The idea
We aim to connect our community to a more diverse understanding of our past, by bringing to life historical research that reveals the presence of Black Britons throughout England's rural history.
Through creating a series of short films, and delivering school and community workshops on rural black history, the project will work with participants to build artistic responses in the form of three-dimensional, hypothetical biographies, using the historical data and profiles already unearthed as our source material. These artistic responses will then be presented alongside a broader exploration of Rural Black History, in a public exhibition held in the heart of the Cotswolds.
What we'll deliver
- 3 professionally produced short films, employing local creative talent
- 8 interactive workshops in Cotswold schools, exploring Rural Black History and facilitating student artistic responses
- 2 interactive public workshops, exploring Rural Black History and facilitating artistic responses from participants
- A public exhibition displaying the work created by our professional and community creatives to Rural Black History
Why it's a great idea
This project has the exciting potential to bring a myriad of people together from across the Cotswolds, collectively exploring and celebrating the region’s complex and dynamic history through creative expression. By backing the RBHP you will help create paid opportunities for local artists, educate our young community and foster their creative talents, and bolster the area's reputation for artistic excellence.
But crucially, your support would aid fundamental work legitimising the Black British legacies in our area. Thankfully since the conception of the project in 2019, we have seen a surge of interest in Black British Histories, but the work is far from over, particularly outside urban centres of the country. Your support will put the Cotswolds at the forefront of this vital historical work, championing a richer, more inclusive understanding of our past and giving our whole community creative access to a compelling, empowering and urgent perspective on our shared rural heritage.
Steps to get it done
- Commission and recruit our creatives
- Complete and collate all our historical research
- Liaise with local schools and book in workshop sessions
- Our writers complete writing their short films
- Pre-production of our 3 short films (sourcing equipment, costumes, set etc)
- Filming and Editing our 3 short films
- Printing marketing and educational packs for our workshops
- Delivering our 8 school workshops
- Deliver our first community workshop
- Collect and Collate all artistic responses from workshops
- Curate all artistic responses for exhibition
- Gather equipment and resources needed for exhibition (screens, speakers, educational packs and information displays)
- Market exhibition across local news outlets and community groups
- Set up and open exhibition
- Deliver final community workshop within exhibition space
