I’m excited to be able to share details of a project that I have been collaborating on with the composer Jenni Pinnock and artist Stacey Leigh Ross for Black History month (October).
Some time ago – while looking for something else – I came across reference to Roger Britten is an old newspaper. He was born in Guyana and arrived in Royston (a small market town in Hertfordshire) in 1848 as a boy of eight. While living there he helped found the local newspaper which is still publishing today. Unlike the paper, he has been completely forgotten. I wanted to rectify that. Creative Royston stumped up some funding and this project was born.
As part of this project the Trinidadian-born artist Stacey Leigh Ross has produced a painting based on Roger’s life which will go on permanent display at Royston Museum near to the press that Roger operated.
Jenni and I ran workshop with the Year 5/6 Boyz Choir from the King James Academy Royston to help them create their own song about Roger’s life. They premiered their song at the Royston Arts Festival finale concert and this week we will be taking the boys into a recording studio.
Find out more about Roger Britten as part of Black History Month at Royston & District Museum on 2pm on Saturday 5 October (with special guests, King James Academy Royston’s Boyz Choir who will be performing their song they have written about Roger Britten, assisted by the composer Jenni Pinnock and myself). You will also be able to see Stacey Leigh’s painting, which interprets his life, and see the printing press Roger operated. More details on his life can be found here.
This project has been supported by Creative Royston.