ShAFF Online - Ed Accura, co-founder of the Black Swimming Association

ShAFF Online - Owen Hayman of SOUP (Sheffield OUtdoor Plungers) will be talking with Frank ‘Ed Accura’ Awuah, about how the work of the Black Swimming Association, and his feature-film documentary - A Film Called Blacks Can’t Swim. There will be enlightening conversations as Ed explains the issues, and discusses what we each can do to help improve diversity, inclusion, participation, equality and representation in swimming.

Ed Accura

@blackswimmingassociation

thebsa.co.uk

imdb.com/title/tt9246844

Ed Accura is a British songwriter, producer, rapper and host of In The Deep Side podcast. He wrote, produced and starred in the new documentary feature film "A Film Called Blacks Can't Swim". Ed is also a co-founder of The Black Swimming Association, the first of its kind in the UK, which aims to highlight the importance of swimming as an essential life skill after research from the World Health Organisation found the risk of drowning is higher among black and minority ethnic communities. Figures from Sport England show that 95% of black adults and 80% of black children do not go swimming at all, according to a survey taken over two years.

"A Film Called Blacks Can't Swim" is about a black British who after watching an upsetting news report on bad weather and flooding, develops an acute phobia with water. His anxiety with not being able to swim and irrational fears of drowning pushes him into buying a life jacket which he wears everywhere he goes. He is torn between his friends who try and encourage him to learn how to swim and society who dramatically dampens his confidence with stereotypes on black people and their inability to swim. The film combines acting with real interview footage of various members of the community voicing their thoughts on the subject.

------------------------------------------

The event is co-hosted by Sheffield OUtdoor Plungers (SOUP) with Owen Hayman at the helm interviewing the speakers. It is one of a series of 4 during Jan and Feb 2021.

Jan 11th - Swimming in Reservoirs and Rivers, with Suzie Wheway and Lance Sagar

Jan 18th - Nick Hayes, author of The Book of Trespass

Jan 25th - Rachel Ashe, founder of Mental Health Swims

Feb 1st - Ed Accura, founder of the Black Swimming Association

@soup_sheffieldoutdoorplungers

Almost everywhere we swim, there are 'No Swimming' signs. Many of the places we swim have almost no known history of swimming. This is an emerging wisdom. One of our core aims is to normalise outdoor free swimming in places where it was once a very eccentric thing to do, if not illegal. Not only do we aim to normalise swimming in the eyes of onlookers, but normalise it with ourselves too. We challenge the doubts within ourselves and aim to answer the questions we have as best we can. Through sharing maps and information, and inviting strangers to swim, break down social and personal barriers. We work towards a time when the invaluable benefits of swimming and dipping in open water are recognised and respected. Come for a swim! There may be cake too.

Owen Hayman

@owainhaeman

Owen is a swimming access campaigner, living and swimming in the middle of what was once known as “Sheffield Lakeland”, an area dominated by large majestic functioning reservoir lakes. He founded SOUP – Sheffield OUtdoor Plungers, and is a member of the Outdoor Swimming Society campaigning and inland access team. Along with many others in the wider Yorkshire area and beyond, Owen is working to bring swimmers together, to collectively break down mental, social and structural barriers to free outdoor swimming.

------------------------------------------

The talk will be delivered using Zoom. We recommend that you download the app and install it ready. You will be able to join the meeting via a link in your confirmation email.

The event will not cost you anything to attend, but we will request that you pay what you felt it was worth using this PayPal link.

Donations will be shared between the speakers and ShAFF. Thanks in advance.