WORLDwrite Wins Heritage Lottery Fund Support for Its Multimedia Project Every Cook Can Govern: Documenting the Life, Impact & Works of CLR James
London, United Kingdom, November 15, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Local young people will be bringing to life the achievements of one of the 20th century’s great literary figures, CLR James, who was born in Trinidad but lived much of his life in the UK and died in Brixton. The Hackney based youth education charity WORLDwrite will run the two-year multimedia project made possible by a £70,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Led by volunteers, the project Every Cook Can Govern: Documenting the life, impact & works of CLR James will be launched in the historic pavilion at the Kia Oval in London on Saturday 23rd November.
The setting is especially appropriate as one of the author’s two most famous works, Beyond a Boundary, was both a cricket memoir and a scathing critique of colonialism. The book for which he is best known is The Black Jacobins, which documents history’s only successful slave revolt, in Haiti at the turn of the 19th century.
With 2013 marking the respective 50th and 75th anniversaries of these titles, WORLDwrite is delighted to be launching the project in this anniversary year.
CLR James’ legacy goes far beyond these two inspiring books and the project will explore the full spectrum of his life and voluminous works, from his birth in Trinidad in 1901 through to his death in Brixton in 1989. It will aim to spur on a new generation to find inspiration in James’ insightful understanding of society and use his example to interrogate the world around them. Involving over 100 volunteers, the project will culminate in an in-depth, feature-length documentary, following on from WORLDwrite’s critically acclaimed feature, Sylvia Pankhurst: Everything is Possible (2011). It will include interviews with leading scholars on the works of CLR James, with those who knew him well and those for whom his works were foundational. Interwoven with archive material, it will be filmed at prominent UK locations associated with his life.
Project volunteers will also assemble an online knowledge portal bringing CLR James’ life, impact and works to whole new audiences and a younger generation. The portal will bring together interviews, debates, his lesser known works, articles and chart his life on-line through an illustrated timeline. Public lectures, archive workshops and CLR James-themed ‘Read-a-thons’ are also planned and will be delivered with the project’s key partners which include: the British Library; Museum of London; George Padmore Institute and People’s History Museum. Volunteers who would like to get involved will be provided with free film training and access to a unique range of workshops.
Known for its pioneering involvement of volunteer-learners in filmed examinations of both historical and contemporary events and figures, this project promises to be WORLDwrite’s most ambitious investigation to date. The project launch event will take place on Saturday 23rd November 2013 from 3.00pm in The Long Room of the historic pavilion at The Kia Oval Cricket Ground. The launch, which is open to the public, will feature the debate, Should CLR James be fodder for a new 21st Century canon? and will include an exceptional panel of invited speakers including Selma James, Professor Selwyn Cudjoe, Kenan Malik, Claire Fox and Alan Hudson. A classy cream tea will be served at this unique event, exemplifying CLR James’ belief in enjoying the best of British traditions and not throwing the baby out with the colonial bathwater. For full launch details and tickets visit http://www.worldbytes.org/every-cook-can-govern-documenting-the-life-impact-and-works-of-clr-james/
Commenting on the award, WORLDwrite’s director Ceri Dingle said: “We are thrilled that the Heritage Lottery Fund is making this project possible. It will allow us to provide quality film training, workshops and events for the numerous volunteers interested in discovering and documenting CLR James’ inspiring life and works. We aim to do justice to a lesser known hero whose works were always a call to action. We look forward to welcoming all-comers to the project over the next two years and to creating a great heritage resource the public can find inspiration in and enjoy.”
Sue Bowers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund London, said: “This exploration of the life and legacy of CLR James will create online and in film an account of this important 20th century literary figure, including interviews with people who knew him during his years living in London.”
WORLDwrite | WORLDbytes
Phone: 020 8985 5435
Email: world.write@btconnect.com
Website: www.worldwrite.org.uk | www.worldbytes.org
Millfields Lodge, 201 Millfields Road, London E5 0AL
UK Registered Charity No. 1060869
Editors Notes
About WORLDwrite
WORLDwrite is a registered charity, no. 1060869. The charity has an open door policy and encourages all-comers to get involved and recognise there are no limits to what’s possible. WORLDwrite runs the award winning online Citizen TV channel WORLDbytes, which champions quality citizen reporting and provides free film training to make this possible. For more general information, please visit: www.worldwrite.org.uk & www.worldbytes.org
For further information, photographs, interviews and launch details please contact
Ceri Dingle at world.write@btconnect.com Tel: +44 (0)20 8985 5435
The setting is especially appropriate as one of the author’s two most famous works, Beyond a Boundary, was both a cricket memoir and a scathing critique of colonialism. The book for which he is best known is The Black Jacobins, which documents history’s only successful slave revolt, in Haiti at the turn of the 19th century.
