<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Geraldine Connor Foundation Blog </title><link>https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk</link><description></description><ttl>60</ttl><item><title><![CDATA[ Cultural Exchange 2023! ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/cultural-exchange-2023 ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/cultural-exchange-2023 ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ The Grand Futures Cultural Exchange returned for another year as we took a group of Year 10 Leeds City Academy students for three days of jam-packed work experience activities across Leeds&rsquo; cultural organisations.
Students took part in another varied and exciting programme including workshops with Leeds City College, Leeds Heritage Theatres, The Thackray Medical Museum, Channel 4, Leeds Playhouse and Northern Ballet. The focus of the programme is to demonstrate the variety of non-performance based careers available in the arts and culture sector, and students explored a variety of job roles including curating, programming, technical theatre and lighting design, script writing and costume design.
Tuesday started with a tour of Leeds City College where we talked about careers in which you can use skills learned in Art and Design, and then the group took part in a workshop designed to hone their drawing skills and introduce them to techniques that they can practice at home. That a... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 08 Aug 2023 06:52:53 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ New Generation's biggest show yet! ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/new-generation-july ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/new-generation-july ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ We are so proud of all of the young people who took part in our biggest show yet &ndash; New Generation at Leeds Playhouse on Saturday 15th July. Thanks as ever to our Creative Associates Christella Litras and Sheila Howarth for organising an amazing night of performances.
After our two sell-out shows at Seven Arts in April, we went even bigger this time with a concert as part of Leeds Playhouse&rsquo;s Open Season in the Quarry Theatre. The group of young people, aged 9 to 22, put on an incredible professional show with original and cover songs, raps, spoken word, and dance, accompanied by a live band. Comperes Andrea and Cameron kept the energy flowing throughout the sets as we went from heart-wrenching ballads to hip-shaking salsa.
Leeds City Academy also joined us for an energetic group dance &ndash; a big thank you to Afromoves and Ms Salazar. Special guest artists were neo-soul songstress Mica Sefia, soulful singer Kyrann Robinson and reggae artist Ruele Benjamin, who joined th... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 01 Aug 2023 09:45:43 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Reggae Roots @ the Coronation Concert ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/reggae-roots-the-coronation-concert ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/reggae-roots-the-coronation-concert ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ The UK's first reggae youth choir,&nbsp;Reggae Roots, was selected to perform for King Charles as part of&nbsp;the recent Coronation Choir. The 300-strong Coronation Choir was a key part in the Coronation&nbsp;Concert, which performed on the second day of coronation celebrations (Sunday 7th May 2023).&nbsp;
The concert was staged on the East Lawn of Windsor Castle and featured the Coronation Choir and an array of stars including Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
The Coronation Choir brought together singers from across the UK, including refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs. Reggae Roots featured in the BBC&rsquo;s documentary Sing For The King: The Search for the Coronation Choir &ndash; telling&nbsp;the story of how the choir was assembled (find it available here).&nbsp;
We caught up with the Reggae Roots choir to hear first hand what it was like to perform for the King.

