The
Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Act was
a major national commemorative campaign, strongly endorsed
by DCMS and a feature of the 2007 arts calendar throughout the UK. As
part of this
Remembering Slavery 2007 remit, Brighton and Hove City Council’s
Arts and Creative Industries Unit commissioned a programme of themed
activities under the umbrella title of Redemption
Song. The project featured
an eclectic series of high-quality and accessible events,
which combined educational and culturally appropriate material with mainstream
arts
activities and family events. The programme also included a mix of young
talent, emergent and established artists as well as international
professionals.
The
year-long Redemption
Song campaign commenced in March 2007, funded by Arts
Council England and Brighton and Hove City
Council. The programme was designed and delivered by Jenni
Lewin-Turner of Urbanflo Productions, tailored specifically
to promote wider engagement in the arts by offering unique
opportunities for under-represented groups to participate.
Partners for the project included a diverse range of artists,
cultural organisations, practitioners and commercial agencies.
The development
of the project had 4 key stages:
( 1 ) Research and Planning
( 2 ) Engagement
( 3 ) Delivery
( 4 ) Evaluation
Elements of the
campaign were adapted from the popular aspects of the Black History
Month activities that took place in 2004, 2005 and 2006. The strong support for
these initiatives and the resultant feedback clearly signified a genuine
desire for this type of programming, and the need for a much more participative
and inclusive project. The Redemption Song programme
was therefore devised to deliver a cohesive, accessible and professional
arts package, offering
a wide range of events, plus support and an umbrella campaign for affiliated
events.
Aims
and Objectives
Redemption Song was initiated as an arts development strategy to promote access
and maximise audience and participation potential. Diversity is widely acknowledged
as a national priority in the arts and the participatory elements of the programme
transformed the scale of BHCC’s ability to influence this aspect of arts
delivery, in a high quality, welcoming and inclusive initiative. The project
had its own specific aims, but also addressed a multitude of objectives and
priorities of the funding bodies as follows...
 To
recognise, celebrate and raise the profile of different cultural
influences within Brighton and Hove. |
| To
engage marginalised communities in a dynamic and meaningful way
to promote community exchange that transcends cultural and generational
boundaries. |
| To
fulfil a significant role in the cultural life of the region in
partnership with the wider arts community. |
| To
broker partnership relationships between mainstream cultural services
and community networks and organisations to support audience development
and capacity building. |
| To
provide a showcase
for good practice. |
Download a
complete PDF report on the whole of the
Redemption Song programme
of events.
Cultures Club Photos by Chris East, Charlotte Macpherson and Douglas Maynard.
Back to Top | Home | Contact | Events | Info | History | Links
Webdesign by Summerland Studios | hq@summerlandstudios.co.uk
