BLUP-DATE
RECLAIM THE NIGHT
Written by guest writer Charlie Greening
I think it is safe to say that none of us ever want to be a victim of crime. No one wants to be robbed or have their home broken into. Even if not much is taken, something like that can lead cause you to feel violated, vulnerable, angry and upset.
NOW IMAGINE there was a particular kind of crime, a crime that is so violating and traumatic that it left almost all victims subject to it with symptoms of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Symptoms like; nightmares, flashbacks, insomnia, chronic irritability, emotional numbness and difficulty concentrating. IMAGINE a crime that was so serious it left most people who’d experienced it with depression, chronic pain or suicidal thoughts. IMAGINE that this crime adversely affected relationships, careers, livelihoods, families and communities. IMAGINE these impacts were so severe they were often long-term, sometimes even lifelong.
NOW IMAGINE that one in every five women living in England and Wales today, had experienced some form of this crime since they turned sixteen years old. Take a moment to reflect on the women in your life and how many women that would represent.
IMAGINE that one in every thirteen adults in this country, that’s 2.4million women and 709 thousand men, had been subjected to some form of this crime before they were sixteen years old, when they were children.
NOW IMAGINE that less than one fifth of the victims of this serious traumatic crime, which don’t forget may have left them with long lasting health and social impacts. Less than one fifth of those people ever reported what had happened to them to the police. Imagine that these people didn’t report this crime because they feared they would not be believed.
Even with it being a given that none of us wants to be the victim of crime, imagine being worried it may be implied that actually they did want this horrible thing to happen to them, and even really it was kind of their own fault.
IMAGINE that out of those one in five people who decide to report this crime, only 1.4% if them ever saw their perpetrator prosecuted. Not convicted, not sent to prison just legally prosecuted for what they had done.
IMAGINE that an overwhelming majority of the people perpetrating that crime were just freely walking around the streets of our country.
BUT OF COURSE WE DON’T HAVE TO IMAGINE!
Approximately 85,000 women (aged 16 – 59) experience rape, attempted rape or sexual assault by penetration in England and Wales alone every year; that’s roughly 11 of the most serious sexual offences (of adults alone) every hour.
When I first wrote this, I put sadly before that fact, but it isn’t sad, it is simply outrageous. We shouldn’t be feeling sad about this, we should be feeling angry. We should be raging. Raging because there are millions of victims and survivors living in England and Wales right now and they are being failed.
Since the tragedy if Sarah Everard’s death, women across the country have taken to social media to discuss their own experiences of walking the streets of London and the lengths we go to in order to feel safe. One movement that has been extremely prevalent is RECLAIM THE NIGHT.
“Reclaim the night means reclaim the day, reclaim our safety, reclaim our bodies, reclaim our confidence, reclaim our freedom. With this very important conversation finally happening, it has caused many of us to feel uncomfortable. Mainly because of the sheer horror that this is our reality, that we have subconsciously accepted and programmed into our lives. That we mustn’t walk alone, we should never be on our phone, we should always get taxi’s home, when the taxi comes, we should be certain it’s the same reg, when he’s being overly friendly, you tell him you’re being dropped at your boyfriends.”
“Reclaim the night means reclaiming our reality. For too long we have warped our reality to fit that of misogyny and patriarchy. For too long we have dramatized our reality for the fear of our safety. For far too long we have been shunned in our own reality, whether in a social setting or a professional, we’ve all been the ‘only female’ token that sits quietly, just showing up. While we continue to break the misogynistic culture that has determined our lives, men and women for as long as we can remember, we must continue to support each other in this. To listen, to understand, to hope for better.” – BLUP50 TALENT, LIV WEST [@liv.west]
Reclaim the Night came to the UK over 40 years ago. In 1977 women in Leeds took to the streets to protest the police requesting women to stay at home after dark in response to the murders of 13 women by (recently deceased) Peter Sutcliffe.
Placards read “No curfew on women – curfew on men”. It is hard to believe we are still marching, but we will not cease until we can walk the streets at night, without the fear of rape. Women still face widespread violence from day to day harassment in the street to sexual assault, rape and murder. And yet we remain in a climate where this is still normalised as acceptable ‘banter’, where prosecutions for assaults are decreasing, and specialist services for women are under attack.
