Interview with Nana Yaw Asiamah (b.1966).

Nan Yaw Asiamah was born in Ghana, and brought up largely by his grandmother. He travelled a lot as a child, his father was a pilot. His family visited the UK every year; when their friends moved to Milton Keynes in 1985, he decided he’d like to live there and moved in 1987/88, initially renting, then buying a house in Fishermead.

Yaw wanted to contribute to a new community, using his art and design skills. He describes other jobs he took initially and talks of his art exhibitions and fashion shows, and indirect help he had from MK Development Corporation and other bodies.

He comments on the changes to MK – increased housing, many more people. Unfortunately this has increased the negative aspects of violence and discrimination. Friendship comes easily to him, he does not expect racial discrimination, it depends on your attitude. He mentions his father’s attitude to Rosie, his Jamaican wife. He discusses the problems of ghettoisation in MK; Yaw would like to see people of all ethnicity mix, then ‘the fear will disappear’.

Overall he says of MK: ‘It’s a wonderful, challenging, provocative, interesting space whichi has great potential – I love it!’