Sat 07 May 2022, 11.15-11.35
Dr Martin Glynn, Birmingham City University
Reggae theatrics, expressed through Dub poetry with the maxim of ‘Words, Sound, Power’, articulated the voice of black British resistance throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Operating as a cultural ‘counter narrative’ dub poetry contested traditional constructs regarding the understandings of black oppression and it’s resistance. It is my contention that using politicised orality such as ‘dub poetry’ generated both an ‘immersive’ and ‘sensory’ experience, within in the black community at that time, that transcended the academy, conference, and peer review journal.
In essence reimagining performative counter narratives such as dub poetry and other associated cultural artforms could support contemporary ‘praxis’, where dub poetry can represent, promote, and preserve, not only black British history but aid black self-determination.
About the speaker
Dr Martin Glynn is a criminologist and Winston Churchill Fellow with over 35 years’ experience of working in criminal justice, public health, and educational settings. As a writer Dr Martin Glynn has written for theatre, television, radio drama, children’s writing, and data storytelling. Dr Glynn is currently a lecturer in criminology at Birmingham City University and is the creative director of Algorhythm Creative Lab.