We were lucky to catch up with Ayeesha Ash recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ayeesha, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

As a kid I was extremely shy. Growing up, I was often the only Black kid or Person of Colour in the room. I hated being different – I didn’t want to stand out. So without even realising it, I retreated into myself. It was only when my nana enrolled me in a weekend dance class that I began to get out of my shell and step into myself. With dancing came singing and then acting. Stepping out on stage and being someone else gave me a freedom to explore who I was. Understanding characters and the nuance of their words gave me a deeper understanding of myself. As I got older I realised the power and freedom that comes with telling your own stories. Writing about my experiences and being able to share them with audiences has created space for others to tell their own stories, to be seen and heard.

Ayeesha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I studied acting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and when I graduated I was confronted the brutal lack of opportunities for Black actors in Australia. The roles available felt tokenistic; at best stereotypical, at worst completely rooted in racial bias. So, with a friend I founded Black Birds Creative Arts Company; an intersectional and intercultural arts company that creates work that puts Women of Colour front and centre. We write all our own work, directly inspired by our own experiences and most importantly, we tell our stories on our terms. We do this through film, theatre, visual art, live performance and podcasting. By sharing our experiences through our work we’ve been able to connect with so many people. We’ve become part of an amazing community of women from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds; we may look different or come from different places, but the similarities in our stories create an unimaginable bond. I’m so proud of the space that we’re part of.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Support independent artists! Whether that’s by following them on social media, sharing their work, attending attends, buying tickets, encouraging your friends to see their work – it all counts! No career is smooth sailing, but being an artist is like constantly stepping into the unknown. We make for work for people to experience. We make work for an audience, for our community. If they’re not there, neither are we.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I want to continue to create space for people to share their stories. Storytelling has the ability to break so many barriers. Through it we can offer understanding, perspective, education. It gives power to the storyteller and the audience. The more people who can tell their stories in their words – and the more people who take the time to listen – the better chance we have in a living in a society that is fully accepting and welcoming of the individual.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.black-birds.net www.ayeeshaash.com
• Instagram: @eeshash @bl.ckb.rds
• Linkedin: @ayeeshaash
• Twitter: @bl.ckb.rds @ayeeshaash

Image Credits
Jason Winston
Bryony Jackson
Still from MY GYUL