In focus: Recognising privilege with Claire Bloor

02/02/23 • 17 min

'For so many people in my generation who were raised with that kind of colorblind approach, they've always thought there's not no racism at all, but they haven't realised that they've internalised so much of it. Because it is in all, it's in the media, it's in the culture, it's all in there. So it's for us about kind of trying to say to people, it's okay to see that now. And we need to start talking about it, and having really deep meaningful conversations about it, and how that might be impacting on the work that we're doing.'

In this distilled episode Angie talks to Claire Bloor about her 'colourblind' upbringing in Ireland, her work with First Nations people in Australia, and her move to working with victims of sexual violence in the UK.

Claire has over 20 years’ experience working in the charity sector starting her career in Dublin as a caseworker working with homeless people, she has gone on to manage a broad range of support services in both the UK and Australia including youth justice, employment, training, education, and Aboriginal programs.

Find more information about SARSAS at www.sarsas.org.uk

Connect with Angie on her website - www.angelabrowne.co.uk

A full transcript of this episode can be found at https://being-luminary.simplecast.com/episodes/in-focus-recognising-privilege-with-claire-bloor

This podcast was written and presented by Angie Browne. Original music was by Martin Austwick. The series is edited and produced by Big Tent Media and Emily Crosby Media.

Find more information about SARSAS at www.sarsas.org.uk

Connect with Angie on her website - www.angelabrowne.co.uk

A full transcript of this episode can be found at https://being-luminary.simplecast.com/episodes/in-focus-recognising-privilege-with-claire-bloor

This podcast was written and presented by Angie Browne. Original music was by Martin Austwick. The series is edited and produced by Big Tent Media and Emily Crosby Media.

Previous Episode

In conversation with Sarah Doneghy

"I found that when I was acting, there were no, I had to audition with monologues. And there were no monologues written for me, for a mixed girl. So I'm like, Well, I'm writing it. And then I was getting asked the What are you? questions so many times when I would go into auditions, that I wrote a monologue, and I it was called, I'm mixed and I walked in the room. They're like, Do you have a monologue? I was like, yes. And it started just to answer all the questions that it consists of, What are you? I'm mixed black and white. So that's how it started."

In this episode, Angie talks to Sarah Doneghy about her experience of growing up mixed in West Virginia, moving to New York, and her writing and performance work. They explore the nuances of mixed race experience and why mixed stories need to be shared more.

Sarah Doneghy is an actor, writer, and performance artist. She is the creator and host of Mixed Messages – a show where each episode a guest discusses their personal Mixed-Race experience. Her one person show, Mixed Nut, played at the People’s Improv Theater and has been featured in Mixed American Life, iCelebrateDiversity, and Multiracial Media. Her writing can be seen in The Washington Post, Vox, and Black Excellence.

Twitter: @sarahdnycity
Website: sarahdoneghy.com
Talk show: Mixed Messages with Sarah Doneghy

Connect with Angie on her website - www.angelabrowne.co.uk

A full transcript of this episode can be found at https://being-luminary.simplecast.com/episodes/in-conversation-with-sarah-doneghy

This podcast was written and presented by Angie Browne. Original music was by Martin Austwick. The series is edited and produced by Big Tent Media and Emily Crosby Media.

Next Episode

In conversation with Richard O'Neill

“Every adult in school is getting paid to be there, including me, the kids are not. They don't get anything out of it. And if they're disengaged from their education, from the learning in that school, they're getting less than nothing. Imagine if somebody said to you as an adult, now, here's the thing, you go to this place, it's not very good for you. You just don't want to be there all day. And maybe it's giving you some kind of anxiety as well on top, and you don't get anything out of it. Why would you go? You know, I see adults, talking about schools,as professionals who say the school is toxic, and they cannot wait to get out of it. If you're a child in a toxic school, you can't get out of it. You've got no power. An adult you can walk. As a child, you can't. And that's what always concerns me. I've been that child in a school thinking, what am I doing here? What is the point of this?”

In this episode Angie talks to Richard O’Neill about his nomadic childhood as a member of the Romani community. They explore the prejudices he has experienced in life and work, and the stories he chooses to tell.

Richard O’Neill is an internationally acclaimed performance Storyteller, Author and Playwright. He was born and brought up in large traditional, fully nomadic Romani Gypsy family, travelling throughout the North of England and Scotland. His roots are also to be found in the coal mining communities of the North East having family members who worked down the pits. This co-cultural upbringing is reflected in his creative work. As Richard says,’Gypsy in my heart and coal dust in my veins’.

Richard grew up working alongside his father and extended family, a keen learner he picked up many of the old skills including peg and spoon making just as they were dying out. Skills he now passes on to others through educational projects in schools and colleges.

Find out more about Richard on his website - www.richardthestoryteller.weebly.com

Connect with Angie on her website - www.angelabrowne.co.uk

A full transcript of this episode can be found at https://being-luminary.simplecast.com/episodes/in-conversation-with-richard-oneill

This podcast was written and presented by Angie Browne. Original music was by Martin Austwick. The series is edited and produced by Big Tent Media and Emily Crosby Media.