Black History Matters
The arts give children the platform to act out difficult and painful situations that they may have never experienced before, but prepares them for when they might encounter something similar. It also develops good communication skills, confidence and self-reliance. But most of all it develops empathy.
Our summer theatre projects (sing a Book CIC) helps to develop all of these skills through drama, dance and song, while teaching children about historical characters of African descent that have made significant contributions to British and world history.
We pride ourselves on engaging children and older members from African, Caribbean and Asian communities, who are underrepresented in musical theatre, to get involved in our Dido Belle theatre projects as cast and audience members. While giving young creatives an opportunity to develop their craft and skills.
Useful resources
At the Foundation we have chosen some useful resources for learning about and engaging with Black History Month in your schools and some that you can use throughout the year to continue your learning.
Black history month advent calendar
A children’s book shop specialising in diversity and inclusion
Classic books by writers of colour
Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 1950s – Now
Country Houses and the British Empire: How Imperialism Transformed Britain’s Colonial Countryside
Other resources
Useful resources for learning and challenging assumptions and prejudice.
The Human Library® creates a safe space for dialogue where topics are discussed openly between our human books and their readers. If you are looking for an opportunity to learn more about an issue from someone who is living with it, this resource gives you the chance to explore that.
Are your assumptions right? Do you really know the global facts? Gapminder is an independent educational non-profit fighting global misconceptions. Take this mini quiz with your class to see if they are making the right assumptions about the state of the world.
Evadne Bygrave – Ambassador for the Steve Sinnott Foundation • October 25, 2021
This week while out and about in Hertfordshire and we visited the British Schools Museum. We discovered the first school opened by Joseph Lancaster, was known as the ‘Poor Childs Friend”, was in 1810. It was his lifelong mission that all children regardless of their circumstances, should benefit from an education. Apparently, Joseph heard a small girl say, “Oh that I could read!” and this inspired him to create a simple education system that eventually would benefit children across the world. Joseph was the tenth son of a poor man himself from South London. His aim was to offer free education for everyone. However, it would be 93 years before the U.K. government finally made education free for all. There are still many countries today where education is still not free to access and it is certainly not compulsory for primary and secondary age pupils. Joseph’s mission really resonates with that of the Foundation, to support access to education for all. We enjoyed our visit and appreciated the tour given by two of the Museum’s volunteers, Angela and Clare. They described some of the challenges faced in the early years of formal education and shared some of the rules that teachers and students had to abide by with us.
Sparks Bristol is a collaborative community project initially envisioned by The Global Goals Centre, (GGC) more of which below. A few years ago, GGC took over an empty Marks and Spencer store and that’s how Sparks was born. Sparks is a department store with a difference, co-created by Global Goals Centre and Artspace Lifespace. On the ground floor is a huge range of shops, installations, events and more. Upstairs is a hub for local artists, it offers affordable studios as well as rehearsal and performance space. The Global Goals Centre is a Bristol-based educational charity inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals. (SDGs). GGC believe the SDG’s or Global Goals as they are sometimes known, can be reached, with imaginative solutions and widespread education and engagement. They work with partners to promote creative solutions and deliver ground breaking projects that work towards these ambitious goals. The Steve Sinnott Foundation supported the Global Goals Centre with seed funding when it first started over 5 years ago. This month we went to visit them to see how they are getting on and we were taken aback by the volume of work they have achieved since they started. It is amazing to see how though working together with other local community groups it has grown into the vibrant centre it is today. All of the creative projects they host are linked to the SDGs. They cover topics that tackle poverty, education, climate change, fashion recycling and upcycling, to name a few.
Spring is definitely here, daffodils, blossom and crocuses are all basking in the bright sunshine. There is still a chill in the air in the shade but it's happening and all the seeds that were sown over the last few months are coming to fruition. At the Foundation, we have been planning the year ahead and our Positive Periods and Prevention of Gender Based Violence programmes got underway this weekend in Haiti and Ghana. These projects will have a long-lasting effect on the lives of the women and girls who take part: tackling the root causes of gender-based violence and enabling girls to attend school every day when they have their period, to feel safe at school and know how to take action when they are faced with violence. These are the first of many projects planned for the year ahead as we continue to work towards Education for All children everywhere.