Women are speaking up, breaking the stigma that it shouldn’t be talked about. We are demanding better from men, demanding safety, equality and change. Some of you reading this may be male, and to you I say thank you for educating yourself. You might be thinking ‘hey, but this isn’t all men?’
In response to those behind the ‘Not All Men’ movement I’ll agree that not all men harm women, but I’ll ask you this. Do all men make sure that their fellow men do not harm women? Do they interrupt troubling language and behaviours? Are they having conversations with their sons about safety and consent? Are ‘all men’ interested in women’s safety?
WILL YOU START NOW?
Reclaim the night article written by BLUP50 talent Charlie Greening [@chazzabel]
Want to write for theblup.com please contact talent@studioblup.com
BLUP50 member Becca is a successful DJ, presenter and personality. Becca’s career began in 2012 when she was signed up by MTV to front their daily news programme interviewing the world’s biggest music artists, celebrities and beyond including Pharell Williams and Stormzy. Becca now fronts multiple shows for MTV including her own music show, MTV Live Stage, while also covering worldwide music events and festivals for MTV International – including Red Carpet events.
Becca is also a radio DJ for Apple Music’s international station Beats 1. DJing at major venues and festivals across the world, and supporting some of the world’s biggest reggae and dancehall acts.
In 2016, Becca launched her own music platform DEADLY. Born from her life-long love of reggae, dancehall and bashment, DEADLY is Becca’s hub to produce original documentaries, music videos, interviews and live sessions, showcasing artists from the UK, Caribbean and more.
// YOUR WORD FOR 2021
Things are looking up aren’t they! I spent 2020 feeling a lot of doom and gloom, but I’ve been getting into positive phycology and doing a lot of introspection over the last year, so that combined with the fact that summers coming means I’m feeling super hopeful for this year. I think we’ve all realised just how resilient we are and how powerful that can be moving forward, so I’m feeling optimistic.
// WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN ONLINE/INSTAGRAM /TIKTOK / TWITTER THAT HAS STOPPED YOU SCROLLING?
The Social Dilemma was a real reminder of what we already knew! Since then I’ve been really watching my screen time and trying to read more. I don’t bother with Tik Tok or Twitter, even just Instagram is too much for me.
// GIVE US A WHISTLE STOP TOUR OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE
I started presenting in 2012, my first job in this industry was with MTV and I’m still with them to this day. I am also a radio DJ on Apple Music 1, where I host the Apple Music 1 List from London – I’ve been with Apple since the start of their radio journey 6 years ago and it’s been sick to be a part of the growth. I’ve hosted my own live music shows, traveled the world covering all sorts of festivals and events, worked with brands such as Red Bull, The X Factor, ASOS and The Mercury Awards.
I also DJ reggae and dancehall, playing at Festivals such as Glastonbury, and touring with artists such as Protoje and Morgan Heritage. Alongside this I run my own music platform called DEADLY which celebrates Jamaican music through original live sessions, interviews and documentaries. Every year we film with all the hottest talent in Jamaica, so far we’ve filmed with almost 50 artists across the last few years! We have a playlist thats updated weekly with all the sickest new tunes in reggae, dancehall and fusion Jamaican sounds. And we’ve just started doing interviews remotely with our favourite acts on the playlist over on our Youtube Channel.
//WHAT DOES 24 HOURS IN YOUR LIFE LOOK LIKE?
Every day is very different… and every day since 2020 has been even more different.
Pre covid there was no routine whatsoever, I’d be in back to back jobs and then in the summer it was working in a different country every week. In between that time I would spend it working on DEADLY.
Now it’s different – because of lockdown I’ve got into more of a routine each day which has definitely helped my sleep and my mental health. I have my regular radio and TV jobs keeping me going and I’ve had a whole load of spare time on my hands to do things for myself like play drums, read, meditate and just chill. Right now 24 hours is a lot of time spent on DEADLY!
// WHAT DO YOU DO TO SWITCH OFF OR CHILL?
I get my slow jams on, light some candles and jump in the bath for about an hour. Absolute heaven.
