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Has society reshaped our understanding of nudity, sensuality and sexuality and does it impact the human experience? 

Today I am joined by Shireen Aston, as she dives through the ideas that shape the art form of Burlesque, whilst stripping away the stigma and posing the deeper questions that seem to provoke (unwarranted) fears and the social dilemma of our times. 

This is a conversation that lays bare the thoughts that could essentially be the broken back of future generations.   

Special thank you to previous guest Armand Beasley for the kind introduction

About Shireen Ashton.

Shireen Ashton is an actress from Manchester UK and a burlesque artist who performs under the stage name Cherie Bebe. For 5 years from the age of 14 she was a member of the renowned Oldham Theatre Workshop where she was able to hone her acting, dancing and performance skills by participating in various workshops, theatre productions and tours. Being an avid lover of films, Shireen then began training and acting for screen in various independent short and feature films but missed the experience of performing in front of a live audience. 

Her debut as Cherie Bebe's was in 2009 & she has been performing all over the UK ever since. As a burlesque performer Cherie has an eclectic approach to burlesque, mixing her love of music, cinema, art, glamour and lingerie to create an unforgettable performance of fantasy for her audiences.

Cherie/Shireen's film and TV credits include: Daliland (feature film) by Mary Harron and starring Sir Ben Kingsley, The Look Of Love (feature film) by Michael Winterbottom, Hollyoaks as Phoenix, Murdered for Love by This Word for BBC (documentary film), Plastic (Feature Film), Theatre Of Fear (Feature Film), Portal (Web Series) and The Best Little Whore House In Rochdale (Feature Film). She has worked with Bafta shortlisted Aneel Ahmad, award winning film-maker Miriam Kassim and has taken classes with playwright Jim Cartwright.

Previous clients include: Selfridges, Illamasqua, SJM, Volvo (as their Lady In Red for the S60 European Tour) Joe Corre (Agent Provocateur creator), The Fragrance Shop, Guess, Hervia Bazaar, Miss Manchester, Sexhibition, Burlesque Noir at The Blackpool Tower Ballroom, Vaudevillians Plus guests at The Lowry Theatre, The Albert Hall, The Lad Bible, Kendal Calling Festival, Viva Magazine, The Ritz Manchester, Alberts Schloss, Tattu and Menagerie.

Cherie also produces a number of burlesque shows across various venues in the North West which star herself and a lineup of distinguished burlesque and cabaret acts. Her current residencies are Cherie Bebe's Burlesque Revue which takes place at the iconic Matt and Phreds jazz club in Manchester's trendy Northern Quarter and Burlesque at the Richmond Tearooms at the award winning Alice In Wonderland Themed Tearooms.

Cherie also runs masterclasses which teach the art of sensuality, tease and burlesque.

About the Global Indian Series:

My name is Rajan Nazran Chief Explorer for the Global Indian Series, the official platform for people of Indian origin (PIO), because let’s face it, we are everywhere!

For almost 15 years we have travelled across the globe covering 60 countries to date whilst exploring the kaleidoscope of our remarkable 50 shades of brown community.

Voyaging to the edges of the Amazon, facing Ebola in West Africa, being held hostage in Eastern Europe, tapping rubber in Malaysia, drinking chai with Heads of State and sharing laughter with local fishermen – I have been there, looking for us!

Our purpose is simple, to build a living encyclopaedia of the human experience of the community and a safe mooring ground for open discussions, whether you are an NRI, Indian Diaspora, person of Indian origin (PIO) or a fan of South Asian anthropology, what we do is bring people and communities together.

We do this by plunging into the human experience of being a person of Indian origin (PIO), taking a second look at the countries we now call home and tackling the conversations we need to know more about.

Through our range of award-winning original content (print, podcasts, events and TV) and fascinating discussions, our impactful stories and platforms have spearheaded national and international conversations that have brought people together.  Our work is featured in global brands including The Indian Express through to the CNBC network.

How to get involved:

Interested in getting involved in building the world’s largest living encyclopaedia on the community? Whether you want to become a patron, buy us a chai in a new location or have your story shown, simply get in touch via our website, we would love to hear from you. www.globalindianseries.com

Social media:

You can reach Rajan via

Global Indian Series (@rajannazran) • Instagram photos and videos

(1) Rajan (Singh) Nazran | LinkedIn

Global Indian Series - YouTube

Special thank you to TAIZU for the music

Episode: 124

Presenter – Rajan Nazran

Producer –Global Indian Series/NazranRoth

Guests in order:  Shireen Ashton

 

Other content you may like:

If you liked this podcast, you may enjoy the following:

PODCAST:

https://globalindianseries.com/the-carnival-of-national-identity-made-in-trinidad-with-dr-kirk-meighoo/

https://globalindianseries.com/the-caribbean-season-st-lucia-and-identity-with-dr-stephen-king/

THE HISTORY OF INDIANNESS | THE SUGAR WAR (globalindianseries.com)

 

ARTICLE: “This is not India” Muzi Hlengwa and the danger of identity politics in SA (globalindianseries.com)

IS IT MY INDIANISM, MY INDIANNESS OR JUST ME BEING INDIAN THAT I AM PROUD OF? (globalindianseries.com)

Lest we forget. The Coolie Odyssey (globalindianseries.com)

https://globalindianseries.com/st-kitts-and-nevis-with-india/

We produce content that inspires purpose, passion, and community. If you like what we do, please do share, like, subscribe and comment. It helps massively with online algorithms.

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Support change: A little favour to ask-We believe true freedom is to be able to act without fear or favour and that identity is not a “brand” to be abused, politicized, or reduced for personal gain. As Global Indians, the need to work together is greater now than ever before.  If we want to see real change, we need to create a better society for all, tackle injustice and plunge into the many aspects of what the human experience truly offers.The Global Indian Series has been built to be a platform of integrity, fairness and to remain fiercely independent of political influence. We are the first in the world to connect with every echelon of society with all human voices being treated equally.  We are the first to have travelled physically to locations far and wide, often putting our own lives on the line to bring forward stories that deserve to be told.  Whether it’s through our Podcast that delves into the human experience behind identity, our articles and features that cover key events we need to know, or live based events that tackle topical discussions, we have been there to support a better community and planet.Despite the high costs and time needed to maintain our work, we continue, because we know our work has helped more people understand what is happening within the communities across our planet, why it matters, and how, together, we can demand progress.  We challenge head-on, the silent divisions that have crept into our collective consciousness and how to tackle key issues that often go neglected in mainstream media.How you can help:Please share our work: By collaborating with others who share our values, our combined voices make change, with many more becoming inspired to take meaningful action.Subscribe to the platform:Many from across our community have decided to subscribe to our platform. It helps us grow which in turns attracts like-minded supporters. If you have not already, we would appreciate you subscribing to our newsletters and following our social media accounts. It is free and supports our journey.