When Pravesh our Artistic Director closed the Rifco office in March 2020, he said to the team, ‘see you in a few weeks!’. Nobody knew then that we were in for a long haul. The following two years were immensely challenging, but we adapted by massively increasing our digital output, and investing heavily in our Associates Programme. 
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We have come out of lockdown with a renewed passion for our mission to create work that speaks to a modern British South Asian audience and provide a platform for British South Asian artists.

Yasmin answered the Associates Programme callout with a heartfelt and personal submission on how middle aged women, often mothers, disappear from stories. She has laboured tirelessly with our support and in 2022, Shelley Silas came on board as Dramaturg and asked Yasmin important questions about her voice and the play’s structure that enabled her to strip back and reveal the centre. 

Yasmin has come so far as a writer and performer. She is proof that real opportunity and platform is what so many underrepresented artists need to fly. 

Together with our creative partners we can change the future and tell important untold stories about being British today. It has been a joy to work with Yasmin, Watford Palace Theatre, and the whole Glitterball team to bring this piece to life. 

Rifco Associates is a bespoke programme led by Associate Director Ameet Chana and myself. It has been specifically created to address the lack of opportunities and pathways for British South Asian artists. You can learn more about the scheme here. 

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