We are the proud sponsor of a ground-breaking initiative to educate schools on Black history, which was made possible through our Corporate Social Responsibility programme.
Understanding the importance of Black history education, we helped to fund the initiative to help embolden teachers to educate pupils using the medium of arts, crafts, and music.
Carnival Arts Programme
Last month, a school in South London became the first to pilot the scheme, run by community interest organisation Black Arts Matter.
A three-hour teacher training session called the Carnival Arts Programme was held at All Saints Primary School in Blackheath, Lewisham, with youth mentor and life coach Efe Ezekiel and musician Sioho Ndlovu. The pair used their experiences in the arts to educate students and teachers alike.
Before taking part in the training, All Saints Primary School staff filled in an anonymous survey. The results showed that 49% had been teaching Black History in an educational setting for more than eight years, yet the same amount, 49%, said felt they had not been trained to do this properly to teach their pupils in this area.
Following the course, the majority (98%) agreed that they would enjoy teaching the programme during the school year ahead.
Black Arts Matter
Black Arts Matter plan to run the course, which will feature on London Live later this week, in as many schools as possible within South London in the next 12 months.
Fiona Luxmoore, Head of Curriculum and Assistant Head at All Saints Primary School, said: “It exceeded my expectations. Collectively as a staff, we now have far more of an understanding.”
Black Arts Matter founder Avni-Joy Bell, who leads the discussion on issues of race, cultural appropriation, diversity, and inclusion, said: “The facilitators were on fire and delivered an exciting yet empowering teacher training workshop, we are looking forward to a phased rollout of the programme to schools across the UK.”
A positive light on under-represented aspects of Black British history
Black Arts Matter is a London-based arts organisation created to promote the uniqueness of Black arts and culture through workshops, collaboration, partnership building. and education.
With the aim of participants developing new skills around the country, Black Arts Matter endeavours to shed a positive light on under-represented aspects of Black British History and its Arts.
For more information on the initiative, please contact Black Arts Matter via email, their website, or Instagram.
