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barnabas_trumanAs "Perfesser C.J. Morrison, the Purple Pennywhistler," I have made music in so many ways in my eleven years at Dickens Fair, joining in with
the ancient rhythms of the Brunos
the cozy jam sessions at The Mermaid
the lively country dances of Crown & Anchor
the jolly holiday tunes of Rats in the Haggis
the older-than-old songs & stories of Mr Brown's Mummers
the laughing chaos of the clowns and fairies in the Christmas Panto
and at the heart of it all, the foundation of my every day in Little London, the Golden Square Ceili. What began as a handful of dancers joining in as I played on an empty stage gradually blossomed into one of the big events of the East End, with a fine band and expert dancers and as many patrons as could fit on the dance floor, all striving together to create the feel of One Last Ceili In London Before We Board The Ship For Americay—at least, that was always my thematic intention, and on the best days it genuinely felt like it really was.
I have grown so much as a musician and a performer: every year, the little orchestra of the V&A challenges me to develop new accompaniment techniques; I learn so many new tunes from the jam sessions with the Brunos; the aforementioned ceili develops my skill at leading a band. I have confidence in myself as a real musician, and not merely the "new kid with a pennywhistle" that I felt like twelve years ago.
On rough days, when I felt lost and needed to re-center myself, I knew I could always park myself on that little Silk Road Stage between shows and play a few tunes, and every time, little miracles would happen. Some dancers would arrive and start an impromptu polka, or a couple of musicians would show up and we'd become a jam session, or even on a quiet day a toddler would stand and stare and listen in wide-eyed wonder. Magic.
*****
But growth is futile in a venue that refuses to grow, and a place that is unwelcoming to many of my fellow performers is no place for magic and miracles.
And so it seems that the last Last Ceili In London might really be the *last* Last Ceili In London, or at least the last one I'll be driving, because C.J. Morrison is leaving London and boarding that ship for Americay. I cannot in good conscience continue to perform gratis for a company that cannot or will not sufficiently deal with racial inequity, sexual harrassment & assault, hostile or dangerous work environments (I've earned my scar from that); that relies on a foundation of unpaid/underpaid volunteer performers that it casually dismisses by categorizing us as "students giving a recital."
I have one more thing I'd like to say to anyone who is still on the fence about these issues. Please understand that this is not a new struggle that came out of nowhere in the last few weeks: the members of LoAD, and other groups in the LSN, have worked endlessly for months and months, trying to push for a solution to the aforementioned problems. I've seen their mighty efforts in that direction via the many writings they have posted, and I know that they are well thought out. If you "agree with their goals but not with their methods," then I challenge you to find a method you *do* agree with, and make it happen: if you can do it better, then you better do it.
*****
So farewell, Little London; goodbye, Dickens Fair. I'm not walking away from the community—there will be plenty of music in the new land of Americay—but I will not participate in the show. But this is not the end of the story; if the leadership of Dickens Fair truly addresses the needs of its marginalized participants, I would be overjoyed to return. I'll be watching.
#GoodbyeDickensFair
#ChangeDickensFair
the ancient rhythms of the Brunos
the cozy jam sessions at The Mermaid
the lively country dances of Crown & Anchor
the jolly holiday tunes of Rats in the Haggis
the older-than-old songs & stories of Mr Brown's Mummers
the laughing chaos of the clowns and fairies in the Christmas Panto
and at the heart of it all, the foundation of my every day in Little London, the Golden Square Ceili. What began as a handful of dancers joining in as I played on an empty stage gradually blossomed into one of the big events of the East End, with a fine band and expert dancers and as many patrons as could fit on the dance floor, all striving together to create the feel of One Last Ceili In London Before We Board The Ship For Americay—at least, that was always my thematic intention, and on the best days it genuinely felt like it really was.
I have grown so much as a musician and a performer: every year, the little orchestra of the V&A challenges me to develop new accompaniment techniques; I learn so many new tunes from the jam sessions with the Brunos; the aforementioned ceili develops my skill at leading a band. I have confidence in myself as a real musician, and not merely the "new kid with a pennywhistle" that I felt like twelve years ago.
On rough days, when I felt lost and needed to re-center myself, I knew I could always park myself on that little Silk Road Stage between shows and play a few tunes, and every time, little miracles would happen. Some dancers would arrive and start an impromptu polka, or a couple of musicians would show up and we'd become a jam session, or even on a quiet day a toddler would stand and stare and listen in wide-eyed wonder. Magic.
*****
But growth is futile in a venue that refuses to grow, and a place that is unwelcoming to many of my fellow performers is no place for magic and miracles.
And so it seems that the last Last Ceili In London might really be the *last* Last Ceili In London, or at least the last one I'll be driving, because C.J. Morrison is leaving London and boarding that ship for Americay. I cannot in good conscience continue to perform gratis for a company that cannot or will not sufficiently deal with racial inequity, sexual harrassment & assault, hostile or dangerous work environments (I've earned my scar from that); that relies on a foundation of unpaid/underpaid volunteer performers that it casually dismisses by categorizing us as "students giving a recital."
I have one more thing I'd like to say to anyone who is still on the fence about these issues. Please understand that this is not a new struggle that came out of nowhere in the last few weeks: the members of LoAD, and other groups in the LSN, have worked endlessly for months and months, trying to push for a solution to the aforementioned problems. I've seen their mighty efforts in that direction via the many writings they have posted, and I know that they are well thought out. If you "agree with their goals but not with their methods," then I challenge you to find a method you *do* agree with, and make it happen: if you can do it better, then you better do it.
*****
So farewell, Little London; goodbye, Dickens Fair. I'm not walking away from the community—there will be plenty of music in the new land of Americay—but I will not participate in the show. But this is not the end of the story; if the leadership of Dickens Fair truly addresses the needs of its marginalized participants, I would be overjoyed to return. I'll be watching.
#GoodbyeDickensFair
#ChangeDickensFair
