Collaborators
- Transforming Plymouth Together
- Plymstock Chapel
- 4front
Collective’s aims and ideas
To increase the knowledge and awareness of the story behind the Mayflower journey, to enhance the understanding of school children and of the wider community with regard to the issues of tolerance within society and help people to come together in the way we live. We wish to raise questions and discussions about the reason why the pilgrims felt they had to leave the UK, and how this relates to issues today, such as refugees, modern slavery, religious freedom, acceptance of different vies and beliefs. Also to help the community to understand and address some of the big questions that we have in Plymouth today.
We would like all to understand from a faith point of view why the Mayflower story is so important to us today and how we need to commemorate it rather than just celebrate it. We will be using a series of Recorded parts of an hours play(before Covid) we had hoped to bring this live to schools, churches and community venues with actors. We will then in schools, holding a number of sessions and creating discussions to help to raise the issues that are raised. We will be using teachers, church and community youth workers to facilitate these. We will be producing digital resources that can be used within schools and wider to facilitate thoughts and discussion on what they have seen. Also we will be looking to invite local people from many different diverse communities to input. This is important , one to raise the real faith story and second to help influence youngsters and the wider community of the issues that the Mayflower story raises and how they are so relevant to today.
How will they work together to achieve this?
We have already worked with the Mayflower team and have received a contribution towards the cost of production, and raised other funds from Christian charities We have a small team working on this from Transforming Plymouth Together with project management skills, connections and contacts through the city, social and digital media knowledge and skills, expertise in the Mayflower story. From CTiP we have the church connections into the youth groups and schools with the ability to connect with the younger audience. 4Front theatre group who have written and produced the play. Youth workers and school teachers with the ability to facilitate and bring out the thoughts and views of the children and to help influence the thinking of future generations. From the BAME community, and other minority groups, the current challenges around refugees and asylum seekers, modern slavery intolerance and discrimination.
Some of us have worked together before and by focusing on a specific project around this time, will enable us to seek ways that the links can build for the future. With this specific topic I believe that this is an ideal group to come together at this time. During this project we have worked with a number of schools and educators to ensure that what we provide is something that they would want and be happy to use.
What advice are they asking for?
We have received some really good advice and also offers of help from the Woseley Trust with connections and work with schools in Stonehouse, as a knew partner. We are also going to contact the ‘Box’ to link with them and potentially see if the production might, in time be included in their presentation. We had some useful written feedback and challenge, as well as the conversations during our feedback session.. This has enabled us to rethink our thoughts and ideas around how to engage with the schools, especially now that Teachers have to educate through digital media as part of the curriculum, and this could also be a resource for teachers that are able to share with youngsters at home. As part of our presentation to the schools, we will also link with the RAS network and Plymouth Hope, so that we are better informed of the issues of inclusion. To encourage a more gracious attitude to those who are refugees and asylum seekers in Plymouth today. We will also reflect on how the whole project can connect with the Trauma informed network and its values of Kind, Empowering, Celebrative and person centred.
From some of our conversations, it also showed that their is a lack of understanding of the faith story and some of the reasons behind the Pilgrims leaving England, and this has emphasised the need and our desire to tell this story with authenticity from their point of view, and this has encouraged us that the story is there to be told.
