#SRtRCSpotlight: Tameside pupils meet Winston Jones
A long-standing partnership between ourselves, Odd Arts, Tameside Council and local schools has continued to support anti-racism education across the borough. This year’s programme concluded with a celebration event at Curzon Ashton FC, bringing together pupils, teachers and special guest Winston Jones.
The project built on previous Tameside-funded work and combined theatre with interactive workshops. In primary schools, pupils took part in Odd Arts’ production Coming Home, which explores Winston Jones’ experiences as part of the Windrush generation. This was supported by our anti-racism workshops, focusing on racism, stereotypes and how to respond as an ally.
Secondary school and SEND students engaged with Odd Arts’ The Great British Lie, a performance and workshop exploring race as a social construct and how the teaching of history has shaped society today. Once again, these sessions were supported by our age-appropriate workshops – encouraging discussion around everyday racism and challenging stereotypes.
The celebration event brought together four primary schools to share their learning. Pupils presented their reflections before taking part in a creative activity focused on Black British history. Each school produced two pieces of fabric artwork based on individuals whose stories are less widely known. These works will be displayed at Portland Basin Museum.
Meeting Winston Jones was a highlight for many pupils. Feedback showed that students valued the opportunity to hear his story, work collaboratively with other schools and express their learning through art.
Pupils reported that they ‘enjoyed meeting Winston, creating artwork and taking part in activities at the stadium’. They said they had learned ‘about the impact of racism, the importance of equality and kindness, and the need to recognise and share diverse histories, including figures such as Erinma Bell and Len Johnson’.
The event marked the conclusion of this year’s programme and reflects the ongoing commitment across Tameside to support inclusive education and challenge racism.
To find out how you can get involved with Show Racism the Red Card, please complete our enquiry form, with details of the issues that you are looking to tackle.