Andrea Minos Menlah:
"&ldquo;It was an amazing experience!! Tiri... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 24 May 2023 14:00:02 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Adventuring with DJ School & Sable ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/adventuring-with-dj-school-sable ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/adventuring-with-dj-school-sable ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ This April, we embarked on another Adventure In Culture as a group of young people took part in an activity packed afternoon with two workshops introducing them to DJing and content creation. 
Despite the rainstorm we reached DJ School where Lawrie and Lucinda led an informative Introduction to DJing workshop and the group got to test out the high tech equipment. They left inspired, we&rsquo;ve definitely got some budding DJs amongst us!
We then headed back to The Tetley, where Baile from Sable Radio was waiting for us with a content creation workshop. The group was told that The Tetley had lost their marketing team and needed an Instagram reel ASAP! The exhibition upstairs and food market downstairs provided plenty of content for the group to film, they then used capcut to edit and put it to music.
We got to test out Space 3, the new room at The Tetley created in collaboration with Sable Radio which is looking great. Complete with a kitchen, sofas, computers and massive table for c... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 10 May 2023 13:58:41 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Reggae Roots to perform at the Coronation ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/reggae-roots-to-perform-at-the-coronation ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/reggae-roots-to-perform-at-the-coronation ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ The UK's first reggae youth choir, Reggae Roots, has been selected to perform for King Charles as part of&nbsp;the Coronation Choir. The 300-strong Coronation Choir will be a key part in the Coronation&nbsp;Concert, taking place on the second day of coronation celebrations on Sunday 7th May. 
The concert will be staged on the East Lawn of Windsor Castle and is set to feature the Coronation Choir and stars including Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
The Coronation Choir is bringing together singers from across the UK, including refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs. Reggae Roots will feature&nbsp;in the BBC&rsquo;s documentary Sing For The King: The Search for the Coronation Choir &ndash; telling&nbsp;the story of how the choir was assembled.
Reggae Roots provides young people with space outside of school to be creative, perform and improve their mental health and wellbeing through music. The Reggae Roots Choir&nbsp;recently performed live a... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 03 May 2023 14:28:51 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ GCF @ Black Women in Leadership Symposium ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/gcf-black-women-in-leadership-symposium ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/gcf-black-women-in-leadership-symposium ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ So Gina, what did you get up to at the Black Women in Leadership Symposium?&nbsp;
I was invited to take part in a panel discussion at the Black Women in Leadership Symposium, our panel focused on being "Young, Gifted and Black" - we explored what this meant to us as young people, and the conversation focused on how as young people we get lots of opportunities, lots of projects, however there isn't much longevity to them - with the key question being, how do we as young people obtain those senior positions, CEO positions, and how do we go about running businesses.&nbsp;How do we become our best self-employed selves, with the best skillsets.
Our aim was to prompt people in leadership to think about how they can pass on the baton to young people, so we too can be in those positions - and also to leave a legacy behind. Its not just about us [young people] doing more and more projects, its about us being empowered enough to pass on this knowledge to the next generation so that there is co... ]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 09 Apr 2023 12:16:12 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Jammin' this half term ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/jammin-this-half-term ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/jammin-this-half-term ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Jam Around The Table took place again this February half term and is going from strength to strength, with the largest group of young people to date!
Thursday's session was hosted by Music House, and Friday's at Leeds City College in a Quarry Hill Studio. We started off with a series of affirmation prompts and the group discussed how they were relevant to their own goals and aspirations.
They then divided into musicians and lyricists, with GCF Creative Associate Leah Francis helping the first group to work on lyrics inspired by mental health struggles and empowerment, and GCF Creative Associate&nbsp;Stella Litras assisting the musicians with jamming to create a soundtrack to the songs.&nbsp;
It's been brilliant to see familiar faces coming back to Jam Around The Table, strengthening their skills, meeting new friends and creating new opportunities for themselves and we are really excited for the project to become a holiday staple.
On Friday, we hosted a sharing - inviting parents an... ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 06 Apr 2023 17:05:05 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ GCF @ The Awakening! ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/the-awakening ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/the-awakening ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Written by Natasha Cowie, GCF's Assistant Producer. 
The new year is off to a great start with a group of 12 young people and the GCF team attending Leeds 2023&rsquo;s opening ceremony &lsquo;The Awakening!&rsquo; 
This was the first of GCF&rsquo;s &lsquo;Adventures in Culture&rsquo; &ndash; a programme where we aim to take a group of young people on adventures, exposing them to brilliant culture in Leeds and beyond that they might not normally hear about or have access to.&nbsp;
And what a successful first trip it was &ndash; the group packed into Headingley Stadium, which was decked out with an enormous stage, brilliant lights and fireworks. The two hour event was a showcase of the amazing culture across the city, from carnival dancers to &lsquo;Leeds on Wheels&rsquo; to Corinne Bailey Rae!
Amongst the performances was a choir led by GCF trustee Stella Litras including Creative Associates Sheila Howarth and Lara Rose as well as participants Fredlin Morency, Love Onyeji and Godwin... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:39:37 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Back with a bang! Jam Around The Table 2022 ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/back-with-a-bang-jam-around-the-table-2022 ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/back-with-a-bang-jam-around-the-table-2022 ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ As Jam Around The Table wraps up for 2022, Natasha Cowie talks us through the creative process which led to another successful year of jamming!
Jam Around The Table&rsquo;s second year started off with a bang. With familiar faces and a fair few new ones, we had a great week of creation and collaboration. Jam Around The Table is a project about getting back to basics &ndash; good music, good company and a good chat around a table.

The week started with writing a group song, which was a great opportunity for the young people to&nbsp;&nbsp;get to know each other and start collaborating. The range of skills in the group was evident, with singers, musicians and rappers coming together to create a great piece called &lsquo;Crossfire&rsquo;.
The participants then used discussions about mental health as prompts for writing their own personal monologues, which they put to music and performed at the end of the week. It was so wonderful to see the natural collaboration that grew out of the s... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 23 Nov 2022 09:12:14 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Annette Morris on Reggae Roots ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/annette-morris-on-reggae ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/annette-morris-on-reggae ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ 
As Reggae Roots continues rehearsals, Natasha Cowie caught up with Annette Morris for the inside story of how the UK's first Reggae Youth Choir is forging ahead.&nbsp;
Where did you start?
On week one, we went through the story of reggae and showed some of the history of how reggae music&nbsp;started, the genres and how the songs came about. First we learnt some chants, known as spirituals, and some songs that would've been sung in church. We selected the reggae songs that we know that have a really strong message of equality, diversity, peace and love. So&nbsp;they'll be five songs in total, and we hope to have the lyrics available for those watching to join in.&nbsp;

Who's involved?
We've had a number of young people get involved from the ages 8 to 19, a wide range of ages. The great thing is that everyone's working well together, so it's a really positive vibe and good energy in the room. The young people that are coming now and the musicians that are here, really want to be... ]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 28 Apr 2023 16:56:42 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Cultural Exchange - World of Work ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/cultural-exchange-world-of-work ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/cultural-exchange-world-of-work ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Written by Natasha Cowie, edited by Hannah Finnimore.
Between the 12th - 14th July, we delivered a jam-packed work experience programme of the Cultural Exchange - World of Work for Year 10 Leeds City Academy students in partnership with the Grand Futures Network.
Students took part in a varied and exciting programme including workshops with Leeds City College, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds Heritage Theatres, ITV Studios, Northern Ballet, and Leeds Playhouse. The focus of the programme is to demonstrate the variety of non-performance careers available in arts and culture, and students explored a variety of job roles including curating, programming, technical theatre, script writing and costume design.

Tuesday started with a tour of Leeds City College and a brilliant gaming workshop ran by the Digital Art team. The afternoon then took us to The Discovery Centre which is part of Leeds Museums and Galleries, where we were lucky enough to tour the storage room and see a multitude ... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 17 Aug 2022 15:00:54 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ GCF turns 10 ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/gcf-turns-10 ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/gcf-turns-10 ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ On the sweltering 19th&nbsp;July, over 40 guests braved the heat to celebrate the Geraldine Connor Foundation's 10th birthday at Harewood House. This was a wonderful opportunity for the GCF community to reconnect, catch up and reflect on the memories, moments and progress of the last decade.

