OSMW, Our Stories Make Waves, came
together in August 2005 as a group of artists to design, deliver and
evaluate a series of creative community workshops for African diasporal
communities along with a debate, and put on two public performances
of their own work on board the ss Great
Britain.
The OSMW members are professional Bristol based artists
working in different media: Ros Martin, Ruth Pitter, Edson Burton, Valda
Jackson and Jenny Davis.
Their aim? "To raise our voices" and have them heard
as part of the Brunel 200 celebrations!
Undertaking face to face contact
to engage black participants, through the workshops and the debate, meant
that OSMW worked with a wide range of ages and backgrounds:
• two youth groups of 15 members
• 30 elders from Golden Agers in Easton
• a class of English as a second language learners (12 people
at St Paul’s Learning Centre)
• the four workshops had 39 participants
• 70 people at the two Speakeasy Forums, visited by OSMW to
discuss their work
• 30 people at the debate
• 115 audience members at the two performances
The community-based workshops
were designed to attract African migrant women, in order to discuss issues such
as migration, social classes, journeys and associated emotions, memories
and opinions. The ss Great Britain was the focus for these groups
and workshops, all of which concentrated on the period of 1852-1882
when the ship was used as an emigrant clipper. The resulting performances
were the first ever live performances to take place in the dry dock.
Ros
Martin, a Bristol-based playwright, film maker, poet and founder
member of Bristol Black Women’s Writing Group
said:
“For many of the participants taking
part in our series of workshops, it has been their first ever time
onboard ship. I don’t think I would
have ever had the opportunity to go on board the ship myself, if it were
not for this project. I really wanted the project to succeed, so whatever
I felt it needed I endeavoured to provide. And because we are a black
project working within our own community, we deserve nothing but
the best!”
Communicating the theme of Brunel to a sector of
Bristol’s population
that might not see any worthwhile link or relevance to their lives – or
that might even be actively hostile – was a challenge.
Frances Bell, Projects
Manager at ss Great Britain, commented:
“Our experience has been very positive; we have had a good working
relationship with OSMW and have enjoyed working with them. The partnership
has enabled the ss Great Britain Trust,
via OSMW, to begin the process to change the misperception amongst
Bristol’s black community
that the ship was a slave ship and to establish stronger links with
the black community.”
One of the OSWM artists said:
“Suspicion remains – some people didn’t
engage or attend performances because of preconceived ideas about Brunel.
We were not able to make real inroads on those perceptions. Yet those
who attended the workshops and the performances were fully focused,
engaged, keen to learn and find out more about Brunel, and they found
their experiences educational, positive and productive.”
The debate ‘Looking for Brunel’, at
Kuumba Arts and Community Resource, attracted 30 people and provided
a safe space for people to air their views through discussion. For
those who attended it was an opportunity to appreciate the different
views that were held. Feeling about the city ranged from indifference
to recognising the potential the city provided that can often be
overlooked. It was felt that engaging in projects such as OSMW has
done, could enable them to have their voices heard.
For OSMW, this was the first
time that this group of artists had worked collaboratively on a project.
The experience provided learning and growth, as well as ideas, for them
all:
“I’ve
valued working with other artists who have excellent professional standards.”
“It’s hard work (being part of the OSMW team) but we can
do it and succeed. It also makes you feel part of a team of very special
people.”
“Make Waves performances along with the debate and creative workshops
has been an enormously worthwhile and creative development experience
for us as artists”.
Visitor feedback from performances included
“Brilliant. My son and I greatly enjoyed these performances – so
good for our young people – well done.”
“Really enjoyed this event, I’ve lived in Bristol 40 years
and never seen the ss boat close up, was a real pleasure, thought provoking,
enchanting.”
“I thought Making Waves was excellent – such a wide range
of interpretations of a theme – well done to everyone! And what
a fantastic setting – with the seagulls flying overhead – you
could almost believe you were a steerage passenger.”
Events calendar for the Our Stories Make Waves
project
