Category Archives: community

Migration Stories refocuses North West history

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An Invitation to Get Involved!

Would you like to research the story of someone who migrated any time from ancient history to WWII in North West England? The Migration Stories project will provide training, good support and expenses, it’ll get started in early May 2022 and grow gently over a few months.

Image header for the Greater Manchester section of Migration Stories North West

The project’s called Migration Stories North West https://migrationstoriesnw.uk , it’s headed by Global Link https://globallink.org.uk/ based in Lancaster, and is a partnership with four other organisations across the North West out of which Crossing Footprints is the one covering the wider Manchester region.

This is a 3 year project unearthing histories of migration in the North West from ancient times to the present day, which will re-frame migration as something that has been fundamental to the UK for a very long time. In this first year Crossing Footprints will be recruiting 8-15 voluntary community researchers to each explore local archives to find individual stories, at least one per volunteer, possibly more if time allows and there’s enough material. Manchester-based author Mickela Sonola will initially be working alongside our director Kooj Chuhan to run this project, and we are honoured to have local historian Washington Alcott as a community research associate for Migration Stories North West.

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Making Climate Connections

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Can words, pictures and social media empower people to protect our environment?
A project exploring some ways in which local libraries, communities and artists in Oldham and Bremen are making climate connections using educative methods and creative media.

Making Climate Connections

An online event Weds 19th May, 6.30pm (UK) / 7.30pm (Germany)

Register your place
  • Announcing the winning entries from the Climate Connections competition
  • Presenting the work produced by diverse groups in Oldham (UK) and Bremen (Germany) in the first phase of the Climate Connections project

How do local people relate to and voice their feelings about climate change? Can this expression combine with social media to have some impact on climate change? This event brings together artists, activists, libraries and community members to explore these questions. If you are interested in communities and climate change, also the arts and social media, then this informal sharing event is for you.

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Footprint Modulation’s Launch through a Lens

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The Launch through a lens: Footprint Modulation’s Launch by local photographer Simone Rudolphi

Footprint Modulation had its preview and launch night on Thursday 4th June at Durham Art Gallery (DLI). The evening was not what you might typically expect from a launch for an art exhibition, starting with the relaxed and accessible manner Kooj Chuhan, the artistic-director and one of the artists exhibiting, spoke about the journey behind the exhibition and his artwork at the DLI. Kooj Chuhan’s work, titled Chamada From Chico Mendes, is an interactive piece in which visitors can play different resources like a musical instrument, ranging from bottled water to a mobile phone, to create different effects on the collage of documentary footage displayed in a mask image. Other speakers at the preview showed the range of partners involved in the exhibition, from grassroots climate change organisation Transition Durham to climate change researcher Dr Andrew Baldwin. The evening finished with moving poetry from Platform’s Sai Murray, and a beautiful impromptu song from Tracey Zengeni whose artwork will be on display at the Durham Miners’ Hall, rounding off a unique and affecting evening.

Future Leaders – a new film by Kooj Chuhan / Metaceptive Media

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A lively documentary profile of the inspiring national apprenticeship and training programme in carnival arts has just been released: Future Leaders – a new film by Kooj Chuhan / Metaceptive Media.  Anyone interested in arts, young people, communities, carnival, music, dance, visual arts, multi-cultural development and so on should find this interesting.

Full information about this fantastic arts programme which is run by Global Grooves is at www.futureleaders.org.uk .  Video created by Kooj Chuhan / Metaceptive Media.  [This video is also published on the Global Grooves YouTube channel where a lot more people have seen it – at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B7uaoWYpcc ]

Includes an interview with Steve White – who was the drummer with the Style Council (Paul Weller) and other worthwhile bands. Continue reading →

“Nana Bonsu” Oral History – new website by Kooj / Metaceptive Media now live

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NanaBonsuWebsiteHomePageKooj at Metaceptive Media was commissioned by First Cut to design and build the website for the HLF-funded ‘Nana Bonsu Oral History Project‘, which he has been working on for over 6 months beginning with a short training course he delivered in autumn 2013.  Finally, the website has now gone live and will be officially launched at a vibrant event at Manchester’s Z-Arts on Saturday 21st June 2014.

Nana Bonsu, also known as Beresford ‘Berry’ Edwards, was of huge importance to Britain’s African community, especially in Manchester which became his home. This oral history project highlights his role in initiatives such as the Campaign Against Racial Discrimination, trade unions, social justice and equal opportunities. Nana’s work, committment and contribution is now nationally recognised by his inclusion in the list of 100 Great Black Britons.

Full details about the project and the event this Saturday are available from the website itself (of course!), at www.nanabonsu.com – please leave some comments on the site if you visit it, or send Kooj a message if you like.