16/06/2026
The Table, June 12, 2026
Photos by .art.
And a bit about the project.
I started thinking about this play in 2022, before the last general election. I wanted to give refugees and migrants a platform to share their stories in their own way.
In Peterborough anti-migrant rhetoric post- Brexit was already toxic. There’s too many of them. They’re too rough. And what cut deepest was hearing that from one migrant community about another. I thought: what hope do we have if we’re so divided?
In 2026, four years into making this play, it’s worse. The rise of Reform, the far-right marches – it’s not just rhetoric. It’s organised. It’s loud. After Brexit, I was shocked that so many black and brown, colonial migrants voted for it. Now those same divisions are being weaponised against us.
Making a play that subverts the media narratives isn’t just vital – it’s an act of defiance.
The Table aims to challenge the stereotypical portrayals of refugees. We’re not just numbers on boats. We are individuals who want to be seen living, thriving – not just dying. Economic migrants and conflict migrants share the same desire as any of us: a better future, basic human rights, something for our children.
This play asks: What will we do with what we have witnessed? In an era marked by imperialism, colonial violence, civil unrest, and displacement, The Table is a clarion call for solidarity, a demand for justice, a reflection of brutal realities many would prefer to overlook – from the Congo to Gaza, Hong Kong to Sudan, Yemen, Iran, Lebanon, Ukraine and beyond.
Statistically, we are more likely to become refugees than millionaires. I want to work with people who reflect the communities we live in. These stories deserve the main stage because there is still time.
If not now, then when?
Thank you,
Aisha x
