National Museums Liverpool Blog - international slavery museum

Last year photographer Lee Karen Stow launched her exhibition '42' Women of Sierra Leone at the International Slavery Museum, with the help of her former student Rebecca Kamara, who is one of the 42 women featured in the exhibition. At the opening events Rebecca spoke about how the photography workshops that Lee taught in Sierra Leone have inspired her to earn a living as a photographer. She has faced huge challenges, as she lives in a rural village and didn't even have any electricity at home until recently - something that photographers in the UK take for granted to charge camera batteries and run their computers!

Lee returned to Liverpool last week to add some new photos to her exhibition. Rebecca couldn't join her this time, but Lee visited her in Sierra Leone in September and took the photograph above, which should bring a smile to the face of anyone who met her last year. As you can see, Rebecca has built her own photo studio, with help from UK and US donations and support, but also through her own photography business and photographic sales. She has now also set up a women's photography group in the village.

Rebecca isn't the only one who has been busy. As well as updating the 42 exhibition, while she was in Liverpool Lee gave a talk about her latest projects. A chance meeting with a member of the Women's Boxing Team in Sierra Leone led to the 'Fighting for Gold' project. On her return to the UK she photographed women boxers in clubs across Yorkshire for the 'Girls in the ring' project, and even started boxing herself.

The contrasts in conditions for women boxers in the two countries is shocking. In Sierra Leone the Women's Boxing Team train at a gym with no running water, no showers and no free NHS to help with any injuries. They didn't even have their own gloves when they first started to train and had to borrow gloves from the male boxers.

Despite this, when women's boxing was included in the London 2012 Olympics for the first time they were determined to compete. Unfortunately this dream was not to be, so they have now set their sights on the 2016 Olympics instead. Portraits of some of these inspiring women are now included in the 42 exhibition, which is at the International Slavery Museum until 3 June 2012.

This weekend, the Merseyside Maritime Museum and International Slavery Museum are hosting a free weekend of special events on the theme, 'Docklands Extravaganza'. Education manager Vikky Evans-Hubbard tells us more about the ‘Jiving Lindy Hoppers’:

---

The popular dance group The Jiving Lindy Hoppers will be making a return visit to International Slavery Museum on Saturday 4th February, as part of our Docklands Extravaganza weekend. They last visited during Black History Month 2009, leaving us all speechless with their daring and acrobatic dance moves and they look set to do the same this year – have a look at them on YouTube performing at the JLA Real Variety Show. After watching them in action, there will be the opportunity to learn the basic step yourself in a fun workshop.
 
The Lindy Hop (or Lindy) is a partner dance that originated in 1920s and 30s Harlem, New York. The dance contains footwork borrowed from the Charleston and Tap. It can be wild and spontaneous, with frenzied kicks and body movements, or it can be cool and sophisticated.

'Lindy' is considered a cultural phenomenon that broke through the race barrier when segregation was still the norm. Looking back on where the Lindy Hop came from, we encounter American history and a the global cultural change facilitated by the American GIs that travelled in World War II. Modern dancers, interested in cultural history are piecing together the roots of Lindy through the tales and film footage of the original dancers, now in their 80s and 90s. Although the lineage and history of Lindy may be muddled, it is certain that it was born from the blending of African rhythms and movements with European structured dance.

The influences of the Charleston and Tap dance are evident still in the Lindy we do today and the dance is also said to have come from an early version of the Foxtrot. Remnants of older dancers such as the Cakewalk, Texas Tommy, Black Bottom and popular "animal" dances such as the Turkey Trot and the Buzzard Lope are also expressed. It’s interesting that these came from African social dance culture. Some, such as the Cakewalk, were created when free Blacks and enslaved Africans alike, imitated and mocked the formal dance structure of the Europeans, which they would then use in their entertainment routines. Ironically, the white spectators would then copy the entertainers, and a social dance that bridged the divide emerged.

You can see (and do) the Lindy Hop at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm at the Merseyside Maritime Museum on Saturday 4 February - just one of the activities we'll be running as part the Docklands Extravaganza.

It's all happening at the International Slavery Museum at the mo, with an exciting weekend ahead in the Docklands Extravaganza (keep an eye on the blog for more news about that soon). Hot on the heels of the announcement that the new Capoeira Club will start in March, Vikky Evans Hubbard has news of a great free talk next week:
 

---

 
The International Slavery Museum, Liverpool is currently hosting an exhibition called '42' Women of Sierra Leone by the photographer Lee Karen Stow. Lee has been photographing and championing the women of Sierra Leone for several years, forming strong friendships with many of them. The exhibition is called 42, not only because it  is made up of 42 portraits of women, but because the average life expectancy for a woman in Sierra Leone is just 42.
 