We were fortune enough to have food and drinks on the terrace at Harewood House with incredible views of the estate. GCF participant Cara-Mia Cruise-Brahm provided a DJ set for the night full of Carribbean classics, alongside stunning live performances by Fredlin Morency, Six Strings, and Carmen Howarth, who have all attended in GCF programmes.
Creative Associates Stella Litras, Lara Rose and Khadijah Ibrahiim also showed off their creative talents with combinations of musical performances and spoken word.
Speeches were given by Earl and Countess of Harewood David&nbsp;Lascelles and Diane Howze, GCF director Selina McGonagle and Creative Associate Nigel Wong about how GCF came about, and the a... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 20 Dec 2023 15:48:21 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Sharon Watson joins GCF as a patron ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/sharon-watson-joins-gcf-as-a-patron ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/sharon-watson-joins-gcf-as-a-patron ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ As announced at our 10th birthday celebrations, Sharon Watson MBE DL&nbsp;is joining the Geraldine Connor Foundation (GCF) as a patron, alongside David Lascelles and Arthur France.&nbsp;
We are delighted to have Sharon join GCF at this exciting time for the organisation and the city of Leeds, as we reunite post-pandemic and celebrate the city with Leeds 2023.
Sharon Watson MBE, DL is currently CEO and Principal of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Prior to this, Sharon Watson was the 7th and longest-standing Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre, choreographing Fast Lane, Melt, Never 2 Still, Repetition of Change, TearFall and Windrush: Movement of the People.
During her tenure at Phoenix Dance Theatre, Sharon received a number of awards and accolades, including The Sue Ryder &lsquo;Yorkshire Women of Achievement in Business Award&rsquo; and &lsquo;Yorkshire Woman of the Year&rsquo;. In July of 2019 Sharon received an Honorary Doctorate from Leeds Beckett University fo... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2022 21:18:25 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Jam Around The Table ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/jam-around-the-table21 ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/jam-around-the-table21 ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Written in collaboration between Natasha Cowie and Hannah Finnimore
YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlIXsWnkgnQ
Jam Around The Table is a project about getting back to basics - good music, good company and a good chat around a table. We combine mental health training with artistic musical expertise to create a series of workshops that are fun, creative, and supportive of the wellbeing of our fantastic participants.&nbsp;
Since October 2021, we have run 3 sessions across 9 days for 17 for young people aged 14 - 19.
In a relaxed, open and friendly environment, it has been amazing to see the self-expression and harmony that each group has achieved through their music!

Stella in action!
Led by Creative Associate Stella Litras, the group really let their ideas flourish and confidence grow as they conceptualised and performed their own songs, poems and spoken word pieces. We began with warm up and vocal exercises, shared songs and the personal significance of them, wrot... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 20 Dec 2023 15:49:31 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Africa Writes ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/africa-writes ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/africa-writes ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Words by Natasha Cowie, with contributions by Hannah Finnimore
We were delighted to help organise Africa Writes Leeds, curated by Khadijah Ibrahiim and supported by Africa Writes, the Geraldine Connor Foundation and the British Library. The day celebrated contemporary African writing, in particular the work of Nigerian author, playwright and University of Leeds graduate Wole Soyinka.

The day of activities started off with Leeds Black History Walk led by Joe Williams. Over the 2 hour walk around Leeds University campus, he kept the group captivated telling the story of the African presence in Leeds, from thousands of years ago until the present day. We learnt about key figures such as the Ivory Bangle Lady of York, Ira Aldridge and Olaudah Equiano, which allowed us to reflect on how this history has been hidden and the true contribution of Africa to modern day Britain.
Next a group of young people were invited to attend a Special Collections Workshop at the Treasures of the Brother... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 17 Aug 2022 13:02:47 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Monster Exhibition Response ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/monster ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/monster ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Words and images by Natasha Cowie
Since January, Grace and Lilian from our Locks to Legacies project have been working on a podcast in collaboration with Left Bank, IVE and Sable Radio.
This has initially been a response to the exhibition Monster by Giles Walker, which was installed at Left Bank for two weeks back in January. The massive animatronic sculpture was made up of various parts including three enormous wooden rats, talking mannequins in different outfits, books and shoes. There were different showings where the mannequins came to life with voice clips taken from a variety of recordings discussing domestic abuse, the monarchy and the refugee crisis &ndash; in short, it was a piece aiming to spark discussion about modern Britain. Set against the backdrop of Left Bank&rsquo;s old church interior, it made for spooky viewing.

Led by Asher Jael, the participants brainstormed different responses to the work, finally settling on a podcast which will be available via QR codes at ... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 20 Dec 2023 15:49:45 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Locks to Legacies - Project update ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/locks-to-legacies-project-update ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/locks-to-legacies-project-update ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ 'Locks to Legacies' is a new interpretation of the waterways in Leeds. Over five months,&nbsp;a group of 10 incredibly talented young people met weekly at The Lock Keepers house in Leeds and with Canal Connections took a tour of Leeds canal by boat.
The group were presented with new research from Heritage Corner regarding the industrial history of Leeds and it's close ties to both transatlantic slavery and the movement for emancipation and abolishment. Using this often hidden history as a starting point, together the group&nbsp;researched, wrote and produced their own creative responses to the colonial connections of the Leeds canal.

&lsquo;Locks to Legacies&rsquo; has brought these stories to life for the public to see and hear through an audio tour and exhibition. On Saturday 30th October 2021, the public were invited to join us to celebrate their work. Three QR codes are now situated along the towpath by the Royal Armouries. You can also find links to the audio below:
Listen to... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 20 Dec 2023 15:49:59 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Global Collective - Watch the sharing ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/global-collective-watch-the-sharing ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/global-collective-watch-the-sharing ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ We are delighted to present the first ever Global Collective performance!

