PRODUCED BY SBC THEATRE & COVENTRY UK CITY OF CULTURE

Can You Hear Me, Now?

FAMILY FRIENDLY | OUTDOOR | THEATRE | DANCE | MUSIC | LITERATURE

SBC THEATRE PRODUCTION
Coventry UK City of Culture 2021.
In partnership with Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, and Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre.
Danyar Abbasi / Adam Abdullah / Abed / Aiman Khairallah Alattab / Nabil Amshat / Bernice / Hussein Al-Dhamari / Abdel Nasser Al-Jaradi / Tanisha Chopra / Ayaan & Alicia / Joël Djomaha / Kim Hackleman / Yesica Hernández / Bella Kamariza / Tariq Khan / Sina / Sonani Mhlanga / Somya Mishra / Murad Mohammed / Payam Motahar / Natalie / Nima / Mbolle / Irina O'Sullivan / Jen Preece / Arisa Rama / Ali Reza / Ronald / Rony / Yathreb Ramadhan / Jawdat Saghir / Suliman Saleh / Selda Sen / Matthew Sutherland / Samson Tefera / Uma Tiwari / Daniella Takyi Tuffour / Majid Valadi / Felicia Vundla / Aya Wanli / Karema Zanati / Hilla Zewdi
Joe Belgin / Bengy / Steve Crump / Fenella Kelly / Jasmine Moreton / Christopher Sidwell / Tracy Villiers
Director: Rosie MacPherson
Associate Directors: Hannah Butterfield and Beth Knight
Music and Movement Director: Zoe Katsilerou
Designer: Hannah Sibai
Sound Designer: Eilon Morris
Producer: John Tomlinson
Production Manager: Luke Child
Stage Manager: Ella Stewart
Assistant Director: Theo Ioannou
Lead Percussion: Mahandra Patel for Kadence Music
Saxophone: Lizzi Maxted
BSL Interpreter: Rachel Tipping
Audio Description: Jo Mousley for Hear the Picture
Graphics Design: Smart Banda and Lucy Bingham
Documentary Filmmaker: Pishdaad Modaressi
Production film: Pilot Theatre
Photographers: David Wilson Clarke and Mandip Seehra

When we stand side by side, we are stronger. We sing together and we are louder. When we move together, we can make the city vibrate. The city is our playground, our podium, our home. This is a love letter to you, my city. And this space here? This space is for you.

Can You Hear Me, Now? is a celebratory, large-scale outdoor performance. It will be an immersive and joyous experience, made with and for the people of Coventry. Expect live music, dance, spoken word, storytelling and spectacle.

Expect live music, dance, spoken word, storytelling and spectacle.

Can You Hear Me, Now?

We are having our say, using our voices and we want you to join us!

“Thank you for listening… These past weeks were the best in all my life.”

— Jawdat

“You are good for my self-esteem!...and maybe this is the best thing about the company.”

— Somya

“CAN YOU HEAR ME ...”

♥️

— Hussein

Sanctuary Seekers across the city joined us every week for three months to take part in creative zoom sessions designed to build confidence, empower and co-create a mega outdoor performance and take-over of Swanswell Park. Throughout June we explored, imagined, built and rehearsed together every day at The Belgrade Theatre and FabLab. Every word, every beat, every thread contained within Can You Hear Me, Now? is our ensemble's response to the urgent need to be heard, and the ways we can all begin to listen.

Can you hear me, now?

Watch the film with audio Description

Behind the Scenes

What really went into the making of Can you hear me, now?

From the music, performances, poetry and spoken word, participant bonds, and record-breaking moments, CYHMN? is full of magical moments that can’t be seen without taking a journey behind the curtain and searching for the aspects and people whom, without, the show would never have been possible.

Testimonies

“I don't know where to start, this project was amazing from start to end. Thank you SBC. You gave me something to look forward to daily. (I have) been used to getting up early and preparing for the next day. Thank you for changing my life. Folks, be patient in life, when you meet people like this group, count yourself lucky. I have found myself here. Every single one of you played a part in my healing. Oooo thank you, I have met friends for life in Coventry.”

— Sonani

“Thank you very much for the times we spent together, thank you all for the fun, thank you for the dances - until now I didn't know how to dance. Thank you guys for giving us a chance to express ourselves with speeches, songs, sentences or by words. Thank you all for this time, it will be stuck in my memory because I met wonderful friends like you.

CAN YOU HEAR ME .....”

♥️

— Hussein

“I want to see organisations like SBC Theatre better supported to keep doing this important work. With them, we learn new skills, develop our English and have fun at the same time. There is a hidden talent in everyone that needs to be given the opportunity to appear. Can You Hear Me, Now? felt like a huge party for everyone in Coventry and I think after this difficult period that we have all been through, we need a lot of fun. My time with this team has been one of the most beautiful moments of my life and I plan to continue with them. Let us all come back together and find joy. This is what we need now.”

— Jawdat

“The show was brilliant, everyone came out of their shell, everyone was dancing and everything, no one was shy. It was really beautiful. I enjoyed it and I am proud of myself. We all did well, we all played our part brilliantly and we all let it work. Oh my god, I can’t get it out of my head, I can’t wait for the next programme. Respect, yeah man.”

— Matthew

“Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share with you all, even though I have a different language. It's the first time I could fulfill my dreams.”

— Yesica

“Words will not be enough to describe how grateful I am that I met all of you amazing people. Everything went beyond my expectations and I loved every second I was part of this big family that we have created. I can’t wait till we are all together again!.”

— Arisa

“Thank you so much to all the wonderful team and their hard work. It was absolutely amazing. I am so glad to be a part of this project and I am still thrilled about everything.”