Speech

Further Info

This story was created at a workshop for young people from St Pauls and Easton who are researching their African heritage. The project is called “Adisa”, a word meaning “Each one to teach one” or “One who makes meanings clear”.

The workshop took place over 3 days at the Full Circle Family Learning Centre in St Pauls and was led by Dani Landau with support from Folake Shoga, Alan Cabey, Michaela Alfred-Kamara, Sylvia Vincent, Aikaterini Gegisian and Paddy Uglow, and Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives.

Transcript

This is me. I’ve never been good at speeches. Mention a speech and I freeze.

Somehow I’ve always managed to pass, but I turn into a nervous wreck. You should see my nails: I suck on them when I’m nervous. I know I shouldn’t, but I do. I don’t bite them anymore, but I just kind of… nibble on them.

So anyway, the teacher calls my name and I’m like, “What?”. See: all the teachers pick on me for speeches. I’m always first.

So I go up there, shaking, and trying /not to shake and the teacher’s like “In your own time.” [sound of ticking] and I’m thinking “Well I wouldn’t do it in /your time, would I?”

So I’m reading my speech, trying to look at the audience, but I’m really thinking about chocolate. I finish my speech, and the teacher’s like “Well done.” And I’m like “Yay! That was me!”

Credits