During her time there Lee encountered the Sierra Leone Women's Boxing team and began not only photographing them, but a mission to get them recognised by the Sierra Leone sports council and into the 2012 Olympics. 'Fighting for Gold'  are the photographs that came out of it.
 
For her next project she started to document women's boxing in Hull. The  powerful photographs, 'Girls in the Ring' were the result. 'Girls in the Ring' features female boxers from across the clubs in Yorkshire, including Nicola Adams from Leeds, ranked third in the world and a London 2012 hopeful, and 82-year-old Barbara Buttrick, born in Cottingham in 1930, and who became the world’s first women’s professional boxing champion.  This project has been awarded the 2012 Inspire Mark. The London 2012 Inspire programme recognises innovative and exceptional projects that are directly inspired by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

'Girls in the Ring' is a photographic look at the growing number of amateur female boxers. Lee initiated the project around the time the International Olympic Committee made the decision to lift the ban on women's boxing for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games.

The decision shows how far women’s boxing has come. According to the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) the number of registered female members (including boxers, coaches and officials) in the ABAE has risen from 50 in 2005 to 868 and there are approximately 16,000 females aged 16 years and over who participate in boxing in some form.
 
Lee will be talking about both projects at International Slavery Museum on Thursday 9 February, 5.30pm. This is a free event, please ring 0151 478 4456 to reserve a place.

Now that we're well into January I bet you've heard the phrase "2012 is the year I'm going to get fit" many times over from different people - perhaps you've even said it yourself. Putting those good intentions and new year's resolutuions into practice can be easier said than done though, as it's hard to motivate youself during the dark days of winter.

If this sounds familiar then the International Slavery Museum's Capoeira Club could be just the thing you need. All ages, levels of fitness and abilities are welcome to the friendly classes led by Daniel Baird - whether you have an interest in martial arts, dance or acrobatics or just want to try something new.

Education manager Vikky Evans-Hubbard is hoping to start the club on Saturday mornings, 10am-12noon, when enough people have signed up. So please ring 0151 478 4456 to register your interest, or email Vikky using this contact form.

Vikky explains the history and appeal of Capoeira:

---

"Capoeira was originated amongst enslaved Africans in Brazil in the sixteenth century, as a form of self defence. Disguised as a dance to escape the attention of the plantation owners, Capoeira has developed through centuries to a complex art. To ensure its survival, the traditional forms were infused with a new musical accompaniment. Capoeira's deadly potential was hidden by its dance like elegance, baffling acrobatics and the engaging rhythms of its music. For the enslaved, Capoeira was a literal and symbolic means of survival. It became a tool of escape and defence, making freedom attainable and affirming strength, self reliance and self esteem.
 
Capoeira has expanded beyond the borders of Brazil and is growing rapidly in other countries becoming popular in America and Europe. Capoeira appeals to many for many different reasons. First the pure beauty of the art is hypnotic. Capoeira is a dance and a fight. It's not only a combination of gymnastics, dance and martial arts but also music, culture, history, knowledge and playfulness."

---

Update 31/01/12: The date of the first Capoeira Club will be Saturday 3 March 2012. Places are still available so get in touch using the contact details above if you would like to give this a try.

In 2008 I wrote a blog about my experiences as a Leeds United fan and how Elland Road in the early 80s was a haven of racist abuse and bigotry, usually aimed at opposing Black and Asian players and fans.  I explained how I felt uncomfortable when hundreds of people chanted something racist but at the same time I refused to leave or walk away.  I had as much right as anyone to be there, I was a Black Yorkshireman and proud of it.

I also placed a link to Kick it Out, an initiative unthinkable in the 80s, established in 1997, with the admirable aim of challenging discrimination and encouraging inclusive practices in the game.  So it is sad that in 2012 there is the need to blog about such issues, showing there is plenty of work to do.

There have been a number of articles and statements made about several recent high profile examples of allegations of racist abuse in football which to some degree have sadly overshadowed the success of various anti-racism campaigns and initiatives. Football clubs have a responsibility in the first instance to their supporters and local community. In Liverpool for example, a city with an international slavery museum, a city with the Anthony Walker Foundation and like-minded organizations fighting against racism and bigotry, what is needed, whatever the outcome of such investigations, is a statement that racism and discrimination is totally unacceptable in the modern game and that cultural misunderstandings should not be a smokescreen for unacceptable comments.

Football clubs should take the initiative, and educate British and international players on the cultural differences which might exist in their own changing rooms and what as a result is acceptable behaviour and use of language. Also, I hope that international footballing bodies also begin to look long and hard at how they deal with racist incidents on and off the pitch.  A handshake does not adequately settle racist abuse between players and racist monkey chants at Black players in various European countries is not eradicated by paltry fines. Come on football; get a grip of the situation. 

