Theatre group highlight Black History
Wolverhampton's Gazebo Theatre Company is celebrating Black History Month with interactive workshops.
The group is going into schools with performance based workshops exploring migration, racism and prejudice.
The programme entitled 'Sorry! No Coloureds, No Irish, No Dogs' shares the experiences of Connie and William, who travelled to the UK from Jamaica during the Windrush era in the 1940s.
Workshops include live performances from professional actors Dennis Ffrench and Jannette Barrett where pupils can explore important themes around migration, and the prejudice experienced by people in the UK.
Dennis said: "My Mother Elfreda Ffrench came to England from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation she is my inspiration and the reason I have been able to achieve my goals today.
"It’s an honour and a privilege to show and teach the younger generation about the vast experiences of the Windrush generation and the positive impact they made to Britain’s illustrious history."
So far the workshops are proving a hit with the pupils involved, one young person said: " It was a nice experience and it was good to get an actual insight and deeper meaning into racism.
"The show and workshop was excellent and I would love to watch it again, I think every child should watch this show."
Earlier in the year, on Windrush Day, Gazebo Studios released a series of short videos entitled ‘Windrush Shorts’ through social media, sharing experiences for a wider audience.
Funding for the project has been awarded through the governments £500,000 Windrush Day Grant Scheme, to support communities to educate, commemorate and celebrate the contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants.
Gazebo’s Artistic Director and CEO, Pamela Cole-Hudson said: "We are thrilled to have been able to deliver these really important workshops to schools for free, particularly given the 'Theatre In Education For All' campaign we are currently running in celebration of Gazebo’s 40th birthday.
"It feels particularly timely to be touring right now given the experiences people that moved to the UK during the Windrush era have faced in recent years, and the rise in hate crime towards people, including those seeking refuge, that has been widely reported.
"We hope that by sharing people’s experiences and addressing some areas of misinformation, we can help promote community cohesion and shared respect."
The project is touring through October, before Gazebo get ready for their Christmas pantomime workshops, set to tour in November and December.
