How Theatre Bristol supported Ailyn Ramos
I first met Ailyn Ramos during an Artist Support session where we talked out safeguarding your work as a theatre-maker from Cultural Appropriation. We talked about the questions you can ask yourself around the work, where the power lies in the piece and what the intent is – it was a rich and layered discussion.
Ailyn is from Brazil and admits to her very privileged life there. Having grown up going to the best schools and not mixing with other cultures or races she was determined to reach out of her box and discover what else the world had to offer. She travelled to India as a 16 year old and learned Capoeira there from some young Indian people, which made her sad that she’d have to travel half way across the world to experience her own culture due to the heavy divides in society. She learned Hindi and fully immersed herself in Indian life with all of its colours, flavours, smells and the vast cultural differences. When she tells this story, it’s mostly told through physical storytelling and is in Hindi, which is really compelling for me as a Hindi speaker!
Ailyn is a storyteller, physical performer and theatre graduate from CAL Institute of Performing Arts, in Rio de Janeiro. She is also a Capoeirista and member of Capoeira de Rua Project, which teaches Capoeira to people without housing in Rio de Janeiro with the guidance of Meistre Ferradura. As a member of Maschere Ateliê, she researches masks and comedy and has experience preparing actors physically for plays using Capoeira as a tool to improve expression.
Her work is so ambitious, authentic and full of heart. She is constantly interrogating her place in the world and looking for ways to connect to audiences and support others through comedy and Capoeira. She is currently applying to get an Artist Visa to stay in the UK, which is a long and arduous process. It makes me think of all the wonderful International Creative Community we miss out on in Bristol due to all of the red tape.
She says “Here in the UK, I feel people value artists more, and they are open to give space for new people to show their work. Theatre Bristol does a brilliant job in opening doors for new artists, I recommend the support session for anyone who needs direction and help . Their understanding of what it is to be an artist made me feel met and I am very grateful for the opportunities that came my way.”
I’m so excited to collaborate with Ailyn in the future and hope you’ll be luck enough to experience her unique style of storytelling soon too.
– Aisha, Artist Associate