Co created by the participants and artists across two intensive weeks this Summer in person and online, watch the 20 minute highlights of their artistic collaboration:
  
YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2anx97b-wk
  
We are incredibly proud of what the artists and participants have been able to create, despite time and COVID-19 restrictions. We are inspired by the resilience of our artists and young people, their creativity, how they have connected with the work and each other and the overall spirit of collaboration that exists in Global Collective.
We cannot offer projects like this free at access without your support. If you would like to support Global Collective directly, please donate here.
Image by Tony Bartholomew.
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 17 Aug 2021 14:23:36 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Aire to There Project ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/aire-to-there-project ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/aire-to-there-project ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ This is your history; you be the guide.
Aire to There is an ongoing project where 10 selected participants, aged 16 - 24, explore the local and international history of the Leeds Waterfront, uncover hidden stories and use their voice to guide others by creating audio tracks for walking and boat tours.
Led by Asher Jael&nbsp;and supported by historical researchers and Aire Ambassadors, the young people are picking the route, selecting the stories and performing the audio for the tours. This will be launched to the public in the Autumn with an outdoor event and exhibition as well as the audio walk being downloadable online.
Aire to There is presented through the partnership of Ignite Yorkshire, IVE, Heritage Corner, Canal Connections and the Geraldine Connor Foundation.

Aire to There it has been a great opportunity for the participants to:

Develop skills in communication, research and audio technology
Gain paid experience in the cultural, creative heritage sector
Discover hidd... ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 19 Jul 2021 15:25:42 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Interview with Gina Tavares Manuel about Represent ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/interview-with-gina-about-represent ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/interview-with-gina-about-represent ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ 
Museums have a duty to represent societies in their true light and present the stories, told and untold pertaining to the diversity

Why did you apply for Represent?
I applied for Represent because I was interested in the work done behind the scenes in museums. I&rsquo;ve always loved to walk around museums and take in the history, artefacts and machinery and I wanted to know the entire process behind curating. This was a new opportunity and something I&rsquo;d never done before, in fact I&rsquo;d never even heard of the word curate and this attracted me to the project. I also applied because I was drawn into the idea of seeing how museums actually represent people of colour and if there was enough representation. Museums have a duty to represent societies in their true light and present the stories, told and untold pertaining to the diversity and not just the idea that Britain is white, male led.
What was a typical day like?
A typical day on the Represent project was us as the ... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2021 11:55:04 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Yoruba culture & Carnival Messiah ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/carnival-messiah-yoruba-culture ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/carnival-messiah-yoruba-culture ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ "We are committing suicide by not speaking our language" &ndash; Prof Mama Sophie Bosede Oluwole (First Yoruba female professor of African philosophy in Nigeria and author of Socrates and Ọ̀r&uacute;nm&igrave;l&agrave;)
Dr (Mama) Geraldine Roxanne Connor said to me, &lsquo;Child you need to tell your story, your African Yoruba Story!!!&rsquo; Those words stay with me, and it is like Mama G or Geri as fondly known to many, is still here nurturing, instructing, and mentoring.
Dr (Mama) Geraldine Roxanne Connor engaged in extensive PhD research study alongside her kaleidoscopic theatre production Carnival Messiah. Carnival Masquerade served as a multi-dimensional metaphor in Carnival Messiah, to depict emergent hybrid Caribbean cultures and identities, bred from the African holocaust, European expansionism and Asian indentureship. Likewise, I am currently carrying out a PhD research project looking at Yoruba culture, how it has travelled, influenced art practices in Leeds and emergent A... ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 26 Apr 2021 08:31:22 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Our Impact in 2020 ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/our-impact-in-2020 ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/our-impact-in-2020 ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ 2020 was a really challenging year, but that has not stopped us delivering high-quality arts opportunities to children and young people across Leeds. We had to adapt to working from home and delivering workshops and events online. Despite this, we managed to deliver 12 projects, collaborated with 13 organisations, and reached an impressive 817 young people aged 8-25.
Take a look at this infographic to find out more:



Download the infographic
2020 started with Global Mash Up. We built dens, explored music, dance and poetry and created a short film with young people from Burmantofts &amp; Richmond Hill.
We held two online events for National Windrush Day &ndash; Generations Dreaming. Hosts Khadijah Ibrahiim and Dr. Emily Zobel Marshall were joined by artists from the UK and the Caribbean and they celebrated the Windrush Generation through music and literature.&nbsp;Catch up here.
We also produced two online learning resources on our website, one about the Windrush Generation an... ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2021 10:44:07 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ GCF Joins Heritage Compass ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/gcf-joins-heritage-compass-programme ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/gcf-joins-heritage-compass-programme ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ We&rsquo;re delighted to announce that the Geraldine Connor Foundation (GCF) has been offered a place on the two-year Heritage Compass programme. 
Heritage Compass is a business support programme, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, that was launched by Cause4 in 2020. The programme is designed to grow resilience and invigorate the heritage sector in England by providing training, mentoring, peer learning and strategy development support. GCF is one of 150 small-to-medium organisations taking part in the programme. Being part of this nationwide network will allow us to create new partnerships and relationships with organisations that will lead to exciting collaborations.
With support from Heritage Compass we intend to create a business plan that reflects our ambition and resilience as an organisation. We will be able to explore new ways of income generation to secure the future of GCF for the next generation.
Thank you to Cause4 and Heritage Compass &ndash; we are looking ... ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 11 Feb 2021 14:29:47 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Young People Reflect on Represent ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/young-people-reflect-on-represent ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/young-people-reflect-on-represent ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ This blog was written by three participants of Represent, as they reflected on what they learnt and the most important things they want to pass on from it.
 Iliham: It&rsquo;s not very often that I get a chance to attend programmes that educate me on the forgotten and hidden history of people of colour whist simultaneously giving me the space to explore my creativity. So when I first found out about Represent, I was sure I wanted to participate. I didn&rsquo;t know what to expect as I walked into Armley Mills Leeds Industrial Museum, a building I had subconsciously learnt to ignore prior to this day because truthfully, I was never interested in what it had to offer, nor did I ever think that it held so much significance. But in the four days I attended, we discovered so many forgotten narratives, asked relevant questions and shared the emotional burden of uncovering some painful yet nevertheless important truths.