Dr Richard Benjamin, Head of International Slavery Museum

Here's a report from Eilish Clarke from the Unity Youth Theatre, on a project she has been involved in connected to the current Toxteth 1981 exhibition, which is building towards a new perfomance on 28 October, as part of the Black History Month events.

---

"For the past few months the International Slavery Museum has been working with the Unity Youth Theatre and Clapperboard film project, to help give us a better understanding of the 1981 Toxteth Uprising. As a member of the Unity Youth Theatre, I think it is fair to say we all had very little knowledge of the topic when we first started. However, as the project has progressed we have all become very interested in learning about how the Uprising came about and how it affected the people of Toxteth and Liverpool.

During this project we have been given the opportunity to meet a wide range of fascinating people who have told us their real life stories from the events that took place in July 1981. The first person we met with was Leroy Cooper who used music, dance and photography to show us his interpretation from the Toxteth Uprising. It was brilliant to hear what Leroy Cooper had to say as he was present when the Uprisings started. The next person we met with was John, who was a fire fighter from Toxteth in 1981. He told us what it felt like to be there at the time, especially as he could understand why people were so angry, yet it was important that he was doing his job correctly. This was a really interesting account to listen to.

As well as meeting people who were involved in the Toxteth Uprising, the group also visited the area of Liverpool 8 affected and the Toxteth 1981 exhibition in the museum. Historian Laurence Westgaph took us around Toxteth and told us about the buildings that used to be there before the Uprisings. Laurence also told us accounts he had heard from people he has spoken with through his research. Everyone in the Unity Youth Theatre agreed this was a brilliant session as we were able to put images in our head from the place we have been studying. It was also interesting to learn the history of an area we have all travelled through so many times. Visiting the International Slavery Museum to see the exhibition was also a good session as we were able to read more accounts from people who were involved in the Uprising as well as seeing pictures and newspaper clippings.

Over the next few months we will use the information we have collected to create a performance, which we will show at the International Slavery Museum on 28 October, 7pm. This will hopefully be used to give more people an insight into what happened in Toxteth in July 1981, and also why it happened."

This year we've got our busiest ever programme for Black History Month, with lots of free events taking place across several venues. Here's some information about the subject of one of the first talks, activist Olive Morris, from education manager Vikky Evans-Hubbard:

---

"Do you remember Olive Morris? was a community art project seeking to bring to wider public attention the history of Brixton-based activist Olive Morris (1952-1979).

In her short life, Olive Morris co-founded the Brixton Black Women’s Group and the Organisation of Women of Asian and African Descent (OWAAD) and was part of the British Black Panther Movement. She campaigned for access to education, decent living conditions for Black communities and fought against state and police repression. Despite dying at a young age, she empowered the people who lived and worked around her.
 
At the project’s inception, there were no public records about Olive Morris, and no information about her was available on the internet.
 
This long term project was started in 2006 by Brixton-based artist Ana Laura Lopez de la Torre, when she encountered a photograph of Olive Morris taken by British Black Panthers’ photographer Neil Kenlock. The photo shows Olive Morris standing at a Black Panther Movement demonstration in Coldharbour Lane in 1969, and holding a placard reading: “BLACK SUFFERER FIGHT PIG POLICE BRUTALITY”. Research into this particular moment in local history led to a meeting with community activist Liz Obi, a friend and colleague of Olive Morris, who then become a key collaborator in the project.  
 
On Monday 3 October the International Slavery Museum is pleased to welcome Nadja Middleton, from the Remembering Olive Collective, who will tell us more about this inspirational young woman's life and the project that has preserved her memory.
 
During October, Olive Morris will be added to the Black achievers wall in the Legacy gallery.
 
To reserve a place for this free event, please call 0151 478 4432."

Hello

Well there have been plenty of things happening here at the museum since my last blog post. We have launched three very successful and eclectic exhibitions: Living Apart: photographs of apartheid by Ian Berry; '42' Women of Sierra Leone, a series of photographs of Sierra Leonean women, highlighting the alarming fact that life expectancy for them is only 42 and Toxteth 1981, a community exhibition developed in collaboration with the Merseyside Black History Month Group to mark the 30th anniversary in July 2011 of the 1981 riots in Toxteth, Liverpool. The latter involved members of the Liverpool Black community who lived in Toxteth during the disturbances loaning photographic material for the exhibition. The images gave them a voice which I believe is very important if museums are to be truly seen as a resource by the local community in particular.

