STUDIO BOKEHGO is an artisan film and photography storytelling studio focused on shining a spotlight on the inspirational, spectacular and talented people, places and moments around the world

Developed in 2019, Creative Wakefield brings together Wakefield’s cultural and creative sector, providing a forum for connectivity as well as improved networking and collaboration across the district.

2025 is the 10 year anniversary of Studio Bokehgo. Filmmaking has been a way of life that has led me to incredible places, meeting such inspiring and wonderful people. I really believe that ethical and beautiful storytelling can make our world a better place, and after starting this celebration year with much introspection, now is the time to start releasing the next stage of Bokehgo. To all who have supported me on this journey so far I am so grateful, let's take this to the next level.

Where the Shadows Meet the Light - Teaser Trailer This film is an act of creative liberation - self-funded, yet supported by an incredible artistic community, it is a piece of integrity, authenticity, originally and beauty, which in the showcases it has featured within so far it has caused incredible ripples of creative catalysing. It is a pioneering short film, exploring new territory in authentic independent cinema, and has shaped itself from the collaboration of directors John Slemensek-Thorne (Studio Bokehgo) and James Beale (Proper Job Theatre Company). Synopsis of the film: 3 people find themselves lost in a strange world, bound together. They don't know how or why they are there, but they must keep walking. Who is the leader and who is the follower? 'Where the Shadows Meet the Light' is a cinematic exploration of philosophy and existence inspired by Plato's Allegory of the Cave. It explores the concept of liberating the self in order to truly experience the world.

To create an entirely self-initiated feature film is to walk into the unknown. But as Tolkien once wrote - “Not all who wander are lost”. This has been a voyage of exploring the very essence of what film is to me in order to create something that is authentic and resonates with my filmmaker’s soul.

Today I am launching the biggest artistic challenge of my filmmaking journey so far - I’m making my debut feature! And I have 500 days to do it. This is an independent debut feature film from John Slemensek-Thorne - self taught filmmaker and director of Studio Bokehgo. The project has no funding, no industry backing, but a lot of dreams, passion and determination. Let's do this. You are welcome to join the journey.

Penguin Be proud. Be who you are. Be more Penguin. A Curious Monkey production by Hamzeh Al Hussien Supported by D6: CULTURE IN TRANSIT Developed by Hamzeh Al Hussien and Amy Golding | Directed by Amy Golding Here's what you need to know... I am Hamzeh. My favourite shisha flavour is double apple. I love dancing. Here's what's going to happen... There will be loud music. A wedding. My first time on a plane. A lot of moonlight. This is the story of my life (so far). People have a lot of questions. The answer is, "Yes. I can do anything." Full of humour and beauty, Hamzeh Al-Hussien’s extraordinary story takes you on a personal tour of the places he knows best: his village in the Syrian mountains, the Za’atari camp in Jordan, Gateshead and inside his mind, a place full of music, dancing, fantasies and marbles. Hamzeh invites the audience to be his childhood friends, to hold up the moon to light his way into his dreams, brushing the dust from his clothes...and taking the stage. Check out the trailer for Penguin below. Tour Dates Live Theatre, Newcastle, 20th - 23rd September 2023. Omnibus Theatre, Clapham 30 September - 1 October HOME, Manchester, 10-12 October Leeds Playhouse, 20-21 October The Playhouse, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 9-10 November Arts Centre, Washington 30 November Credits Performed and co-created by HAMZEH AL HUSSIEN Directed by AMY GOLDING Assistant Director OLIVIA FURBER Movement Director NADIA IFTKHAR Dramaturg LINDSAY RODDEN Set and costume design JIDA AKIL Costume Supervisor LOU DUFFY Sound design HAMZA ARNAOUT Lighting and AV design SIMON COLE Trailer JOHN SLEMENSEK-THORNE / STUDIO BOKEHGO

Embark on an adventure into the world of natural dyeing and colour dye gardens in Growing Colour Together. Connect with nature and community in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, and discover how natural dyes can impact our world and help us live more sustainably. A project by WOVEN in Kirklees, supported by The Space. Get involved: https://www.woveninkirklees.co.uk About WOVEN WOVEN in Kirklees is a biennial arts and crafts festival that takes place across Kirklees in West Yorkshire. The festival is a celebration of innovation in textiles funded by Kirklees Council. WOVEN’s theme is generations of innovators, connecting a strong heritage with current innovative developments in industry, university research, a vibrant arts and crafts scene and the creative expression of the district’s rich and diverse communities.

Elsa has an octopus inside her head, she tells us, at the start of this sweet, affecting play about one woman’s experience of autism, from schoolyard bullying and ostracism to uncaring therapists, romantic rejections and contending with an often uncomprehending adult world. Inspired by writer Allison Davies’s own diagnosis of autism and directed by Karen Traynor, the story explores that experience from the inside. We learn that Elsa has comfort words as a child (“onions”), a great mind for detail, but that she also struggles with acutely difficult moments (when she feels the octopus stirring dangerously) and embarrassments at school (“I love your earlobes” she tells a girl, on whom she has a crush, who shows only contempt back, sneering “What even are you?”). Produced by Alphabetti Theatre as an immersive, interactive show and also as an online drama, there is a spare, no-frills quality to it; the story is enacted with a cast of just three playing an array of characters. It takes a while to really take off, and seems both puzzling and awkward at first, but Davies’s funny and heartfelt writing sweeps us into Elsa’s mind and shows us the alienation felt by someone with undiagnosed autism – therapists think it could be anything from ADHD to bipolarity or psychopathy. But importantly, its wondrousness, too, with quietly distilled moments when the octopus brings inner enrichment. Elsa has a guileless voice and Hannah Genesius plays her in quirky and winning ways while Yemisi Oyinloye and Zoe Lambert do a fine job of juggling the other parts. The set, designed by Verity Quinn, is minimal with a flat outline of a house in its backdrop that lights up or fizzes according to Elsa’s mood. As a production it loses its immersive and interactive elements online but retains its emotional heart nonetheless. It is not only a story of neuro-divergence and self-acceptance but also one of love. Elsa’s single mother (Lambert) emerges as a quietly heroic figure, full of love and loyalty, while Elsa’s romance with Carmen (Oyinloye) becomes more and more moving. “Give me your worst days, your most difficult days,” declares Carmen, to bring the story to its lovely happy ending. Description from an article from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/feb/13/tiny-fragments-of-beautiful-light-review-allison-davies-neurodiverse-story