Imagine
By Salome Martha Hakunandaba
A brand new audio piece and essay by Salome Hakunandaba on growing up as a refugee in the UK, the impact of racism and the importance of following your dreams.
Made as part of a collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University to support future generations of socially conscious theatre makers.
5 Min Read / 2 Min ListenI was strengthened and empowered to finally let the world know how life was for me and still is for so many.
Ever since I was young, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry but coming from an African household it was often considered a taboo and unrealistic goal. In 2020 as I finished my first year in Adult Nursing, I realised that becoming a Nurse was not for me so I decided to sit down and be honest with myself…
“Salome what do YOU want to do?”
I reverted to my passion leading me to my decision to become an actor/performer. Since then I have vowed to keep pushing on, even if it means that I won’t please others.
As part of my Performance degree at Sheffield Hallam University, I collaborated with Stand & Be Counted on an audio project designed to welcome Little Amal when she arrived in Sheffield (part of The Walk by Good Chance). The reason I chose to talk about my upbringing is that I wanted to make the public aware of the things that are not exposed to them regarding those that are seeking sanctuary, waiting to be naturalised and those that face social injustices for being of an ethnic minority group. Even though it was difficult for me to face my past it is something that I have always wanted to let out but could not gather the courage to do so, but with the help of this project, I was strengthened and empowered to finally let the world know how life was for me and is still is for so many.
Students at Sheffield Hallam University take part in Sheffield Welcomes
“Imagine” by John Lennon heavily influenced my piece ‘Imagine there are no countries, it isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for” in similar ways to the song I started most of my sentences with the verb ‘Imagine’ as I felt that the repetitiveness gave what was being spoken by me more power and substance and made the listener imagine, engage and think.
I made sure to highlight key points that I wanted to touch on, these included the racism and colourism faced by me and my family whilst in England, the hardships that my parents had to face and how it affected those around us. Surprisingly, I found that speaking from the heart and solely from my family’s experiences as refugees helped me connect with what I wanted to say, assisting me to write a script that I was proud of– a massive thing for me as I have always been embarrassed and ashamed of my journey from Zimbabwe to England.
This whole experience has helped me grasp and embrace who I am and has helped me to accept that I too am worthy regardless of what others may think of me.
I know the 4-year-old, shy and torn-down Salome that thought she could never amount to anything because of her background would be proud of the beautiful, black woman I’ve become today.
