EYFS, Key Stage 1 & Lower Key Stage 2 History, Art and Music

90 minutes, held at Black Cultural Archives

Jonkonnu (or Junkanoo) masquerade started on the plantations of the Caribbean, with possible Akan, Yoruba or Igbo origins. Traditionally performed around Christmas or New Year – the only time off for enslaved labourers – the characters are steeped in meaning and the drumming and dancing represent resistance and cultural affirmation.

In this workshop, pupils will learn about the history, music and costume of Jonkonnu, and perform a mini masquerade of their own.

Key Stage 2 History

90 minutes, held at Black Cultural Archives

Explore the aspirations, experiences, and legacies of the Caribbean communities who were part of the post-war journey to Britain.

Through immersive activities and object handling, pupils will develop greater insight into the challenges that Caribbean people faced and overcame in Britain, and the positive impact they have made on our laws and culture.

Key Stage 2 History and English

90 minutes, held at Black Cultural Archives

This workshop explores the work of the Sons of Africa – Black abolitionists living and working in Georgian London.

It begins with an exploration of the art and culture of Benin state before European contact. This art is contrasted to representations of Africans in European art, used to justify slavery.

After learning about three Sons of Africa - Olaudah Equiano, Ottobah Cugoano and Ignatius Sancho - students are invited to create their own posters arguing for the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

Key Stage 2 History, Art, Music and Drama

90 minutes, held at Black Cultural Archives

Find out about three men and one woman of African descent whose work has significantly impacted the arts, science, technology, and innovation, and how their work continues to resonate to this day, in Britain, and around the world.

This exciting workshop includes listening to music, acting, creating artwork, and handling rare archive material.

Key Stage 3, 4 & 5 History

90 minutes, held at Black Cultural Archives

Inspired by the American Black Power movement, from the 1960s-70s, Britain had its own Black Power movement. This workshop gives students the opportunity to access primary documents from our archive related to the work of four key Black Power organisations: the Universal Coloured People's Association, the Black Panther Movement, the Black Unity and Freedom Party, and the Black Liberation Front.

Examining key events, such as the trial of the Mangrove 9 and the Spaghetti House Siege, this workshop situates the British Black Power movement in the context of 1960s-70s racism, including Enoch Powell's 'Rivers of Blood' speech and the rise of the National Front.

Students will be encouraged to think about the similarities and differences between the four key Black Power organisations, and evaluate how far the legacy of the Black Power movement informs political organising today.

This workshop expands the AQA, Edexcel and OCR History curricula to spotlight the response of the British Black Power movement to 1960s-70s racism.

Key Stage 3, 4 & 5 History

90 minutes, held at Black Cultural Archives

This workshop gives students the opportunity to learn about the lives of the Windrush generation by directly engaging with Black Cultural Archives’ unique oral history collection. They will hear from figures such as Connie Mark, Ivoran Fairweather and Sam King. As they do so, students will put their skills of extraction and inference into practice.

Considering the legacies of the Windrush generation, students will also reflect on Windrush Day and the Windrush Scandal and respond by writing their own piece of persuasive writing.

Key Stage 2, 3 & 4 History

90 minutes, held at Black Cultural Archives

This workshop looks at discriminatory policing of the 1970s and 1980s which led to uprisings in Brixton and around the country in 1981 and 1985. Pupils examine a variety of sources including oral histories, national and local newspapers, and the papers of the Brixton Defence Campaign to understand how reporting styles affect our responses.

Through this workshop, students will gain an understanding of how campaigning can bring about positive changes in our laws, and they will be encouraged to think proactively and collaboratively about solutions to social issues we face today.

Key Stage 4 & 5 History and PSHE

90 minutes, held at Black Cultural Archives

This workshop recognises and celebrates the campaigns of Black women for equality and justice. Against the backdrop of the Black Power and Women’s Liberation Movements, the Organisation of Women of Asian and African Descent (OWAAD) was born in 1978, to give a voice to society’s marginalised.

Pupils will explore the different campaigns through listening to interviews and looking at material donated by the women themselves. The workshop activities encourage pupils to reflect on contemporary inequalities, confidently express their feelings, and think about how they can contribute to change.

Key Stage 1

75 minutes, held at your school

Join us for a series of fun, interactive workshops aimed at raising career aspirations in the arts for children in Key Stage 1. The sessions will help pupils develop an understanding of why Black history is important and will introduce them to Black Cultural Archives. Our 75-minute workshops will explore different roles in the arts and heritage sector; with these roles associated with characters primary age children might better relate to/understand.

All workshops have been created to complement the Key Stage 1 national curriculum in History, Art & Design and English Language. The ages of 5-7 are a crucial time in a child’s development, because they become aware of their appearance, their identity and similarities and differences to other children but it is also a time where they become more aware of imposed societal limitations. It is an important time to introduce them to inspirational and exciting ideas about their future, and to show them that anything is possible.