With 2013 marking the respective 50th and 75th anniversaries of these titles, WORLDwrite is delighted to be launching the project in this anniversary year.
CLR James’ legacy goes far beyond these two inspiring books and the project will explore the full spectrum of his life and voluminous works, from his birth in Trinidad in 1901 through to his death in Brixton in 1989. It will aim to spur on a new generation to find inspiration in James’ insightful understanding of society and use his example to interrogate the world around them. Involving over 100 volunteers, the project will culminate in an in-depth, feature-length documentary, following on from WORLDwrite’s critically acclaimed feature, Sylvia Pankhurst: Everything is Possible (2011). It will include interviews with leading scholars on the works of CLR James, with those who knew him well and those for whom his works were foundational. Interwoven with archive material, it will be filmed at prominent UK locations associated with his life.
Project volunteers will also assemble an online knowledge portal bringing CLR James’ life, impact and works to whole new audiences and a younger generation. The portal will bring together interviews, debates, his lesser known works, articles and chart his life on-line through an illustrated timeline. Public lectures, archive workshops and CLR James-themed ‘Read-a-thons’ are also planned and will be delivered with the project’s key partners which include: the British Library; Museum of London; George Padmore Institute and People’s History Museum. Volunteers who would like to get involved will be provided with free film training and access to a unique range of workshops.
Known for its pioneering involvement of volunteer-learners in filmed examinations of both historical and contemporary events and figures, this project promises to be WORLDwrite’s most ambitious investigation to date. The project launch event will take place on Saturday 23rd November 2013 from 3.00pm in The Long Room of the historic pavilion at The Kia Oval Cricket Ground. The launch, which is open to the public, will feature the debate, Should CLR James be fodder for a new 21st Century canon? and will include an exceptional panel of invited speakers including Selma James, Professor Selwyn Cudjoe, Kenan Malik, Claire Fox and Alan Hudson. A classy cream tea will be served at this unique event, exemplifying CLR James’ belief in enjoying the best of British traditions and not throwing the baby out with the colonial bathwater. For full launch details and tickets visit http://www.worldbytes.org/every-cook-can-govern-documenting-the-life-impact-and-works-of-clr-james/
Commenting on the award, WORLDwrite’s director Ceri Dingle said: “We are thrilled that the Heritage Lottery Fund is making this project possible. It will allow us to provide quality film training, workshops and events for the numerous volunteers interested in discovering and documenting CLR James’ inspiring life and works. We aim to do justice to a lesser known hero whose works were always a call to action. We look forward to welcoming all-comers to the project over the next two years and to creating a great heritage resource the public can find inspiration in and enjoy.”
Sue Bowers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund London, said: “This exploration of the life and legacy of CLR James will create online and in film an account of this important 20th century literary figure, including interviews with people who knew him during his years living in London.”
WORLDwrite | WORLDbytes
Phone: 020 8985 5435
Email: world.write@btconnect.com
Website: www.worldwrite.org.uk | www.worldbytes.org
Millfields Lodge, 201 Millfields Road, London E5 0AL
UK Registered Charity No. 1060869
Editors Notes
About WORLDwrite
WORLDwrite is a registered charity, no. 1060869. The charity has an open door policy and encourages all-comers to get involved and recognise there are no limits to what’s possible. WORLDwrite runs the award winning online Citizen TV channel WORLDbytes, which champions quality citizen reporting and provides free film training to make this possible. For more general information, please visit: www.worldwrite.org.uk & www.worldbytes.org
For further information, photographs, interviews and launch details please contact
Ceri Dingle at world.write@btconnect.com Tel: +44 (0)20 8985 5435
Contact
WORLDwrite
Ceri Dingle
+44 (0)20 8985 5435
www.worldwrite.org.uk
For more information and interviews contact:
Saleha Ali
Ceri Dingle
+44 (0)20 8985 5435
www.worldwrite.org.uk
For more information and interviews contact:
Saleha Ali
Contact
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