The power of images was further highlighted on a recent trip to London where I visited one of the most disturbing and thought provoking exhibitions I had seen in quite a while called Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America at Rivington Place gallery. The room itself was small with whitewashed walls and I was the only person in there for nearly an hour. It was quiet, solemn, disturbing and it made me angry. Angry that such horrific acts of violence were made into macabre souvenir postcards, which showed people laughing and smiling at the horrific suffering of the victims. Tragically children as young as 4 were taken along to witness such barbarous acts.  

I was familiar with several of the images as we have them on display in the racism and discrimination section of our Legacy gallery. That said, we do not have the postcards, and in some ways seeing them in their original form made it even more chilling. Even after five years at the International Slavery Museum I am not desensitized from the human suffering which is on display. I believe to do so would be to lose part of one’s own humanity.

James Allen - the collector and custodian of the objects - noted:

"I believe the photographer was more than a perceptive spectator at lynchings. The photographic act played as significant a role in the ritual as torture or souvenir grabbing... Even dead, the victims were without sanctuary."

Finally, we have now completed our new ramp leading to the Dock Traffic Office.  By early next year we hope to have a public offer of some kind which will allow people to see what a fantastic building it is and get an idea our plans for the state-of-the-art education and research centre we will be developing in the space. Watch out for further announcements.

Bye for now.

Since last year, the International Slavery Museum has been encouraging visitors to support Anti-Slavery International's campaign for domestic workers' rights to be recognised. The exhibition Home Alone: end domestic slavery highlights how domestic workers (people who work in, or for, other people’s households) can be vulnerable to exploitation and slavery. Domestic workers around the world lack legal rights to protect them against abuse; a basic right that most of us take for granted.

Last week the campaign had a historic break through. Following increased pressure from Anti-Slavery International and their partners, the International Labour Organisation has agreed to adopt a new Convention for Domestic Work. This new regulation will improve the protection of domestic workers from exploitation. It will recognise their rights as employees.

This is really fantastic news and shows the impact that campaigning for human rights can have. Home Alone: end domestic slavery is the first exhibition to be held in the Campaign Zone gallery at the International Slavery Museum and is open until 4 September 2011. The Campaign Zone gallery encourages visitors to take action against modern-day forms of slavery and oppression.

As part of the Look11 photography festival there has just been a big weekend of Magnum events at the International Slavery Museum. The Magnum Professional Practice course attracted photographers from across the country for two intense days of inspiring talks.

Magnum photographer Ian Berry, whose Living Apart exhibition is currently at the museum, arrived early on Friday evening for a free 'in conversation' event with National Museums Liverpool's director of art galleries Reyahn King. It was a fascinating discussion, as Reyahn describes here:

---

The Living Apart exhibition of Ian's photos of South Africa really moves me. My parents were in the African National Congress and I grew up with South Africans in exile in and out of our home. I felt like I knew the place because I knew the people and it's the people – not the beautiful scenery or the famous animals – but the real heart of the country, its people, that Ian's images capture. There's a pavement dance (shown here) which captures the ability to find joy and express it in art in the hardest of circumstances. There's the dignity of a boy whose house has been burnt down in Lesotho. The determination of those burning their passes, demonstrating at funerals, stocially getting on with their lives. It's as if Ian's camera has a heart of its own that documents the moment of subtle tension or even outright violence but does so always with compassion. Ian calls this honest observation, rather than political mission, and in all the images shown you can see his integrity as a photographer.

On Friday night Ian came up for an 'In conversation' event. His description of photographing as people fell down in the grass beside him, shot in the back by the South African police at Sharpeville created a horrified, transfixed hush in the 60 or so of us listening. Ian himself was matter of fact, telling us how glad he was that his images could be used as proof that people were innocent victims in the following trial of – not the police – but those shot at! I said that it seemed like a brave thing to do – not to run away, but just to lie down in the grass and take photos. Ian was dismissive – just being professional, doing a job.

There were some great questions from the audience too. Remember Liverpool was in the forefront of the anti-apartheid movement in the UK and the exhibition includes the 'Liverpool 8 Against Apartheid' banner that people of Toxteth (L8) used in their marches. Several questions from photographers about technique – why black and white for the images of South Africa? (Answer: Ian’s personal preference – he uses colour for professional assignments when required but prefers the quality of black and white). Does he use film now? (No, digital Leicas). An intriguing question asking if Ian had seen similar racial tensions on beaches in Rio de Janeiro. How would he feel if his work was presented as art? He said he didn’t have a problem with it – but he made no claims – his skill as a photographer was about capturing the moment, making it interesting, showing people in one part of the world what was going on in another part of the world. Ian commented too that there was decreasing call for a photographer like himself. The appetite for documentary photography of world events and places is being replaced by celebrity. What a shame.