ALT B: This Is Who I Am

About

Part of the Actors For Human Rights project, This Is Who I Am is a rehearsed reading of verbatim real testimonies of three LGBTQIA+ refugees navigating the UK asylum system.

Told in their own words, the piece exposes the obstacles they face: repeated interviews, demands for “proof,” and the fear and uncertainty created by a hostile environment that questions identities and experiences. Their stories reveal the tenacious resilience required simply to survive, as well as the hope that drives them toward safety and recognition.

The performance is followed by a Q&A with members of the creative team, offering audiences the chance to explore the making of an Actors For Human Rights script, the realities behind the testimonies, the wider pressures faced by LGBTQIA+ people seeking asylum in the UK, and how audiences can support LGBTQIA+ refugees.

Director Sebastian Aguirre is the co-artistic director of ice&fire theatre company, a human rights activist, and a theatre practitioner from the Chilean refugee diaspora in the UK. They trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and led both Actors for Human Rights and the Queer Migrant Pride Fest at ice&fire, alongside delivering a range of participatory arts projects. Their recent work has included collaborations with SurvivorsUK, Rainbow Migration, Say It Loud Club, and Micro Rainbow.