About the project
Closely connected to Liverpool’s eighteenth-century maritime history, the Blue Coat School was established by the Anglican Church and a merchant, Bryan Blundell. Like many others who supported the school through subscriptions and donations, Blundell profited from trade with Africa and the British colonies, central to which was the transatlantic slave trade, and the goods that it enabled, such as cotton, sugar and tobacco.
The young people from The Greenhouse Project, L8, and others from across the city, have been involved in a dynamic programme of research, workshops, discussions and creative activities with invited artists, historians and others. These future leaders have bravely explored the transatlantic slave trade and its continuing legacies through themes such as identity, Black Scouse experience, migration, community and equality. To share these experiences with the public, the Young Event Coordinators co-curated an exhibition and an events programme at the Bluecoat and online, designed a hyperfiction building tour, and produced a ‘zine.
The project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other funders, see acknowledgements below.
Young Event Coordinator Profiles
Hyper Fiction
Bluecoat's heritage is revealed through an online hyperfiction artwork, where you can choose your own non-linear adventure through the building's past and present, and discover its key colonial connections through the eyes of a young visitor.
One of the young participants from the project, Nia Mensah set the scene for this tour, working with digital artist collective Ash//Ella to develop this online tour.
Events Programme 2021 - 2022
The Bluecoat's Colonial Legacies Exhibition
Wed 23 Mar - Sun 3 July, 2022
Project in partnership with the Greenhouse Project
With thanks to...
Young People
Kaidyn-Lee Morris-Browne, Nia Mensah, Shanti Deva Dubicki-Wild, Selina Karaca, Tia Hume-Jennings, Tyrah Torrible, Amna Akram, Caitlyn O'Callaghan, Charlie Salt, Ellie-Mae Edge, Emilia Czarnecka, Fuad Abdirahen Nassir, Hannah Byrnes, Iman Hasan, Nathan Pritchard
Staff
Bryan Biggs Project Director, Laura Yates Project Manager, Stephen Nze Tiber Young People's Facilitator, Tavia Panton Project Facilitator, Donika Browne Project Assistant, Oleta Omar La Cruz Project Assistant, and special thanks to the wider Bluecoat teams for it takes the enthusiastic support of a whole organisation to facilitate a project with such challenging histories.
Contributors
Adam Duckworth, Ash//Ella, Blue Saint, Curtis Watt, Cy Powell, Dan Stinson, Fabiola Santana, Floriana Dezou, Fluttercup, Foluke Taylor, Greenhouse Project, Jack Lewis, Janaya Pickett, Katrina Paterson, Keisha Thompson, Liverpool Against Racism, Liverpool Blue Coat School, Madeline Heneghan, Malik Al Nasir, Michelle Girvan, Naomi and Natalie Evans, Naomi Waite, Ni Maxine, Paul Wainwright, Papu Raf, Philomena Harrison, Rayrayz Caribbean, University of Liverpool, Will Dickie, WoWFEST22, Yamm Tree, Yuen-May Chong.