// WHAT HAS BEEN ONE OF YOUR BEST CAREER HIGHLIGHTS?
Hosting the MTV European Music Awards Live red carpet show with Sway Calloway (total legend!!!) is probably one of my favourite jobs to date. We broadcast internationally to 120+ countries from cities such as Amsterdam, Milan and Bilbao, and the EMA energy is always next level. So much fun!
// WHAT DO YOU SEE IN YOUR FUTURE?I see DEADLY becoming THE place to go to for Jamaican music – what GRM & SBTV do for grime, but for reggae & dancehall music. I see events, a fashion brand, maybe even a label one day. I want to be the go to DJ for the new sounds of Jamaica, and I want to be able to bring the music to as many people as possible.
// IF YOU COULD COLLABORATE WITH ONE CREATIVE/BRAND WHO WOULD IT BE?
We did an amazing collaboration in 2020 with Trojan Records, one of reggaes most prolific labels, where some of the hottest new artists covered Trojan Classics. I’d love to do more link ups like that.
I love what Red Bull have done for the culture, with Carnival and Culture Clash, and they have their ear to the ground when it comes to Jamaican music. Feel like we could do something sick.
I’d also love to collaborate with Clarks – their link to Jamaica is amazing and I’m always rocking mine!
// WHO IS YOUR GREATEST INSPIRATION?
I’m really inspired by the women in my family – strong, powerful black women who have faced a lot of adversity but have come through fighting and also smiling.
I’m also a big fan of what David Rodigan has done for the culture, he’s given me some great advice over the years and he’s given some incredible feedback on DEADLY! Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry is also an inspiration to me, not only though his free spirit and talent, but his dress sense is next level!
// WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO SAY ABOUT YOU AT THE END OF YOUR CAREER?
That I’m a genuine, authentic, good soul. That I made a real impact on music and helped spread it far and wide. That I was a voice for the new Jamaican artists to break through.
// WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO NEW CREATIVES?
You have to really love what you’re doing! Cause the journey can be tough in the industry. But most importantly, look after your mental health. It’s easy for people in the creative industry to go hard because there’s no boundaries of a 9-5. But there’s no use going full turbo speed and not taking time for yourself, because you will burn out and then be of no use to anyone – take it from me!
// WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU IN YOUR WORLD RIGHT NOW?
It’s important that we keep talking about the racial issues that are happening across the world. Yet another black man was killed by the American police this month. Say his name – Daunte Wright! I find Shaun King a very key figure to follow for updates in all the racial injustices that are happening.
FOLLOW BECCA
We were delighted to receive an invitation from OFFF asking us to be one of their guest speakers at their 2015 design conference. The OFFF Fest conference is a 3 day event featuring 40 speakers from around the world, including AKQA (one of the worlds leading design agencies), Stefan Sagmeister (Rolling Stones, HBO, Lou Reed) and Territory (Guardians of the Galaxy CGI). The conference specialises in motion design, digital agencies and illustration and takes place is in the heart of Barcelona at the The Design Museum, which looked fantastic reflecting the sun and clear blue sky on the panels around the building. The 2015 event was sell out as it is every year, with over 5000 people attending.
For our talk we decided that we wanted to talk from a slightly different angle than usual and tell the story of BLUP’s few years from the start to where we are now. Within the journey we wanted to say what worked, what didnt work and experiences we have had that have defined us as a studio.
Collaboration has always been a fundamental part to how we function as a studio, involving some very gifted artists to create some mind blowing design for our clients and to express us as a company. We wanted to involve the collaboration aspect into the talk so invited AKQA designer and experienced BLUP collaborator, Samuel Mensah to share the stage for a quarter of the time we were on. This allowed us both to show how two talents can combine and produce awe inspiring not only for clients but each other to push our limits of design.
The whole three days was an amazing experience for us meeting some fabulous people and seeing some inspirational design everywhere we went.
Studio BLUP have collaborated with Youth Worldwide on an exhibition dedicated to showcasing emerging talent on a global stage. The Launch took place at the Espacio Gallery situated in the heart of Shoreditch. Thank you to everyone who managed to come down and show love at YOUTH WORLDWIDE first official exhibition.
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