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Unchained Nights

Lady Unchained

Poetry and music by artists with lived experience of the justice system and premiere of the Unchained film

Brenda (Lady Unchained) at an Unchained Nights event at Toynbee Studios. Photo by Greg Goodale

Join us for the return of Unchained Nights, a creative platform for artists with lived experience of the justice system.  

Through poetry and music performed by artists with lived experience of the justice system, Unchained Nights tells stories of positive pathways after prison through creativity.   

Watch live performances alongside the world premiere of a new feature length documentary film about Lady Unchained. Buddleia: The Unchained Story tells the tale of Lady Unchained, a poet, performer, broadcaster and advocate for life after prison, created by acclaimed filmmaker Tracy Kiryango, commissioned and produced by Artsadmin.

Stay tuned for the full line up of the artists. 

“It’s easy to end up in prison. We are shown through shows and movies that tell us the stories of how people end to in prison. The gangs, the violence, the drugs and the money is a story we all know so well. I got tired of hearing and seeing the same old story when I became part of that sad truth. Unchained Nights tells a story of how we can turn a negative situation into a positive pathway for ourselves and others. My life ended and began with a prison sentence, those metal doors awoke the faith in me.”
– Lady Unchained

Artsadmin has hosted Unchained Nights with Lady Unchained at Toynbee Studios since 2018, a creative platform for artists with lived experience of the justice system. 

This event is presented and produced by Artsadmin, with support from BE PART through the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. BE PART is a collaborative project with European partners exploring questions of power in participatory arts practice.

Brenda Birungi, also known as Lady Unchained, is a – Poet, Performer, Broadcaster, Mentor, Artist Manager, TedXLondon Speaker, Host for National Prison Radio, Facilitator, Curator, Chair for the NCJAA Anne Peaker Lecture 2020 and Advocate for Life After prison.

“My life ended and began with a prison sentence, those metal doors awoke the faith in me” – Lady Unchained

Brenda’s mission is to prove that there is life after prison. She is the Founder and Creative Director of Unchained Poetry, an artistic platform for artists with lived experience of the Criminal Justice System. She hosts Unchained Nights in partnership with Artsadmin at Toynbee Studios, a night of inspirational storytelling through poetry and music. 

Brenda runs poetry workshops in prisons and in the community in Women Centres such as Pecan as part of Southwark Women’s hub to help women find their creative voice. She is now a member of the NCJAA Steering group.  

Brenda was a nominee for the New Voice Award 2020 by Audio Production Awards and Runner Up for CJA Awards 2020- Outstanding Documentary, winner of The Insight awards 2021 for Insight through Journalism. She received a Bronze award for her show Free Flow on National Prison Radio at the ARIAS Awards 2021 and she continues to challenge the ex-offender label through creativity. 

Lady Unchained also curated the Soul Journey To Truth Exhibition at HOME gallery in Manchester in partnership with Koestler Art and Ripples of Hope Festival highlighting creativity within the criminal justice system in the North West.

Buddleia: The Unchained Story is a film that tells the tale of Brenda Birungi, also known as Lady Unchained, a poet, performer, broadcaster and advocate for life after prison.

The film traces Lady Unchained’s story through conversations with a range of people who have marked significant moments in the development of the work she now does. While some have lived experience of the justice system, others have been prevented from entering into a life of crime through her support. Everyone shares how Lady Unchained has made a positive impact in their lives by encouraging them to use art and creativity to bring their own stories to light. In this 40-minute documentary, Lady Unchained visits important places in her journey, such as her own prison cell and the chapel at HMP Holloway Prison, both spaces that mark a major turning point in her life.

The grounds of HMP Holloway are now overgrown and filled with a plant called buddleia. The buddleia that now fills an empty space reminded us of the butterflies of which they are associated. Brenda reflected on the metaphor; the bittersweet memories of those who were freed through death and those, like herself, who went on to begin new lives.

Buddleia: The Unchained Story was filmed and edited by Tracy Kiryango, who has a strong background in storytelling through film, having written, directed and produced her own short films and worked on documentaries for The Telegraph, Express Newspapers and TwoFour Broadcast. Tracy and Lady Unchained previously collaborated on a film-poem, The Forgotten People, commissioned by Artsadmin in 2020 to highlight racial inequality in the UK prison system. 

Buddleia: The Unchained Story is commissioned and produced by Artsadmin, with support from BE PART through the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. BE PART is a collaborative project with European partners exploring questions of power in participatory arts practice. 

  • We have reduced capacities to allow for social distancing. There is a 120-person capacity for the theatre (including audiences, artists and staff) which is a 280-seat space.
  • We will open fire exit doors to ventilate the space as best as possible before audiences arrive.
  • Everyone is encouraged to wear masks while in the building including while seated, unless exempt. 
  • We are not checking for lateral flow tests or Covid vaccinations. 
  • We have been working hard to make Toynbee Studios as safe as possible and are committed to an inclusive reopening. Read about the safety measures we have in place. 

Presented and produced by Artsadmin, with support from BE PART through the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.

  • This event will be BSL interpreted
  • Toynbee Studios is accessible to wheelchair users
  • All of our toilets are gender neutral. Fully accessible toilets are located on the ground, first and third floors
  • Read more about Accessibility at Toynbee Studios

Date and time

18 November 2021
7–9.30pm
Doors open at 6.45pm
This event will be BSL interpreted

Please note
This is now a past event.

Venue

Toynbee Studios
28 Commercial Street
London, E1 6AB
Tel: 020 7247 5102
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