A DAY IN MARCH

A DAY IN MARCH

Based on real-life stories of participants in the Consortium on Practices of Well-being and Resilience in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Families and Communities (Co-POWeR). With contributions from Dr Teresa Peres and Dr Anita Sharma from Co-POWeR Work Package 2.

Script by Alda Terracciano
Illustrations by Edgar Lushaju
Project supervision by Co-POWeR Co-Investigator Professor Raminder Kaur.

A coloured drawing of the head and shoulders of a young Asian man (Imran) man wearing headphones lysing on a pillow Imran, an Asian boy in his early teens is asleep in daylight with the text "no school today" Imran at the front of the frame, seen from his back hugging a pillow and looking at an empty Piccadilly Circus in London - the billboards have the following text: Stay home / Work from home / No travel / No visits to the elderly / No visits to hospitals / No Eid / No Church service / No Friday prayer / No Diwali / No Yom Kippur / 1 hour of People with marks pushing supermarket trollies full of toilet paper, booze, and tinned food. Imran front faced hugging his pillow walking across red tape and traffic cones with directions on floor: This way out / Please keep 2 Mt apart. A face covering is dropped on the floor. Imran’s is holding a phone wearing headphones in front of a computer screen. He's on a Zoom call with his teacher on the left and a friend on a houseparty app on the right. Text reads Imran, your mic is off. You're muted. What's the point of all this? I have a bad internet connection. Imran is sitting at his desk in an empty classroom while texting friends. Text:We are not going to put your grades up and let the summer begin. But sir, we already got our grades for the mock exams! They give us tons and tons of homework! Honestly, I’m so far behind now. It doesn’t matter. 8 line drawings of Arifa and her parents sit in front of the TV. Arifa’s mother is in Bangladeshi clothes and with her hand on her face cries. Text. education facilities must move to remote provision from tomorrow, You’re going to miss so much this education, Arifa. Arifa and frind Trish standing on the opposite sides of the street talking via facetime on their phones and two women with shopping bags walking in the distance. Text:Oi, you’re getting too close! Make sure you keep the distance, you’re better off to chat online, it’s safer! They meet in the street and exchange a comic book. Trish reads the comic book titled A day in March. in the middle of a demonstration with people and social media symbols holding placards and a man with dreadlocks talking with a microphone holding a sign with text “Wake Me Up”. I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe!The protests are getting violent, going beyond Black Lives Matter. Two policemen on the two sides of Imran with his hands in his pockets. Policeman) What you’ve got there! (Imran) Nothing (Policeman) Empty your pockets! What do they think I have? Imran running away leaving behind a lollipop on the floor. Imran is running with shadows of people holding placards in the background. Imran gets in his father’s car. Text from radio: Mass graves in South Asia, and Brazil. COVID-19 curve on the rise. The race for a new vaccine in the UK continues. A woman with a head cover stands out from the queue. A man talks to her. TEXT: You must have a very good reason to come here. I need milk in the house. All those women are taking their food and they don’t get asked no questions. Why do they query me, how am I different? Woman and children sitting at the table with piles of food and sanitary pads at the back. (Girl) Mum, think about the help we are getting from the community centre, the church. There people are so kind to us, and it’s nice to stay indoors. (Boy) We can do whatever we want and also we have food now. Let’s enjoy the moment. A mother and the two kids take each other’s hands and do a round dance with floating cup-cakes around them. TEXT: That was refreshing. I think I will make you some kube cake. Sarah’s friend was kind enough to get us some shelled coconut pieces and I think I can spare some for a few kube cakes. A little taste of home. Child looks at a flying cupcake going towards the window. It falls on the pavement, next to someone’s leg. A man is standing at that corner and an African woman is on the opposite side of the road next to the fallen cupcake. A man is hanging from the car window and spits on hert: (Men from the car) Go back to where you come from!! Close up of Imran’s face looking scared. Imran: Dad!! Look out!! The word 'Ccrash!' Imran sitting at the edge of his bed looking lost. His mum and dad opening shopping bags.Text: Imran! You didn’t even come out of bed to wash your face or brush your teeth. You’re lying in your own filth! Text: Hey, you OK? Text: (Imran) Sigh. Yeah I’m good sorta… Imran and his sister taking stuff from bags. Text: By the way. I got you something when I was out with dad. I thought that it’d cheer you up… A block of flats with different scenes at each windowText: Stop doing that to me! Text: Wygrywam! (I’m winning) Text: Come on you Reds! Text: To the hip hip hop-a you don’t stop the rock. Imran sits down mixing music. Mum, wake me up when this is all over, over and above all my and your expectations, when I can call you your name with a whisper in your ear, I know this is home, but I am tired of staying right here. Wake me up Mum, when the second wave won’t bring it back all over. I think I’ll be fine, today is ours for the taking Script: Alda Terracciano Illustrations, Storyboard and Rap Lyrics: Edgar Lushaju