas. A drive by cleaners, students, lecturers and unions to bring outsourced workers in-house at SOAS, UCL and Birkbeck.
