The Bigger Picture
Written by Guleraana Mir
Directed by Anthony Simpson-Pike
On a cold autumn day, a lone hawk is spotted on SOAS campus, killing and mutilating pigeons. Meanwhile, Saima is struggling to get her lecturer to accept the subject for her dissertation – sixteenth century Indian warrior queen Chand Bibi. How can women take up their rightful place in history when the records of their achievements are so sparse? The answer comes from an unlikely source. Is any of it real, or a product of Saima’s grief-stricken mind?
Decolonising History
A Tamasha Digital Project for SOAS, supported by Arts Council England. Inspired in part by SOAS’s own uncomfortable past as a training college for officers of the British Empire, SOAS History department hosted five Tamasha playwrights on an access-all-areas basis. Guleraana was project manager for Tamasha, and one of the writers-in-residence.
Exploring issues from politicised teaching, to the legacy of trauma, to the joys of discovering uncelebrated historical figures, these five audio dramas showcase the power of drama to unpack big ideas in a human and relatable way.