In Their Own Words
"I don't know how to explain it but it's the joy inside, you use all the strength and you think 'I've got to do it"... I just love the beat, the drums and when I'm dancing, even if I've got problems or I'm stressed or something I just put that thing behind me." Afrocats participant - Interview
"People in Afrocats they're just like family, we're all like sisters, we all care for each other, if you don't come they'll text you, 'oh where have you been?' I didn't come last Friday and everyone was, 'oh what's up with you?', you feel like they care, to me it's a family because it's the only family that I have." Afrocats participant - Interview
"I'd probably say that dancing is like the ground that we all just bond on, it's not like oh we all just live in Manchester... it's just dancing because when we're together and we all just dance, anything else that happens out side is just a bonus." Afrocats participant - Interview
"We were talking about our lives and we just got too emotional and we are crying and everything but it was good so people can understand what you're going through, you're not alone... I was happy because other people they knew what I was feeling in my heart although I didn't say the words... if you don't say things for yourself you think 'oh I should have said this' but I was contented with what they did and I knew that people got the message, although I didn't say it myself other people did, although we come from different ways it's the same point, and now we are happy because we've come a long, long, long way, a long way." Afrocats participant - Interview
"I just started asking questions and after a while they started opening up a bit and telling me their stories and I just thought people need to know this because they see you and they just see you as ordinary young people, or young people who are here to cause problems or young people who are here to take things, but that's not true, they've got talent and they're here and they haven't got anyone to look after them and if I can bridge that gap that what I would do." Magdalen Bartlett, Director - Interview
"When you look, there's other refugee groups who's come in now, and it's happening which is needed, but we're the only integrated group who's doing African and Caribbean dance and it's something that is very unique and I think for the show that we've done it was very important to have that, because a lot of young people, especially that age, they don't really connect to their roots too much." Magdalen Bartlett, Director - Interview
" (name of youth worker) brought a group of young mainly white kids from Hyde and they were all right actually... I think they started off watching it and then went off to have a drink of water and then came back and got involved and this 13 year old, a 'naughty' 13 year old boy said, 'That was really good', and turned round to the youth worker and said 'that was about something that play', which, I thought that was amazing. 'That was really about something." Cilla Baynes, Director, Community Arts Northwest - Interview
