A new kind of action how Babes With Blades are fighting for screen space for women of colour

"Ayesha Hussain says her mum was relieved when she became a professional stuntwoman because there were a lot more safety precautions on film sets than at the nightclubs where she had been fire-breathing and throwing knives since her early 20s. Now a twice Sag-award nominated stunt performer, with credits on Doctor Who, Gladiator II and Deadpool and Wolverine, 35-year-old Hussain has her heart set on becoming the female Keanu Reeves slash Jason Statham."

"As part of Hussain's aim to tackle the lack of representation of south Asian women in the action arena, she joined with Malaysian-British director Jade Ang Jackman to co-found the film collective Babes With Blades. In January, they took over the Rio cinema in London's Dalston during the London short film festival to showcase a series of action shorts; these included FKA Twigs' swordsmanship in Sad Day, and Nida Manzoor's teen action-comedy 7.2."

"In most male-dominated fields, in order to be visible you are taught there can only be one. It's a very competitive thing and it creates competitive edges that make women kind of drown each other out or to use each other as rungs on the ladder, says Hussain. That's the complete opposite for what Babes With Blades is all about. We just constantly uplift each other."

Ayesha Hussain transitioned from nightclub fire-breathing and knife-throwing to professional stunt work where film-set safety measures eased family concerns. She is twice SAG-award nominated with credits including Doctor Who, Gladiator II, Deadpool and Wolverine, and aspires to be a leading female action star. Hussain co-founded Babes With Blades with Malaysian-British director Jade Ang Jackman to address the underrepresentation of South Asian women in action. The collective curated action shorts at the Rio cinema during the London short film festival and showcased performers such as FKA Twigs and Nida Manzoor. The collective emphasizes mutual uplift and produced the short documentary The Croydon Cowgirl.

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