For five minutes Vickie Beesley had spectators at Kelvingrove captivated by her performance, part of Refugee Week Scotland. It was undoubtedly original and creative. Here is a collection of my thoughts:
Home: roots are deep
The soil and rocks used in the performance reminded me of a sense of belonging and of the connection to homeland. We are all embedded in the land in which we call home. Those who do not have a home and who have been uprooted violently need both determination and acceptance to set down new roots and build a foundation somewhere else.
Communicating acceptance
Vickie flicks through English language flash-cards distressed and increasingly quicker to communicate the difficulties of integration that every non-native English speaker faces when they seek refuge here. To be unable to communicate is to be muted and to be muted is to be excluded from society. I was overcome by the sense of frustration and helplessness that she communicated so well.
Rich tapestry that unites
Fabric; the exotic length of embroidered silk intertwined with the more familiar twill of native tartan. This is the ultimate acceptance, to have an identity that is distinct and different; but that can be added to the already rich tapestry that each of us collectively is a part of and contributes to.
All in all it, was a beautiful performance and one which made me stop and think about the humanity behind the barriers of language, fear, misconception and prejudice.
The performance was all the more powerful because it was done in silence. Yet her message was poignant; the issues need no further words, only action.
Vickie’s performance can be seen on online at 7:45am on Wednesday 22 June as part of the National Theatre of Scotland’s 5th birthday celebrations
