2The Rural Black History project is now looking for three Black and Global Majority identifying actors based in the Cotswolds or surrounding West Country areas, to each perform in one of our short films. 
 
About the Project
Using historical records and studies of the Black presence across the Cotswolds and the wider region, the Rural Black History Project will produce 3 short films, imagining the lives of those in the data. Our three films will explore the personal and emotional experiences of "spinster" Margaret Walden, "traveller" Thomas Davis, and the Unnamed Bust in st Kenelm's Church.

The films will be presented in a public exhibition at New Brewery Arts, Cirencester (w/c 25th October 2021). They will be shown alongside youth and community artistic responses to other local sources, and a broader exploration of Rural Black History.

Details of each role can be found below. Each role will require learning a 1-2min long monologue, and will be a total of 1 day's filming during the w/c 20th September. 


The total fee for this project is £150, with travel and lunch expenses paid in addition to this. 


To apply, please send us a self tape of yourself performing a monologue to camera, approximately 1-2 minutes long, along with your name, location, and availability w/c 20th September. Applications should be sent to hello@theruralblackhistoryproject.co.uk. Deadline to apply is midnight on the 11th September.

THE ROLES

MARGARET WALDEN:
Archival records simply state that "Margaret Walden, spinster, a ‘person of coller', was baptised" in 13 August 1817, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. 

Our Writer has interpreted Margaret to be someone with an independent, entrepreneurial spirit, someone who is busy and savvy and making ends meet by her own means. 

We are looking for a Black identifying Female Actor with a playing age of between 25-50 years old, with either the ability to do or a natural West Country accent.
Ideally this role will go to someone with links to the area or wider West Country.

THOMAS DAVIS:
Archival records state that 'Thomas Davis, 'an infirm travelling Black', was buried, 67 years old' in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, on the 20th June, 1826.

Our writer for this monologue has interpreted Thomas as someone connected to the nature around him, with artisan skills in carpentry and a communal spirit that have sustained his way of life. 

We are looking for a Black identifying Male Actor with a playing age of between 40-50 years old, with either the ability to do or a natural West Country accent. Ideally this role will go to someone with links to the area or wider West Country.

THE UNNAMED BUST:

Frustrated at being simply described 'a "Negro man" bust' as part of a larger memorial (belonging to the land owner Sir Henry Poole), The Unnamed Bust explores how the other memories that this church's burial ground holds can help him take back the spotlight for his legacy, and ultimately find a name for himself. 
The source for this character is Sir Henry Poole's memorial in Sapperton, Gloucestershire.

We are looking for a tall, Black identifying Male Actor with a playing age of between approx 20-30 years old, and someone who has experience with or a flair for comedic roles. Ideally this role will go to someone with links to the area or wider West Country.

The Rural Black History project is looking for Black and Global Majority identifying creatives based in the Cotswolds or surrounding West Country areas, to take on a variety of freelance roles. We are looking for three writers, three performers, a filmmaker, and a youth and community workshop facilitator.
 
About the Project
Using historical records and studies of the Black presence across the Cotswolds and the wider region, the Rural Black History Project will produce 3 short films, 1-2mins long, imagining the lives of those in the data. The project will then deliver 8 school and 2 public workshops, empowering participants to create their own artistic responses to the data. Finally, the resulting work will be presented alongside a broader exploration of Rural Black History, in a public exhibition at New Brewery Arts, Cirencester.
​
SHORT MONOLOGUE WRITERS:
The Role
We are looking for three writers to create monologues 1-2 minutes in length, in response to a historical source or profile provided.  Although the pieces should be truthful to the historical evidence, writers are encouraged to the explore areas of ambiguity in this data, transforming these sources into visceral and captivating stories. This role is ideal for either poetic or prose writers with a keen interest in heritage and community storytelling.
 
Key Dates:
Commission period 30th August – 10th September
Production meetings: 3rd, 10th September
Final Monologues due: midday 10th September
 
Fee: £250 each (inc. buyout)
 
To Apply:
Send a CV and/or an extract of your work to hello@theruralblackhistoryproject.co.uk by the 22nd August. A short cover letter detailing your interest in the project/anything you feel is important to know about your work is welcome, but by no means essential.
 
FILMMAKER:
The Role
We are looking for a filmmaker who will be able to lead the conceptualisation and filming of the three short monologues created in response to the historical sources. They will be able to create and communicate a clear artistic vision for each piece, whilst working within the financial and logistical conditions of the project.  As with our writers, the filmmaker should feel free to be playful in exploring the ambiguities of the data, whilst staying truthful to the historical evidence. This role is ideal for early career filmmakers who have worked on similar small scale projects.
 
