A Radical Act of Resistance with Lucy Ansell

Chats with Creatives

In this episode Lucy Ansell and Bronte Charlotte discuss Australia's ongoing racism, colourism and texturism by delving into a piece Lucy wrote for the publication Hair (curated by Sabina McKenna of @whereareyoufrom__) in which she delves into her relationship with her textured hair growing up in predominantly white spaces in Australia. We chat about how you can never stop learning, working in professional environments after graduating drama school, the assortment of professional jobs Lucy has picked up, including the biggest stage production currently in Australia, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Lucy explains tokenism in casting, how institutions seek to look diverse but don’t seek to support any true diversity, and her joy working with Chanella Macri in her piece for She is Vigilante.

During this episode we discuss:

• [05:27] Lucy’s list of credits from her first year out of drama school, joining the magical world of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and how masks have soothed our hayfever.
• [13:56] Hair - a Zine curated by Sabina McKenna about textured hair, an excerpt from Lucy’s article, and Lucy speaks to texturism, colorism and racism in relation to hair.
• [22:21] Theatre as a reflection of life, tokenism in casting, and some examples of works that have been done sensitively, honouring the voices that need to be honoured and amplified.
• [27:11] Being a political act just by taking up space, truly diversifying spaces, and growing up in predominantly white spaces.
• [34:19] Our lack of education and ignorance around true Australian history, the importance of allyship, and how important our early education is for building values and shaping us as humans.
• [37:59] The weight of the Black Lives Matter movement on the shoulders of the BIPOC community, the Movement building in the midst of the global pandemic, and the system that keeps the oppressed, oppressed.
• [43:30] “I’m just as white as you,” the generalisations and assumptions around blackness, and building honest and true representation from the ground up, starting with who is in the room behind the camera.
• [49:58] The scoop and weigh section, daily naps, isolation crafts, defining who you are, the messy characters that bring an actor joy, and working with Chanella Macri in She is Vigilante.

RESOURCES

• Hair by Where Are You From
  Curated by Sabina McKenna
• Golden Shield by Anchuli Felicia King
• The horrific display of racism by the Robert Guest Endowment 2020
• Zahra Newman ‘breaks’ the Australian classic Wake in Fright
• You May Not Rest Now There Are Monsters Nearby by Chanella Macri for She is Vigilante

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Follow our host Bronte Charlotte on Instagram @bronteandsunshine

Follow this week's guest Lucy Ansell on Instagram @thouis.leroux