At ACT, we are always working hard, behind the scenes, to establish new endeavours and create new opportunities for the community. We are pleased to tell you that our hard work has paid off, and we can now announce the launch of a new project: the Coventry Caribbean Community History Project (or, CCCHP),
The project will last from January to July 2024, and will involve the training of three outstanding local Black students in Coventry, granting them the research and curation skills necessary to start our very own community exhibition. The exhibition will look at different aspects of twentieth century Caribbean life in Coventry, detailing the historical significance of the community, which will add to a national story of grassroots organising, resilience, and race.
The project lead is Holly Cooper - hello! I am a History DPhil candidate at the University of Oxford, who works both within the academy and the community. I have secured two grants to launch the project. The first grant is from Goldsmiths Anti-Racist Action fund, hosted by the Goldsmiths, University of London Students Union (my alma mater). The second is from the St Mary’s Guildhall Community Grants Programme (funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund).
The exhibition launches in June, with the opening night at St Mary’s Guildhall on the 8th and a second night taking place later in the month (details TBC). It will also be displayed at the Caribbean Reggae Fever event, taking place in July.
We will be welcoming our volunteer Researchers and Curators to the team later this month, before they begin their four months of training, which includes a private tour of the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, 'Special Collections', in Leicester.
We are always looking for sponsors and partners, so if you'd like to get involved, send us an email: coventrycchp@gmail.com.