Big up #Jamal - that went very well indeed

"Was nervous but I think that went very well.. I love doing talks like that. Big up everyone at #DMU." That was Jamal Edwards' tweet as he left the lecture hall with the crowd in awe after his inspiring Q&A session.

His post was followed by countless tweets saying how 'humble' and 'passionate' the young entrepreneur was right up to climbing into the taxi outside the Clephan building of De Montfort - waving his goodbyes to the passing audience along the way

During the hour long Q&A, Jamal answered many questions about his background, his acheivements, his struggles and of future ventures for himself and his leading UK online youth broadcasting site - SBTV. He answered all questions put to concerning his celebrity saying "it's nuts" and "it's just crazy", showing genuine modesty surrounding his achievements.

Jamal promoted self-belief and hard work acting, also telling how he uses his expertise to help others wanting to get into the music/entertainment business. Quoting Robert R. Kennedy's words, "Some people see things as they are and ask why? I dream things that never were and ask, why not?" Jamal said this was a quote he often refers to in life. He also revealed an exclusive of a new artist he had filmed just the day before, allowing us a glimpse of his world.

A perfect representative of the strength and creativity of the younger generation, Jamal Edwards - CEO age twenty-one, was simply real and inspirational.


Celia Wilding

Tick box - which box?

Sonia Sabri first engaged the audience by showing off her skills as an acclaimed dancer with a short video. After it had finished she asked the simple question of "What box did that tick?" vocalising in one question all of what she stands for as an individual, a dancer and a choreographer.

Growing up in an Asian family in Birmingham, Sonia's Father wanted her to complete the dream he himself did not succeed at - becoming a famous Bollywood face. This, she said, was the main influence that got her into dance. Having been rejected from a Kathak dance group and told to come back a year later, she returned as asked. She was eight years old. Although she appeared confident, combating shyness was a struggle. Once it was conquered, Kathak became her life.

Wanting to break the perceptions of 'Exotic dance' as a heading covering every type of Indian dance we see, Sonia has gone as far as exploring links between Kathak and Hip-Hop, uniting dance forms and broadening scopes as she goes in her latest tour KathakBox.

Sonia's one big aim is not to abolish 'tick boxes.' While she admits that sometimes ticking the right box can open the door to new opportunities, she's determined to show that dance is not something that can be put into a certain box or category. Sometimes in life it is "safer to just choose 'other'" as an option to avoid confining yourself.

Celia Wilding

Srtipping away excess

A short film written and directed by Adrian Lester (Mickey from BBC One's Hustle) brought tears to my eyes. A moving tale of a family having to make life-changing decisions, Adrian's new venture into directing went down a storm with all who came to his Thursday night screening.

Described as a perfect "marriage of experience and talent", Adrian, along with the two producers of Of Mary, wife Lolita Chakrabarti (established writer and actress) and Rosa Maggiora (acclaimed Theatre Designer) shared with the audience the highs and lows of working on this piece.

When asked why he had taken the leap from acting to directing, Adrian cracked a smile towards the audience and stated "One day I was combing my hair - and found a grey one..." He showed the audience that not trying everything wasn't an option for him as he delved into his range of past achievements from Hollywood film to Shakespeare on stage.

Concentrating mainly on the hidden detail associated with the short film, he compared the editing process to that of a sculptor saying you must "take away the excess until all you have left his the bare essence". He also went on to say that his biggest fear as a director was knowing that an audience "might not get it".

All three went on to share advice and future plans with the audience showing themselves to be experienced (as well as humorous) individuals which made an already amazing evening an even greater success.

Celia Wilding

Demon Crew and proud of it

The room was bustling as excited students with proud tutors and organisers greeted us for the Demon Crew Creative Writing Launch.

The Demon Crew Launch is a chance for DMU's own third year students to exhibit and read their own work, which today was full of inspiring ideas.

Will Buckingham (Senior Creative Writing Lecturer at DMU) introduced each writer in turn and they had two minutes to introduce their piece and offer some background if they wished.

Pieces ranged from poetry on plates, clothing, bags, a deck of cards, to already successful e-books, and from crime fiction to music websites.

Although the whole the Launch lasted two hours my concentration and enthusiasm never faltered as the creativity of all of the pieces and the humility of their creators kept me listening.


Celia Wilding

A need that is wordless

As the performers broke into the dance which I later learnt is called Capoeira, I was amazed by the use of their bodies as they entwined using graceful 'martial art' moves - always with eye contact, and always with a visible, natural enjoyment. Both male and female performers combined beautiful balance with heroic muscle strength to conjure a vision of graceful gymnastics.

As the performers sat to sing, the music that surrounded me took me to a different place. I was no longer in a dark studio but in a hot and serene setting that brought a genuine smile to my face. I let their voices drift over me.

There was time for questions and answers at the end of the performance and this was equally enjoyable. We met each performer in turn (including Angharad Harrop - formerly of DMU). Some spoke through a translator but all were filled with talent and love for the project they have embarked on. They described the ideas behind the project which expresses the sense being physically apart from somewhere or someone while a wordless need keeps drawing you back. And that is exactly what the performance conveyed to me.


Celia Wilding