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T21 AlchemyAuthor: Oneness Sankara
T21 Alchemy: Stories of Down Syndrome, Parenting and BelongingReal talk for parents, carers and allies raising children with Down syndrome, SEND or additional needs; newly diagnosed, pregnant, or supporting loved ones. Also for theatre makers exploring how lived experience becomes performance.Join Oneness Sankara -a Black British mum, playwright, SEND advocate- as she shares raw family experiences (not leaflets), communication breakthroughs, Black SEND realities, and her spoken word musical *T21 Alchemy*.New episodes cover: Communication and language development Independence and future planning Parenting identity and relationships Turning real stories into theatre If you've wondered "what does this journey actually become?"this podcast holds that conversation.*Early episodes (The Purpose Pod) cover personal growth. New T21 Alchemy episodes focus on Down syndrome parenting, SEND advocacy and theatre.* Language: en-gb Genres: Health & Fitness, Kids & Family, Mental Health, Parenting Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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From Family Story to Stage: How T21 Alchemy Was Born
Episode 4
Friday, 20 February, 2026
In this episode, host Oneness Sankara shares how a personal family story became a spoken word musical through community workshops and collective storytelling.From poetic notes born of isolation and exhaustion → conversations with SEND parents → first public sharing at Certain Blacks Afro Future Festival- to the being joined by and amazing creative team to rehearse and develop the piece and share at The Albany Deptford.You'll hear:• The moment her story became bigger than one family • Why theatre (not blog/talks) was right • How she protected privacy while staying authentic • Research themes: isolation, fighting systems, fear for futures • Why spoken word musical (X-Men revelation included) SHOW NOTES:About T21 Alchemy (the play):Spoken word musical exploring disability parenting, inclusion and African Caribbean British identity through a mother raising a T21 child.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Introduction to T21 Alchemy - the play 02:30 Why this story needed telling 05:45 Isolation disability parents face 08:20 From poetic notes → full play 11:15 Themes: unheard, judged, fighting systems 14:30 Why theatre? Collective power 17:00 Spoken word musical format 19:45 Personal vs community voices 22:30 Protecting family/community 25:00 Afro Future Festival debut (clip) 27:15 X-Men moment: possibility in diagnosis R&D CREATIVESWriter/Performer: Oneness Sankara BSL Performer: Jacqui Beckford Dramaturg: Kwame Kwei-Armah Director: Matthew Xia Composer: Christella Litras Producer: Michaela Waldram-Jones Key Themes:Disability parenting • African Caribbean identity • Theatre as activism • Creative process Connect:Instagram: @t21alchemy @thepurposementor www.onenesssankara.com Supported by Arts Council EnglandT21 Alchemy podcast episodes and theatre R&D supported using public funding by Arts Council England.Support the showStay connected with T21 Alchemy: @t21alchemy @thepurposementor on Instagram