Key Dates
Pre-filming preparation: from appointment
Production meetings: 3rd, 10th, 17th September
Filming dates: 3 days filming during w/c 20th September, preliminarily allocated as 21st-23rd
Final productions due: 4th Oct
 
Fee: £1200 (inc. day rate & buyout)
(An additional fee of £520 is available to filmmakers who would prefer to carry out the post production on each film themselves, and have the resources to do so)
 
To Apply:
Send a CV and/or links to your previous work to hello@theruralblackhistoryproject.co.uk by the 22nd August. A short cover letter detailing your interest in the project/anything you feel is important to know about your work is welcome, but by no means essential.
 
YOUTH & COMMUNITY WORKSHOP FACILITATOR:
The Role
We are looking for a facilitator who can co-deliver workshops that engage participants with Black British history, connecting them to local heritage whilst guiding them through creating their own artistic responses. Facilitators will need to be dynamic in responding to the needs of each group, encouraging participants to use their own creative mediums to explore the workshop's themes. Participants artistic responses will share then be shared at the exhibition at New Brewery Arts, Cirencester, alongside the three short films.
 
This role is ideal for facilitators with at least 1 year's experience in leading workshops for youth groups aged 8-18, but would encourage anyone interested who believes they have the right experience needed to get in touch. A background in craft or visual arts is desirable. An Enhanced DBS is essential for this role. Travel expenses will be reimbursed up to the value of £22.50 per workshop.
 
Fee: £130 per half-day workshop (up to 10 workshops)
 
Key Dates
Training: 10am-1pm 27th September (paid at £11ph)
School Workshops: 8 half-day workshops taking place between 4th-20th October (Dates TBC)
Public Workshops: 16th & 27th October (dates liable to change but will be agreed in advance with facilitator)
To Apply:
Send a CV and short cover letter detailing your relevant experience and availability between the 4th-20th October, to hello@theruralblackhistoryproject.co.uk by the 29th August.
 
PERFORMERS:
The Role
Casting breakdowns for these three roles will be released once the filmmaker and writers have joined the project, however any performers interested in the project and wanting connect with like-minded creatives are invited to submit their CV.
 
Fee: £150 (inc. day rate & buyout)
 
Key Dates
Filming dates: 1 days filming during w/c 20th September (TBC)

Hi everyone and welcome if you've just discovered our page!

It may seem like we're just waking up from our winter hibernation over here, but we've been busy behind the scenes cooking up something pretty exciting. We are thrilled to announce that for our first project, we will be exploring and celebrating the Rural Black British History of the Cotswolds!

Using records and studies from the district and its immediate surrounding areas,  we will work with professional and community creatives to build artistic responses in the form of three-dimensional, hypothetical biographies. These artistic responses will then be presented alongside a broader exploration of Rural Black History, in a public exhibition held in the heart of the Cotswolds.

At this stage we're looking for small pledges from as many people as possible, so if there’s two of you it’s better to put two small pledges from different accounts than one big one!

​If you've already done this, Thank you so much. We are so grateful for the generosity already shown to our project. If you think friends, family, colleagues, or anyone you know might be interested in supporting our project, please share our campaign by copying and sharing our campaign link:
 https://www.spacehive.com/the-rural-black-history-project

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, using the links below:

​The eagle-eyed among you may notice this is project is similar, but slightly different to our original plan, details of which can still be found at the bottom of the About page. Whilst we still intend on delivering our original plan producing a one-act play, we decided to develop a smaller and more Covid secure version of the project first, allowing to not only ensure the longevity of our work, but offer earlier opportunities to creatives, who have been hit incredibly hard during the pandemic. 

Keep checking back here for updates on the campaign, project, and any other news. Alternatively you can join our mailing list here.

Thank you for reading and look forward to updating you soon!

Check out this great talk from Uzo Iwobi, founder of the Race Council Cymru and Specialist Advisor on Equality to the Welsh Government, with the UK Heritage Fund. 
They have an honest discussion around diversity in Wales today, with Uzo sharing her story of moving from Nigeria to Wales in the early 90s, and the cultural exclusion and racism she faced. She discusses how culture has changed in Wales since she moved there ,and highlights some significant issues that are still present today, as well as how heritage stories can help inspire and support a diverse group of people.

Check out the original article here, and full interview below:

Now that we've set up some of the nuts and bolts of the project, we're looking to recruit a Creative Producer and Writer/Theatremaker to become core members of our team! 

Head over to the GET IN TOUCH page to see how you could get involved...

Hello and welcome to our website!

The Rural Black Histories Project (RBHP) began as a public engagement proposal, created during my recently completed undergraduate degree in History & Politics at Goldsmiths, University of London. Now, with the help of some fantastic people, the work has started to turn this proposal into a fully realised project.

This RBHP is very much at the beginning of its development, but you can find more details of what we have planned over on the About page, explore some of the Resources we've been using to develop the project, and Get in Touch with us with your thoughts or if you want to get involved.

Over the next few weeks we hope to build on the resources page and use this blog to keep everyone up to date with how the project is developing, as well as use it as a space to share any wider developments in the field, or points of interest that are relevant to the RBHP's goals. 

Have an explore, let us know what you think, and watch this space!

All the best,

Emily