This Is Who I Am // SOAS British Red Cross

“Then they separated us. We tried to say no, we applied for asylum as a couple. They say we don’t have any civil evidence that we are a couple. And we’re like “how can we show you any civil evidence if homosexuality is forbidden in my country?”

This Is Who I Am is a rehearsed reading of first-hand accounts from LGBT+ refugees’ experiences of fleeing their home country and the challenges they face undergoing the UK asylum process. Read by members of the Actors For Human Rights network at ice&fire Theatre, the reading will be accompanied by a panel discussion.

ice&fire explores human rights stories to make accessible theatre for UK audiences which shares real people’s human rights stories in order to change prevailing negative attitudes and promote inclusion. All our work centres on real people’s experiences. We believe sharing these experiences with the public can change minds, encourage a deeper understanding and encourage positive action.

“This was not what I expected. I was expecting some kind of inauthentic moralising verbatim theatre experience.The acting was delicate, minimal, allowing the words to speak for themselves. Although we know it must go on, it’s still shocking to hear the first-hand accounts of people devoured by the heartless machine of bureaucracy. This was brave, honest, close to the bone” OXFORD THEATRE REVIEW

*Please note that the testimonies include accounts of state, sexual and homophobic violence*