Windows of Displacement by Akeim Toussaint Buck is a mesmerising performance that captures the emotions of migration, home and identity. The performance presents arecent history of humanity and focuses on Akeim’s journey from Jamaica to the UK. From border control and citizenship tests to the harsh reality of what colonialism has done to the world, Akeim raises these issues in a beautiful spoken word, dance performance.
Akeim Toussaint Buck is such a talented performer. His voice is very powerful but can also be soft and comforting. He exudes passion in everything he speaks about. It’s clear how deeply he feels about being an activist. He began by telling us about Jamaica, about the sun and his life there. He then spoke about the atrocities and torture of Jamaica’s past, and his own pain of becoming a refugee in the UK. The stories he tells are filled with heartbreak and pain, but Akeim’s word choice and calm, steady voice bring the main message to the forefront;change.
He moves so flawlessly around the stage, with a mix of big, wide movements and creating almost a beatbox with his feet. Nothing felt repetitive or boring, he was constantly switching it up and keeping the energy high. When paired with his singing, Akeim had everyone immersed in the music and tapping their feet. A moment I found very emotional was a dance routine to the voice-over of a young child talking about being a refugee. To know that is what Akeim went through and to see him dancing so gracefully now was very moving.
The lights came up on the audience as Akeim began to speak to us. It was a bit strange at first. He began to teach us part of a Jamaican song. I initially thought this was just to keep us engaged or to give us a task to do throughout the show, but I soon realised this was our opportunity to become part of the performance, to become part of the activism. He explained that the song was an ode to all those lost and hurt through the slave trade, and as we sang the lyrics along with Akeim, everyone felt the weight of it. This was a great way to get our brains and souls ticking.
The show is so thought-provoking. As I left the theatre, I felt my brain fill up with lots of ideas and questions about what I had watched. Throughout the whole performance, I was gripped by every word spoken. Akeim covered many topics including the Transatlantic Slave Trade to the current mining and exploitation of the Congo but there was always one clear theme: humanity.
There was a moment in the show when the lights came up on the audience. We were told to switch our phones back on and take a selfie with a stranger in the audience. I ended up chatting with my new friend, and I found her photo of the two of us on Twitter. It was fantastic! It was like we were a part of the performance and expressing our humanity to each other.
Windows of Displacement by Akeim Toussaint Buck is absolutely stunning. The way he weaves dance and spoken word so flawlessly is more than impressive. Akeim is definitely a creator I will be looking out for in future productions! He is a brilliant talent and activist that many creatives should be looking up to.
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Windows of Displacement plays at The Studio 12-13th August
Theatre Scotland 
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