FAME ASYLUM

PROGRAMME OUTLINE

00:00 – 01:12

Richard explains the reason for making this programme: to create a boy band made up of asylum seekers, and to get them to perform live in public in two weeks.

01:13 – 01:44

Richard interviews members of the public about asylum seekers.

01:45 – 02:23

Richard doesn't know any asylum seekers, so he goes to the refugee council in Brixton to tell them about the auditions, which will take place at Queen Mary College in East London.

02:24 – 04:55

The auditions take place and the adjudicators are Richard, Sammy Jay (a songwriter and producer) and TJ Arlette (a choreographer). As well as auditioning the young people, they also hear some of their stories. The band members are selected.

04:56 – 06:09

The band members are introduced:

• Long, 17, from Vietnam
• Saeed, 17, from Iran
• David, 17, from Nigeria
• Aaron, 22, from Albania.

We learn that they all came to England as unaccompanied children.

06:10 – 07:17

The songwriter/producer, Colin Emmanuel, comes on board, but he's not sure if such a project is possible.

07:18 – 09:46

Colin and Sammy have written a song for the boys, called 'A Guy Like Me'. The first rehearsals take place. Sammy Jay has worked with the Rolling Stones and other top bands. She is very strict and requires commitment, but the boys turn up late and are badly prepared.

09:47 – 12:20

David discusses his religious convictions. He came here two years ago with nothing, and is now living with a pastor's family in Birmingham. His mother had died in Nigeria and he had never met his father. He receives £5 a day for necessities.

12:21 – 14:25

We see Long in his English lesson. He came over from Vietnam in a lorry three years ago with his father, who was being persecuted. However, the traffickers separated them, and he has not seen his father since.

14:26 – 16:13

It's day four, and TJ Arlette comes on board. She herself was a refugee from the fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

16:14 – 18:22

We learn that Saeed came from Iran a few months ago. He left because he converted from Islam to Christianity. A trafficker gave him a Swiss passport. His case is up for review soon.

18:23 – 21:31

Aaron has been in England for five years and has been given permission to stay. His life in Albania was difficult because he is Catholic, and the country has fallen into lawlessness. He misses his family but wouldn't want to live there again.

21:32 – 24:29

The rehearsals continue and, with one week to go, the boys are working very hard. However, David is having difficulties because his pastor is not happy that he is spending his Sundays with the band. He is needed in church to lead the music. The Church can play a large part in an asylum seeker's life.

24:30 – 27:18

It is the day of the recording - a Sunday - and David has not appeared. Aaron was drinking heavily the night before, Long is very nervous, and Saeed is badly prepared. It seems like a disaster until David appears at 5pm. He's the one they need, and he's made a decision to remain with the band.

27:19 – 31:32

The boys must have 'a look', and a stylist is booked to change their image. Saeed is not happy because he doesn't want to change his hairstyle. There is a conflict between his look and the boy-band look.

31:33 – 35:45

There's one week to go. Bands have to bond, so they are sent to live together for the last week. There is an important discussion about 'asylum' when Aaron's friend, Rob, comes to visit. There are three days to go and the name for the band has been chosen: Status.

35:46 – 37:21

It is the day before the gig and Richard is speaking at an arts conference. The boys sing live for the first time and it goes well. This is the practice run for the festival on the South Bank the following day.

37:22 – 39:46

TJ discusses the point of Richard's project. It's an arts project, yet she feels it's exploiting vulnerable young people who genuinely believe they are part of a real band.

39:47 – 40:48

It's the night before the gig and everybody is very happy. The boys look back on what they feel they have achieved.

40:49 – 43:12

The day of their live performance on the South Bank as part of the Celebrating Sanctuary event for Refugee Week. The first time, they mime to their recording, but the sound goes wrong. Richard takes the blame as he copied the CD that morning and didn't check it. There are record company executives coming later and he wanted everything to go perfectly. He says he's not in 'artist mode' now and is genuinely concerned about the boys.

43:13 – 47:05

Their live performance does go well and, for Richard, this proves it was not just an arts project about immigration. We hear the hopes of each member of the band. Richard says it was naïve of him to think it could work. He tried to play God, and not a very benevolent one at that.

47:06 – 48:00

At the end of the programme we learn that three members of the band could still be deported. Richard hopes that Status will represent Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007.