A NEW exhibition in Warrington Museum has been created by 600 students across the town and led to important conversations about Black history.
Artist Tina Ramos Ekongo spent months working with schools in Warrington to deliver workshops where students learned about the contribution of Black historic figures to modern Britain.
The pupils then responded to what they had learned and how it related top their values and sense of identity by creating piece of art.
These pieces, which were created by around 600 students across the town, will now create a thought-provoking display in Warrington Museum.
“Children’s perception on race is so different to adults – they don’t see colours or nationalities – and my experience in the schools have showed me that children and willing to learn from and embrace difference cultures,” said Tina, who is from Equatorial Guinea and lives in Latchford.
“They are happy to ask about things they don’t know so they can learn and appreciate the multicultural world around them with a different perspective.”
The exhibition, called Roots and Reflections: A Journey Through Black British History, has been funded by Arts Council England and is believed to be the largest project of its kind in Warrington related to teaching Black history in schools.
“It’s an extraordinary feeling to be awarded the funding for a project of this magnitude,” said Tina.
“This project has been in my mind for a long time and being able to develop it is a fantastic achievement.
“I am very grateful to Arts Council England for believing in this project and the powerful meaning behind it.”
The workshops celebrated important Black British historic figures including writer and composer Ignatius Sancho and Letitia Wright.
Students engaged in challenging conversations about racism, discrimination and injustice.
“They had a lot of questions, and I was fascinated with their willingness to learn and be education,” said Tina.
“It’s important to have these conversations with young people so these terrible things don’t happen again, and history does not repeat itself.
“I also talked about my work as a freelance artist and my African heritage in the schools, and some students already knew about African food such as fufu. Their appreciation and interest in my culture was a really nice surprise and brought a smile to my face.”
The schools involved in the project included Bewsey Lodge Primary, Dallam Community Primary, Our Lady’s Catholic Primary, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary, St Andrew’s CE Primary, St Ann’s CE Primary, St Margaret’s CE Primary and Woolston CE Primary
The exhibition will open on Saturday, October 12 and will be on display until January 5.
“All the children are very excited,” said Tina,
“Most of them have visited the museum before so they know how important the exhibition is going to be for the schools and for their town.
“I made sure they felt proud of their work because they did their best and worked very hard. I believe it will bring a sense of pride to them and their families.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here