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Effie

"My time at Goldsmiths gave me the practical and academic grounding I needed to take the next steps in my career and give me the confidence to follow an unusual path, which has led into a job I love."

Main details

Year graduated 2007
Occupation Project Manager Arts and Development, Nanzikambe Arts Development Organisation, Malawi

"I arrived at university with a very narrow idea about what I thought theatre was, and how I would work in it, and left with whole new understanding of the different worlds out there. Goldsmiths taught me to push the boundaries and take risks in my work. I was constantly inspired by passionate tutors, but also by my peers as we were encouraged to challenge ourselves, our boundaries and our preconceptions.

My time at Goldsmiths gave me the practical and academic grounding I needed to take the next steps in my career and give me the confidence to follow an unusual path, which has led into a job I love. I now work at Nanzikambe Arts, a Malawian NGO using theatre as a tool for social change. My job is mainly based in Community Theatre, running a programme of weekly workshops that reach eight marginalised communities in Blantyre - we work with young women, people with disabilities, street children and prisoners. My job involves practical delivery of workshops, design of projects, training other facilitators, fundraising and administration. I am also studying for a Masters in Power, Participation and Social Change.

Recently my work has focussed on using drama as a way to open spaces for discussion, reflection and action with prisoners in Malawi. In 2012 we began a project looking at HIV in the prisons. Together with the drama group of prisoners, we devised a hard-hitting and taboo-busting performance about the realities of prison life and HIV. This performance was toured to six other prisons in Malawi – opening up debate between prisoners themselves and also between prisoners and the prison authorities."

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