Rikki Beadle-Blair in Conversation with Sarah Maclennan

This year's Ebroje Azanuwha Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Rikki Beadle Blair. Join Rikki, in conversation with Sarah Maclennan, where he will reflect on his career as an actor, artistic director, playwright and activist. The discussion will be followed by a book signing.

IN MEMORY OF EBROJE AZANUWHA

MA Writing student, LJMU 2017-2019

This annual lecture is dedicated to the memory of Ebroje Azanuwha, a student in MA Writing from 2017–2019. Sadly, Ebroje passed away a day before her graduation ceremony. She’d been looking forward to wearing her cap and gown and celebrating her academic achievements. Ebroje was a woman of great substance. She was the daughter of migrants from Nigeria and grew up in working-class Liverpool. She was proud of her cultural heritage and also her fighting spirit. She didn’t walk away from racism and racist abuse and helped members of the black community to fight injustice through her work with the city’s homeless and youth communities. At her funeral people smiled at the memory of Ebroje advising young people to stand up for their rights.

Ebroje promised her late mother that she would complete her MA Writing and this she did, despite the persistent health issues that often made writing physically difficult. She rarely missed a class and always contributed to the discussion and feedback. Her own writing was particularly powerful as she wrote more and more about her experiences of growing up black in Liverpool. She was tigerish about her family too, and wrote about her brother and sister and her young nephews. That Ebroje died just before graduation was particularly sad. She was a credit to her family and to all students who are determined to overcome adversity so they can achieve their dreams. At the graduation ceremony in the Anglican Cathedral her family collected her award to a standing ovation.

Richard Barrington “Rikki” Beadle-Blair is a British actor, director, and playwright. He is the artistic director of multi-media production company Team Angelica. Beadle-Blair wrote the screenplay for the 1995 feature film Stonewall. He adapted his own screenplay of Stonewall for the stage and his production company Team Angelica, which he took to the 2007 Edinburgh Festival. He also directed, produced, designed both sets & costumes, & choreographed on the show. The play was nominated for “Best Ensemble” at The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence.

Beadle-Blair was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to drama.

In the dynamic and ever-changing landscape of British arts, Rikki Beadle-Blair emerges as a standout figure, renowned for his innovation, diversity, and advocacy. From his beginnings in Camberwell, London, Beadle-Blair has charted a course that has established him as a pivotal voice in championing LGBTQ+ stories and visibility, spanning a career that includes filmmaking, playwriting, acting, and direct activism. His work transcends mere entertainment; it acts as a potent force for societal change, challenging entrenched stereotypes and deepening the understanding of the vast spectrum of human experience.