On the first day, we had a tour of the museum and learnt about the di... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2021 11:41:08 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Leeds Black History Walk: Understanding History Through Art ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/leeds-black-history-walk-understanding-history-through-art ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/leeds-black-history-walk-understanding-history-through-art ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ On Saturday 10th October 2020, four guest artists &ndash; Leah Francis, Rheima Robinson, Asher Jael and Jamal Gerald - &nbsp;joined the Leeds Black History Walk team, Joe and Ness, for the New Responses special.
They developed powerful creative responses to the stories Joe told, captivating the audience with their insightful performances, whilst showcasing how valuable the arts can be for understanding and curating history. 
We asked them why the arts are such an important tool for presenting historical stories, and what they would like to see in the future. Here&rsquo;s what they had to say&hellip; 
Leah Francis
The arts are an important tool for unpacking history because they bring basic information like dates and timelines to life in fun and accessible ways. One way in particular could be through narratives. The arts keep stories alive across generations, creating meaning in our lives. 
They are important for making history relevant; we can fuse modern day contexts into histori... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2021 14:53:25 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Carnival Messiah: De' Legacy ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/carnival-messiah-de-legacy ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/carnival-messiah-de-legacy ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Black British cultures have been created from diverse and contradictory elements, apprehended through discontinuous histories. The outcomes of the resulting cultural and political interactions re-construct and re-work tradition, as they pursue their particular utopias. The effects of these relationships and the penetration of these black cultural retentions into the dominant western cultures mean that it is almost impossible to theorise black culture as such, especially where it is linked inextricably to the social relations of Britain, without being allowed to develop a new perspective on British culture as a whole.
We believe that the notion of a shared national identity depends on the cultural meanings which bind each member of that society individually into a larger national narrative. It follows then, that any national heritage should be a powerful source and reflection of such meanings. Thus, it is understandable that those who cannot see themselves reflected in its mirror, cann... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2020 08:00:15 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Carnival Messiah: The Creative Strategy ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/carnival-messiah-creative-strategy ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/carnival-messiah-creative-strategy ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ In Carnival Messiah, I use the aesthetic modes of the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and Europe to explore and evoke cultural parallels, transformations and abrogations through various and often converse genres of artistic practice and expression. I do this by investigating, employing, playing with and shifting perspectives of historic, environmental and sociological worldviews to suit the needs and location of my discourse. I am recovering and exhaulting in the history of my people, using my own language, and presenting these on my own terms. By superimposing traditional Western-European musical and theatrical devices on those of traditional Trinidad Carnival practice, Carnival Messiah combines the visual, live and performing arts in new, unique and exciting ways.
As a result of the interlaced patterns of migration, mission activity and the resilience of the African, Islam and Hindu religious practices, 21st-century Trinidad and Tobago exhibits a constellation of religions as well as a kale... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2020 09:56:18 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Carnival as the Theatre of the Caribbean ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/carnival-as-the-theatre-of-the-caribbean ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/carnival-as-the-theatre-of-the-caribbean ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ To my mind, Carnival is the theatre of the Caribbean!
Carnival and the Masquerade are about experiencing and participating in total theatre, out front, on the streets - music and dance, costume and masquerade. Carnival is a ritual of performance within which rites of purification, rites of conflict, rites of passage and rites of participation are all celebrated and enacted within the confines of an unprecedented and unique historical reality. Cy Grant also offers an insightful reading of Carnival as: &ldquo;a mass celebration of collective identity that exhibits an explicit desire to affirm that life and art are not separate.&nbsp; Merely to be a passive recipient of artistic activity is alien to the life and the innate creativity of Caribbean communities. Joyous participation of all creeds and races is not only essential, but symbolic in the extreme&rdquo;. Rawle Gibbon further develops my perception of Carnival practice when he observes that &ldquo;Carnival is not a commemorative ev... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2020 08:42:59 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Caribbean Migration and Carnival ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/caribbean-migration-and-carnival ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/caribbean-migration-and-carnival ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ &ldquo;A people&rsquo;s art is the genesis of their freedom&rdquo; reads the banner of a Carnival inspired party/festival organised by Claudia Jones and Edric Connor at the St. Pancras Town Hall in the Borough of Camden, London.&nbsp;This took place after the 1958 race riots in Notting Hill Gate, in order to bring some semblance of peace and stability in the face of the rampant racism experienced by many Caribbean migrants who, at the invitation of the British government, came to England from the Caribbean in the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s.
On 22nd June 1948, Britain saw the arrival at the Tilbury docks, of the SS Empire Windrush, carrying 492 Caribbean pioneers who had travelled across the seas to begin a new journey in their lives. This date has now come to symbolise the first wave of post-war Caribbean migration to Britain. It should be noted however that many West Indians had lived in Britain before this date, hundreds of thousands of them enlisting in the British armed ser... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2020 12:41:18 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Creating Music in Lockdown: Sarah Sarhandi ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/creating-music-in-lockdown-sarah-sarhandi ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/creating-music-in-lockdown-sarah-sarhandi ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Sarah Sarhandi is a is a composer and virtuoso violist with joint British and Pakistani heritage based in London. She studied viola as a performer at the Royal Academy of Music. Her music weaves together fluid sometimes fragmented melody, viola, voices including her own, sound and electronica. 
Her latest piece of music, Heart, was written during the lockdown. Hear about the process in her own words. 
Heart is a piece of music that arrived a few weeks into lockdown. I'd created a soundscape in my studio. And as I listened to it over and over, quite obsessively, a piece began to emerge. I was also writing words at the time, attempting to make sense of the extreme emotions the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown were generating in me and others and it seemed natural to embed these words into the music. As I listened, the viola melody came to me. I felt suddenly completely released from lone captivity in my flat as I worked. It almost seemed like a download. I was transported across time and... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2020 08:59:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Connection and Empowerment: The Arts in Today’s Society ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/connection-and-empowerment-the-arts-in-todays-society ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/connection-and-empowerment-the-arts-in-todays-society ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ To some of us, the importance of art and creativity might seem obvious. But how and why arts experiences enrich our lives can sometimes be less clear. What actually is it about the creative space that is so needed in society today? This is one of the questions I&rsquo;ve been asking since I first worked with the Geraldine Connor Foundation in 2017. In my university dissertation, I explored the role that creativity plays in our culture that often prioritises economic growth above meaningful human experiences. I looked specifically at the theory of alienation and used Geraldine Connor&rsquo;s production of Carnival Messiah as a case study. After months of research and several interviews with some of the participants of Carnival Messiah, I am confident that the arts can be a powerful instrument of connection and empowerment. I&rsquo;d love to share some of what I learnt:
The Context: Alienation in 21st Century Britain
Alienation is the experience of being disconnected &ndash; from other... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2020 08:04:31 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Generations Dreaming - Watch It Again! ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/generations-dreaming-watch-it-again ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/generations-dreaming-watch-it-again ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Honouring the Windrush Generation and the generations that follow.&nbsp;
Generations Dreaming took place on Monday 22nd June to celebrate National Windrush Day. Hosts Khadijah Ibrahiim and Emily Zobel Marshall were joined by four special guests throughout the evening -&nbsp; Colin Grant, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Christella Litras and Camille Quamina - who discussed literature and music relating to the Windrush.&nbsp;
A full recording of Generations Dreaming is available on our YouTube Channel.
You can also view the pre-recorded sections of the event individually.&nbsp;
Extracts of Windrush literature read by creatives from across Leeds:&nbsp;
  
YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlebUcxlPPE

If you would like to learn more about the experiences of the Windrush generation, take a look at our Windrush Learning Resource Reading List for some suggestions of where to start.

 ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2020 09:43:27 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Generations Dreaming: Guest Speakers Announcement ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/generations-dreaming-guest-speakers-announcement ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/generations-dreaming-guest-speakers-announcement ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Generations Dreaming is an online celebration of National Windrush Day.&nbsp; Through a combination of literature and music, Emily Zobel Marshall and Khadijah Ibrahiim will celebrate the Windrush Generation and their legacy. 
Emily and Khadijah will be joined by special guests throughout the night - find out who below!&nbsp;
Colin Grant
Colin Grant is an author, historian, and Associate Fellow in the Centre for Caribbean Studies. His five books include the memoir, Bageye at the Wheel, which was shortlisted for the Pen/Ackerley Prize, 2013. Grant&rsquo;s history of epilepsy, A Smell of Burning, was a Sunday Times Book of the Year 2016
As a&nbsp;producer for the BBC, Grant directed several radio drama documentaries including A Fountain of Tears: The Murder of Federico Garcia Lorca.
He&nbsp;also writes for several publications including the Guardian, TLS and New York Review of Books.&nbsp; Grant's latest book is Homecoming: Voices of the Windrush Generation.
&nbsp;
Linton Kwesi Joh... ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2020 08:49:50 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ National Windrush Day 2020: What's Happening? ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/national-windrush-day-whats-happening ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/national-windrush-day-whats-happening ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ National Windrush Day celebrates&nbsp;the arrival of the Empire Windrush to Britain and the monumental contribution that the Windrush Generation has made to the political, economic and cultural fabric of Britain. Every year on 22nd June it is marked by events, exhibitions, performances and publications across the country.
Things look a little different this year as social distancing measures are still in place and events in-person cannot take place. However, there are still plenty of events happening online and we have created a list of some from all over the country for you to look into.
Generations Dreaming &ndash; Geraldine Connor Foundation (Leeds)
Monday 22nd June, 7pm
Generations Dreaming, hosted by Khadijah Ibrahiim and Emily Zobel Marshall, is an evening of literature and music based on the themes of Windrush and passing on stories and culture to the next generation. The event will take place on Zoom.
Book Here
Online Readings &ndash; Alive &amp; Kicking (Leeds)
Monday 2... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2020 09:52:11 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ The Journey of the Den - Global Mash Up February 2020 ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/the-journey-of-the-den ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/the-journey-of-the-den ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ The Geraldine Connor Foundation presents... 
The Journey of the Den, a film created by the participants of Global Mash Up 2020. 
Over three days in February, young people aged 8-16 from Leeds came together to explore global artforms including music, dance and visual art. They built dens which inspired the content of the film, wrote poetry that would become the story line and developed musical ideas for the soundtrack. Take a look at the finished film to see what they managed to achieve!
&nbsp;  
YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EgOmOARdI0
 &nbsp;
You can read the poem, written by the young people, that narrates the film here.
GCF would like to thank to Luke Shoesmith, Christella Litras, Khadijah Ibrahiim and Sandra Whyles for facilitating the Global Mash Up workshops and helping us to put this film together. For more information about Global Mash Up please click here.&nbsp;
Global Mash Up was organised and delivered by The Geraldine Connor Foundation. Global Mash ... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2020 08:31:11 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Support for Self-Employed Artists ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/support-for-self-employed-artists ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/support-for-self-employed-artists ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Last updated: 2nd April&nbsp;2020
We are going through very difficult and uncertain times right now, with things changing daily. Although this is a challenging time for everyone, we are aware that it will be particularly stressful for the self-employed and freelance workers that make up a third of the creative sector.1 At the Geraldine Connor Foundation, our priority at this time is the health and wellbeing of the artists and practitioners we work with. We are available for questions, advice and support so please do not hesitate to get in touch.
We have pulled together a list of places to find information about financial support over the coming months.
Government Website 
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
For reliable advice and guidance please look at the government&rsquo;s website. They have outlined all the new support they are offering and you can check whether you are eligible for certain benefits such as Universal Credit and Statutory Sick Pay. This will be the most accurate an... ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2020 08:53:38 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Remembering Geraldine ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/remembering-geraldine-2020 ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/remembering-geraldine-2020 ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Last Sunday, 22nd March, would have been Geraldine Connor&rsquo;s 68th birthday. We asked you for memories of Geraldine and as always, it was amazing to see the influence she continues to have in the lives of those who knew her.
