Rich Rowley Being Brave and Bold
or how a “ragtag bunch of misfits” found each other, became whānau and started something beautiful.
So that’s a picture of me in 2021.
and that’s a picture of me, off my tits having a lot of fun at Shelleys Lazerdome in Stoke circa 1990 (Goooo Oooon Sasha!!!!) you know what I mean if you were there, for those of you that weren't here’s a little insight into what you missed out on.
A 2015 Interview with Amnesia House / Entropy resident DJ, Daz Willott, paints an emotionally charged picture of an explosion of the club scene that transformed the then 23 year old man’s life and took the whole of the UK by storm. Celebrating 25 years of Shelleys as an iconic part of UK club culture, Funk-Soul Media portrays the Shelleys 25th Reunion Party visuals in a heart pacing, raw documentary style. Ruairi Cahill — Director / Editor / Producer Dj Daz Willot — Interviewee facebook.com/djdaz.willott Nick Sheldon — 20min Shelleys ‘Signature Mix’ nicksheldon.co.uk/ Shelleys Archive Footage: Academy 23 Video facebook.com/funksoulmedia Please if you could give Ruairi some support on facebook like his Funk-Soul Media page? Every bit of counts :) https://www.facebook.com/funksoulmedia
Anyhow its fair to say that I have come along way in the last 30 years, geographically, personally and professionally, but I was and still am a bit of a “Naughty Boy” from Stoke who got up to all sorts and had a lot of fun doing it. If you want to know a little more about me, here’s an interview I did for the ADHD NZ Foundation
Some stuff around the article title:
a “ragtag bunch of misfits” and whānau
I love the concept of a “ragtag bunch of misfits”. It’s a trope. It makes me think of an unusual mix of people, finding each other and finding a shared purpose. Doing something a bit daring and risky, something a little unconventional, something which may change the world.
Doing something which you genuinely believe will change the world is scary, especially if you are someone like me who has never done anything vaguely entrepreneurial ever (unless selling weed back in the day counts). I am also 50 years old and I know a lot of people my age are at a stage in their lives where they are beginning to think of making their life as secure and comfortable as possible for their retirement.
As a white male I am in a privileged position. I have a wonderful partner who is very successful and supports me in every aspect of what I am doing, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually (I am a “newly minted Jew”) and financially. Without her I really wouldn’t be doing this. As the early members of the “ragtag bunch of misfits” know, this idea has been floating around for a while now but I never had the courage to commit. So Amanda, thank you. I love you.
The fear is also mitigated by the “ragtag bunch of misfits” who are not my colleagues, or even mere friends, they are my Whānau. I have lived in New Zealand for 16 years and am now a New Zealand citizen. Amongst the many wonderful things about this country is Biculturalism:
“Until the 1980s New Zealand was unofficially monocultural, with government policies favouring Pākehā culture. Since then, the Māori renaissance has led to a renewed emphasis on biculturalism, based on the partnership established between Māori and the Crown by the Treaty of Waitangi.
For the first 8 years I lived here pretty much the only things I really knew about New Zealands’ indigenous population was;
they did the Haka
there are some amazing cultural visitor experiences down in Rotovagas
And since Captain James Cook sighted New Zealand on 6 October 1769, and landed at Poverty Bay two days later their entire culture was fucked over by white colonial mindsets and attitudes:
“Loss of Māori land — through confiscation following the 1860s wars, Crown purchase and the Native Land Court — led to the displacement of large numbers of Māori. Deprived of their land, tribes were in many instances reduced to poverty, with no option but to live in overcrowded and unhygienic conditions.”
and they are still getting fucked over 200 years later. Oops, I diverged a little, that’s my ADHD.
Six years ago my ongoing journey into Maori culture and values began when I went to work at The Mind Lab. I will dedicate an entire article to that wonderful place.
I don’t know if you have ever experienced being in a situation where there isn’t an english word or concept which encompasses what you want to convey. This is the case when I think of the people who are working with me on this project. I work with them, so they are colleagues, but they are also friends. But friends really doesn’t cover who they are and what they mean. They really are my chosen family. I love them and care for them as much as I love and care for my partner and our children. They trust and believe in me and I trust and believe in them. What we are working on is so big, I personally went past the point of “peak fear” months ago. The only thing which gives me the confidence to do this is their faith in me and my faith in them. So colleague, friend, family doesn’t really convey the depth and scope of who they are and what they mean.
But here comes kaupapa māori. Despite the best efforts of western, colonial civilisation, New Zealand Maori have held on to their values and wisdom, and despite all the wrongs that have been done to them, they are willing to share their values and wisdom back to us. Whilst I cannot find a word or concept in english which begins to convey the depth, richness and complexity of my relationship with our team, it was already here: whānau.
So back to the start, the “ragtag bunch of misfits”, my whānau, our team, my colleagues, my friends, my family:
Damon Kahi
Vivek Kumar
Kate Bruce
Dr. Amanda Hall
Charlotte Vandermeer
Shaun Gear
Gresham Bradley
Michelle Ballard
Gavin Wake
Thank you, I love you. We got this!
Oh you are probably a little intrigued as to what the project is?
Hopefully.
Well thats a very long story, so long in fact that Kate is writing the book. This is a story with many beginnings, mine, Damon’s Vivek’s, Kate’s, Amanda’s, Charlotte’s, Shaun’s, Gresham’s, Michelle’s and Gavin’s.
Our stories all merge and the project starts here:
A charitable trust established, and to be maintained, to educate, promote, facilitate and undertake the organisation of corporate, organisational, educational, cultural and community events, workshops and activities, globally, for the Neurodiverse Community.
