InCourage Part 4 - Losing a Loved One - Matt Mahmood-Ogston
InCourage Part 4 - Losing a Loved One - Matt Mahmood-Ogston
Past Performance
In The Theatre
March 22nd 2018
12+

In Courage aims to celebrate diversity, champion local partnerships and highlight personal stories that touch upon the dangers of extremism and the manipulation of youth. We will also be awarding commission opportunities for artists to create original work inspired the presentations.

Every Thursday in March, Applecart Arts will present a matinee at 1.30pm for local schools; with an evening repeat at 7.30pm for community groups and interested parties.

22nd March Losing a loved one - cultural homophobia Speaker: Matt Mahmood Ogston

Matt Mahmood-Ogston has set up his charity after his partner Dr Nazim Mahmood committed suicide because of the internal homophobia/hatred he received from within his community. Matt will discuss the need to challenge homophobia and its tragic effects on the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ minorities. 

Each event will also showcase a short play, an artistic performance, a Q&A session with the speaker and an interactive workshop.

The event will last approximately 90 minutes.

Tickets are free but you are required to book.

Creative Team
Jen Tan Director

Jen Tan will direct (re) Action.

Jen trained as a director on the StoneCrabs Young Directors Programme for which she directed Being Norwegian by David Grieg. She has directed short plays and rehearsed readings for companies such as Tamasha and Yellow Earth. She recently co-created  I Walk in your Words, a verbatim play about belonging in contemporary Britain, with Kristine Landon-Smith.

Rina Fatania Cast

Rina will be playing Mother.

Rina Fatania played  ‘Bindi’ in Tanika Gupta’s “Love n Stuff” at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. She also played Mrs Peachum in “Dead Dog in a Suitcase” by the Kneehigh Theatre Company, and written by Mike Shepherd, who adapted it from “The Beggars Opera” in 2014.

Her role of credits is extensive and she has appeared in number of productions by Tamasha and Rifco. Among her earliest big breaks was Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Bombay Dreams” (2003) and she also has the award-winning “Britain’s Got Bhangra” (2010) and “The House of Bilquis Bibi” (2010).

Alim Jayda Cast

Alim will be playing Kamran.

Alim recently played The Lover, in The Who's Tommy UK Tour. He was also Captain Greenbeard in Sinbad The Sailor, at Theatre Royal Stratford East. He will feature in Mamma Mia Here We Go Again, which comes out later this year.

Alistair Wilkinson Playwright

Alistair Wilkinson is a freelance theatre practitioner working within a variety of arts organisations. He is an associate artist with the National Youth Theatre. Alistair is also the artistic director of WoLab, a working laboratory for artists to create. www.wolab.co.uk

Matt Ogston Speaker

Founder & Trustee of Naz and Matt Foundation

 

In 2001, soon after coming out to himself, Matt met his soulmate Naz in a nightclub in Birmingham. Naz was 21, Matt was 23. They quickly fell in love and ran away to London to be themselves and escape the intense pressures of not being out to family. They had to keep their relationship a secret for fear of what might happen if they were found out.

After 13 years together and engaged to be married, Naz (Dr Nazim Mahmood) sadly took his own life, just two days after being confronted about his sexuality by his deeply religious family during Eid. It was the first time they had heard that their son was gay, in a long term relationship with another man, in love, and planning to get married. Their solution was to tell Naz that he needed to see a psychiatrist to be 'cured' for being gay. For ‘shame' not to be brought on the family.

In memory of Naz, Matt set up "Naz and Matt Foundation", a now award-winning registered charity that tackles religious and cultural homophobia. The organisation helps families learn how to accept their LGBTQI+ children for who they really are - for who they were born to be. 

The Foundation's mission is to “Never let religion, any religion, come in the way of the unconditional love between parents and their children."

For more information visit

https://www.nazandmattfoundation.org