Geraldine Connor (1952-2011) was a theatre director, educationalist, and inspiration to many. She worked widely as a teacher, both in Trinidad and Tobago and the UK. Over three decades, she created a truly mind-boggling number of theatrical and musical productions, including her best-known work: Carnival Messiah. A radical reinvention of Handel&rsquo;s Messiah performed Caribbean Carnival style, she described the production as &lsquo;the pinnacle of my creative and artistic career&rsquo;. &nbsp;In 2009, she was presented with Trinidad and Tobago&rsquo;s second-highest honour, the Chaconia medal (gold).
Geraldine inspired everyone that she worked with, whether a student or cast member of one of her theatre productions. Here&rsquo;s what you had to say about he... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2020 09:16:54 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ World Book Day 2020: GCF Recommends ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/world-book-day-2020 ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/world-book-day-2020 ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Thursday 5th March is World Book Day &ndash; a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and most importantly: reading. Thousands of schools across the country will be taking part in World Book Day activities such as dressing up as book characters to get more young people engaged in reading books.
In the GCF office we love to read; the books we&rsquo;re reading are often a topic of conversation and we&rsquo;ve even started a book swap so we can share our favourite stories with each other. To celebrate World Book Day, we decided to ask around our Creative Associate Artists to find out their recommendations for books to read this year&hellip;
 Selina McGonagle, Director of the Geraldine Connor Foundation recommends&hellip;
Girl, Woman, Other &ndash; Bernadine Evaristo
Girl, Woman, Other follows the life of 12 characters, mostly black women, as they navigate the world. Each character has their own chapter but their lives overlap and intertwine in various ways. Evaristo won the Booke... ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2020 10:00:09 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Global Mash Up: Meet The Artists ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/global-mash-up-meet-the-artists ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/global-mash-up-meet-the-artists ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ There&rsquo;s one week to go until Global Mash Up and plans are coming together nicely! The space is booked, risk-assessments done, and the artists are busy preparing their sessions. We thought you might like to know a bit more about what to expect during the week.
WHAT IS GLOBAL MASH UP?
Global Mash Up is an action-packed project that will explore artforms from all over the world with professional artists. Over three days, young people aged 8-16 will get the chance to get stuck into workshops in music, spoken-word and visual art, exploring the theme of &lsquo;Safe Spaces&rsquo;. We&rsquo;ll also be making a short film of the process!
MEET THE ARTISTS
During Global Mash Up the young people will be working with professional artists to create works of art. There will be a wide range of activities to try and we hope that everyone involved will discover something new that they enjoy. Take a look at some of the artists that we will be working with&hellip;
Christella Litras
Christella ... ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2020 10:01:11 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Introducing: The Creative Associate Artists ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/introducing-the-creative-associate-artists ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/introducing-the-creative-associate-artists ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ The Creative Associate Artists are a key part of the Geraldine Connor Foundation. &nbsp;Not only do they help guide the direction that GCF takes, they are often the core of artistic delivery for our projects. They are a hugely talented and skilled group of people so we thought we&rsquo;d tell you a bit more about who they are and what they do.
Who are they?
The Creative Associates are the artistic heart of the Geraldine Connor Foundation. Most of them knew or worked with Geraldine Connor&nbsp;and are passionate about continuing her legacy. There is a huge mixture of specialisms within the group, ranging from spoken word to musical theatre to visual art; if you can think of an artform then we&rsquo;ll almost certainly have a specialist within our ranks. The Creative Associates are all highly skilled and experienced artists who have worked across the world. We believe in the power of collaboration and mixing of talent and having a group such as the Creative Associates within GCF is a h... ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2020 10:00:55 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ GCF's 2019 ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/gcfs-2019 ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/gcfs-2019 ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ 2019 is nearly over and what a year the Geraldine Connor Foundation has had! We&rsquo;ve run loads of projects across Leeds as well as supporting many of our Creative Associate Artists in their own projects. We have worked with nearly 1,500 young people in Leeds through workshops in schools and projects such as Global Mash Up. Bringing art and culture into peoples&rsquo; lives has never been more important and we are so glad to be able to introduce new artforms into the lives of young people and watch them explore new interests and develop their talents.
Take a look at this infographic to see what we have been up to:

