National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £10,000 to £250,000
Through 11 episodes, the podcast series raises the profile of important historical figures. Among those featured are Ras Seymour Mclean, who liberated thousands of Ethiopian books and manuscripts held in British public institutions, and Barbara Blake Hannah, one of the first black on-screen interviewers and reporters on British television.
Fifteen young people and care leavers were able to select the stories that best represented and inspired them to create the digital content.
They gained transferable skills in heritage, research, archiving and podcasting, learning about the recording process from George the Poet, Certy Podcast and Autograph.
One member on the project said: “I always used to say I hate history. Can we let it go? I think this has changed the way I see things, the amount of things I’ve learnt and discovered has let me know how much these things still affect and are rippling through us.”
The stories in the episodes are brought to life through animation and original audio, making them accessible and enjoyable. They will be shared widely with schools to amplify and celebrate the ethnically diverse heritage that represents the UK.
