Avaes Mohammad is a playwright, poet, performer and research chemist. In 2005, he received the Amnesty International Media Award for his poem ‘Bhopal’, broadcast as part of the BBC’s commemoration of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Disaster. Avaes is currently Director of the ‘British South Asian Aesthetics Project’, an initiative committed to the exploration of theatrical forms deemed representative of contemporary British South Asian identities. Works written for theatre include touring productions of ‘In God We Trust’ and ‘Shadow Companion’, for radio ‘Bora Bistrah ‘(BBC Radio 3) and for short film ‘Take It Slow’ (Contact Theatre/BBC Co-production).
Also committed to participatory work, especially with young people, Avaes regularly delivers creative workshops, using theatre, rap, poetry and science, in education, community and organisational settings. Teacher-practitioner roles have included facilitation for Unheard Voices writing programme (Royal Court) amongst others. Avaes Mohammad is an alchemist-artist creating challenging, provocative work in response to a challenging, provocative world.
Dust,
Fire!
Tale of entire, entirety.
First there was God and God said “Be.”
So there was.
And it is,
So it is!
But to who?
Did he speak to you?
Or me?
Neither and either.
He spoke to We!
We were there.
Always have been,
Always have seen,
From the serene to the not so,
And all that was in between.
We had foreseen the unseen.
Yet to share,
But we were there.
In our root manifestation,
The primary creation.
The first that was,
The last that will,
And until this realisation won’t be fulfilled,
This crazy ranter shall rant!
Dust!
Humble magnificence,
Unnoticed beauty.
Self-assured silent bearer of eternal truths and original secrets.
Bang!
Big!
Bigger!!
And that mighty, thunderous discharge thrust out into newborn space, freeborn dust!
Filling and spilling as packets into pockets of space and time,
Like a desert sandstorm.
For a while.
Then that initial rage and ferocity cooled and turned spectator, to marvel at the magic of creator.
A world from dust was about to be formed as swarms of these tiny, insignificant, ineloquent particles joined, from their own inherent attraction, and thus from dust, stars did form.
And hence planets!
Stardust,
Fire.
Tale of entire, entirety.
Of the genesis,
This just the surface is.
Upon which I’ll scratch on further.
Human.
The best of creation.
Powerful, capable, potential for greater things.
For nobler things.
To soar through skies with inspired wings.
To venture high and dare to bring destiny to his or her own whim!
Human.
The best of creation.
Powerful, capable, potential for greater things.
But gold nor silver brought forth this wonder.
“He created him of dust then said to him , “Be!” and he was.”
And thus, with dust, our cycle completes.
Unity found throughout, through in.
That from which the stars and planets were born, gave rise to human form.
A system entwined, interlinked, that binds us all together on all levels.
Extra,
Intra,
Within and without.
No one therefore, greater than another.
No one life more worthy, more deserving no other.
