A programme of art, culture and new infrastructure to reimagine the future of the UK’s biggest council housing estate
Radio Ballads: Songs for Change
Book Launch
Playing Tuesdays at 2pm and on rotation all week.
A live recording from the book launch for Radio Ballads: Songs for Change, recorded on Saturday 22nd March 2025 at Valence Library.
This publication shares the process of creating four new Radio Ballads developed over 3 years from 2019 to 2023, with artists Sonia Boyce, Helen Cammock, Rory Pilgrim and Ilona Sagar, in collaboration with carers, organisers, social workers and residents here in Barking and Dagenham.
The book launch included a full day of talks, poetry, music and discussions hosted by lead curators from the Serpentine Gallery Amal Khalaf, Layla Gatens, and Elizabeth Graham.
For more information on the book click here.
RADIO BALLADS TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
1:03 - Opening remards w/Amal Khalaf & Elizabeth Graham
6:30 - Elizabeth Klement talks about editing the book
8:30 - Elizabeth Graham talks about the project and the book
9:32 - Layla talks about the collaborators on the project.
14:09 - Elizabeth Graham introduces Carina Murray
14:50 - Carina’s reading
26:00 - Amal introduces the next song “Listening”.
31:57 - Amal introduces Sanah Ahsan’s segment
33:17 - Tracy Chapman - I’m ready
38:10 - Sanah Ahsan reading
57:40 - Amal introduces Gail Lewis
58:31 - Gail Lewis’s reading
01:15:34 - Layla Gatens introduces the next chapter “connecting”
1:16:19 - Cally Islam reading
1:24:50 - Cally Islam talks about the reading
1:36:49 - Yvonne Miah’s reading
1:42:46 - Layla introduces the next chapter “Voicing”
1:43:29 - Helen Cammock’s reading
1:49:58 - Helen Cammock’s song “listening in your silence”
1:55:04 - Sarah Boosey’s letter
2:04:20 - Elizabeth Graham introduces Rory Pilgrim
2:06:11 - Rory Pilgrim introduces his songs
2:07:55 - Rory’s first song “An Amazing Purse”
2:12:33 - Rory introduces Catherina Rowland
2:13:07 - Catherina Rowland reads her poem “an oar of courage”
2:14:00 - Robyn Haddon sings “Rafts of my mind”
2:18:00 - Kayden Fearon sings “Flowers” from the album Rafts
Listen here or on Mixcloud.
