A special exhibition to mark the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act has been taking place at Nottingham Castle as part of Museums and Galleries Month 2007.
Linked directly to the theme for the month, ‘People who are we?’ the exhibition is a series of images and commissioned ceramic works around the issues of slavery and black identity, running until June 14.
Sankofa also incorporates the Museumaker initiative and a scheme called The Wedgwood Project. Following the Wedgwood exhibition at Nottingham Castle, which included Josiah Wedgwood’s famous medallion made to lobby for the abolition of the slave trade, the project is about re-interpreting slavery through the young Afro-Caribbean community in today’s society.
“Sankofa has primarily been about audience development and our wish to engage with the Afro-Caribbean community who are largely underrepresented in our visitor profile,” said Jo Kemp, Learning and Access Manager for Nottingham City Museums and Galleries.
Young people, aged from 14-17, and from a variety of backgrounds including Jamaican and African, have been involved in creating a one-off piece to mark the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, which will be fired by Wedgwood.
The whole project has been extremely creative, as the young people have engaged with slavery on a number of different levels. They had the opportunity to work with a number of artists and make slab pots and coil pots out of clay, to demonstrate to them what can be achieved through the medium of ceramics.
Not only did they use clay, but they also had the chance to work with Joseph Hall, winner of Strictly Dance Fever, to think creatively and use dance as a medium in expressing feelings.
After many discussions, the young people commissioned a leading UK ceramicist, Katharine Morling to produce four maquettes to demonstrate some of their thoughts of how to best represent slavery. Three of these marquettes are currently on display at Nottingham Castle, along with exhibition boards monitoring the projects progress.
It is a project that the young people have become really involved in and they seem to have really connected with the issues around slavery. “I’ve learnt that instead of being angry about slavery you can use the knowledge to be creative and look at the positive,” said one participant.
It has also given the young people the chance to own something which could potentially become a part of history as they will all be presented with their own piece at the launch in September. Nottingham Castle will also have a piece in their collection as well as Nottingham City Museums and Galleries handling collection. Wedgwood Museum will also have one on display.
The project has attracted the attention of the BBC which has followed the progress of the youngsters and will be screening a short programme in the local news after the official launch later in the year. The final Wedgwood piece will go on display in September 2007 as part of Nottingham Castle’s ‘Slave Narrative’ exhibition.
Entry cost to Nottingham Castle applies. For further information, contact Nottingham Castle on 0115 915 3700.
Castle Museum & Art Gallery, off Friar Lane, Nottingham, NG1 6EL, Nottinghamshire, England
T: 0115 915 3700
Open: Castle is now open 10 - 5pm daily (last entrance 4.30pm).
