More Blacks More Dogs More Irish T-Shirt

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Rhian: [Papi and I] met at university. We put on a show called Poetry Slap, which was spoken word and physical theatre, and was very much about female identity and male identity, race, and sexuality. People seemed to really connect with that because they hadn't seen that story being told yet - not just "man-meets-woman-and-falls-in-love". So, that was a new thing for a lot of the young, queer artists that we knew at the time. Ourground-breaking recycled t-shirts are made from 100% recycled materials and are, to our knowledge, the first commercially produced t-shirts made from recycled cotton. The fabrics are produced in India from 60% recycled organic cotton and 40% recycled polyester. The cotton waste from normal production is saved ("salvaged") and shredded until broken into individual fibres. These are then blended with locally recycled polyester and spun into yarn. The knitting, dying and manufacturing are carried out in established facilities in Tamil Nadu, renowned for high ethical labour standards and low environmental impact. These products are certified under the Global Recycle Standard (GRS) and the Organic Content Standard (OCS), and carry the appropriate certification marks, licensed by the Control Union

But since these new pictures have emerged, T-shirts have been sold in Ireland, the UK, South Africa, Tokyo, New Zealand and Australia. Papi: We've been doing that since we met. When doing spoken word poetry, Rhian spoke about sexuality and being a woman, and I about race, so we intertwined them with each other. I don't like it when people compare oppressions - it doesn't work like that. Irish were often young single men who rounded off a day’s hard graft with a session at the pub. Their reputation was one of hard-working, hard-drinking, hard-fighting men. Many people went to bed early in those days,probably not long after 9pm, they did not want a man coming home pissed and banging on the door at 11pm. It’s really rather understandable.

The narrative follows Ailish and Marcus, both incarcerated and reflecting on what brought them to their current situation. As you encounter their reality, there's a poetic quality to the script that adds an element of ethereal escapism. Moments of the play take your breath away. I hadn't seen them in a year. [To Rhian] I was going to text you to see what's up! To see if we could do some more stuff. Rhian: We are setting the precedent that theatre is for everyone. That is already out there, but we want to bring those who aren't sure into the theatre and have fun, giggle a bit, and relate to something. To have something to talk about at Christmas when the family are being a bit "non-PC". It will change some people's perceptions. The play takes two totally different experiences of the world and investigates how the characters see and experience it without pitting them against each other. It's an exciting seed to plant for the ethos of the company.

Set in the not-too-distant future, where toxic masculinity is rewarded and femininity is seen as weak, worlds collide when two people are confined to neighbouring prison cells. Only when they are given no other option, do they find that their lives are more similar than they could have ever imagined. All our garments are ethically produced: read our full ethical policy here. Size Guide (N.b. all sizes are approximate) Size We chose the slogan for this project as communities were inspired by its empowering and unifying message, with one participant saying, “It says it all”. We want to thank Richy and Taurayne for coining the now iconic slogan and supporting our project. In an interview with London-Irish publication the Irish Post, O’Gorman said that he’d initially made a t-shirt with that message a few years ago, but only this year did he decide to really go with the idea. When I came here I thought all of this [experience] would make a good show. Papi was really interested in that. SoreSlap came from this ethos; that we can share that space with other people.Papi: Marshal [choreographer Marshal Siziba] came in to choreograph the more "dance-y" parts of the show. He was a great help and he came in with his own ideas. Together, we worked to make it more physical. Some people don’t understand where the message originally came from, so it’s about educating people.’ Papi, how was it when Rhian came to you and said that they'd had a dream about you being in prison? How have you both found practicing your art in Newcastle? Especially Papi, as a Global Majority artist? Have you found you have both had to make space for yourself through SoreSlap? Richard first printed the T-shirts six years ago and was pictured wearing it with DJ Swiss from So Solid Crew.