As you can see it&rsquo;s been an action-packed year! Here are some of our highlights:
The Journey of Things at the Hepworth Wakefield marked a new programme and partnership. Khadijah Ibrahiim and Rheima Robinson worked with ESOL students from Wakefield College interpreted the work of Magdalene Odundo through spoken word.
It was fantastic to watch Adeline and Lulia b... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 12 Feb 2020 09:41:17 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ "That's A Wrap": Global Mash Up 2019 Roundup ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/global-mash-up-2019-roundup ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/global-mash-up-2019-roundup ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Last week, during October half term, 30 young people from across Leeds came together to&nbsp; spend a week exploring performing arts from across the world. This was part of a week-long course called Global Mash Up for young people aged 8-18. They had the opportunity to work with artists Christella Litras, Rob Green and Ella Mesma to explore music, dance and drama. Throughout the week they created their own performance by writing original music and drama and choreographing dances.
Global Mash Up began early on Monday morning at Leeds City Academy. The young people arrived and split into groups that &nbsp;rotated throughout the day so everyone got to try out the different strands of performance. At the end of the first day they decided which strand they wanted to focus on and split into three groups: music, dance and drama. Over the rest of the week, the young people began to develop ideas based on &lsquo;The Power of Green&rsquo; that would lead towards a final performance on the Frida... ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2020 10:01:24 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Geraldine Connor Wins Legacy Award! ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/geraldine-connor-legacy-award-nomination ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/geraldine-connor-legacy-award-nomination ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ This blog was initially published on 14th October with the news of the nomination but has been updated on 24th October after Geraldine won the award.&nbsp;We are delighted to announce that Geraldine Connor has a Legacy Award for 'Lifetime Achievement'
The Legacy Awards&nbsp;celebrate excellence by those that are not usually recognised for their achievements. Awards are given to individuals and organisations that go above and beyond to reach their goals and impact on their community, city and further afield.  We are thrilled that Geraldine has been recognised for her work; her impact on arts and culture in Leeds and across the world &nbsp;truly was outstanding, and her legacy continues to inspire people today.
Geraldine is possibly best known for having written, composed and directed Carnival Messiah, a spectacular work that reimagines Handel&rsquo;s Messiah and mixes it with the music and eclecticism of Caribbean Carnival. Carnival Messiah was performed several times in the UK and al... ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2020 10:03:15 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ What's On In Leeds: Black History Month 2019 ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/black-history-month-leeds-whats-on ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/black-history-month-leeds-whats-on ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Throughout October the world is celebrating Black History Month. Although we believe that the achievements of black people should be celebrated all year round, this is an opportunity to emphasise the achievements and contributions of black people in Leeds and throughout the world.
There are many events occurring in Leeds for Black History Month and we have pulled together a list of our top picks. Take a look below and get along to an event!
5th October: Leeds Black History Walk&nbsp;
11:00 - 13:00. Parkinson Steps, University of Leeds.
Join Joe Williams on the Leeds Black History Walk to explore Africa&rsquo;s immense connections and invaluable contribution to local British history and social development. The walk is free of charge and begins at the Parkinson Steps of the University of Leeds at 11am.
5th October: Children of the Windrush &ndash; Through the Lens of Reggae
12:00 &ndash; 14:00. Leeds City Museum. 
A reggae event in partnership with the BME Hub. There will be perfo... ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 07 Nov 2019 14:14:49 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ The Benefits of Musical Theatre ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/the-benefits-of-musical-theatre ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/the-benefits-of-musical-theatre ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ It&rsquo;s a well-known fact that creativity is a hugely important part of life. LinkedIn even claims it is the &lsquo;most important skill in the world&rsquo; and that even if you do not work in a creative industry, being able to think creatively could really benefit your career. It also has the benefit of being a really human attribute. It may feel like computers are about to take over the world but apparently they still aren&rsquo;t as creative as we are: take a look at these knitting patterns generated by a computer &ndash; they&rsquo;re definitely not wearable! At GCF we are huge advocates of tapping into your creativity, be it through visual or performing arts. Whether you do it for a career or for fun it&rsquo;s hard to deny the benefits that doing something creative can have. As we have our next musical theatre workshop coming up in a couple of weeks we thought we&rsquo;d do a bit of research into some of the benefits of doing musical theatre can bring.
Self-Confidence&nbsp;
... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 01 Oct 2019 13:43:53 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ GCF's New Website ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/gcfs-new-website ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/gcfs-new-website ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ Welcome to GCF&rsquo;s new website!
Over the past few months we have been working on developing this new website. As you can see, it is much smoother and easier to navigate than our old website, as well as having several added features. You can now donate straight to GCF. You can buy tickets for our events straight from the website, for example for our upcoming musical theatre workshop &lsquo;The Age of Aquarius&rsquo;. It is also possible for us to host fundraising pages on the website so if you would like to run an event to fundraise for us you will be able to do that.
Our website address is still the same (www.gcfoundation.co.uk) so don&rsquo;t worry about being able to find us.
We&rsquo;re really excited to share our new look with you &ndash; we hope you like it as much as we do. Please feel free to use the comment section below to let us know your thoughts!

 ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 18 Sep 2019 15:41:10 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ 10 Unusual Facts About Les Misérables ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/10-unusual-facts-about-les-miserables ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/10-unusual-facts-about-les-miserables ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ It&rsquo;s just under a week until our musical theatre workshop At The End of the Day so we have been investigating the award-winning musical Les Mis&eacute;rables. Written by Claude-Michel Sch&ouml;nberg and Alan Boublil, Les Mis&eacute;rables is based on the 1862 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. It follows the story of ex-convict Jean Valjean through France as he tries to find redemption and escape the clutches of police officer Javert. The story culminates in a student revolution (based on the Paris uprising of 1832) and has become incredibly popular since its premi&egrave;re in 1985. Les Mis&eacute;rables is one of the most successful musicals ever &ndash; it has been performed across the world and is the longest-running show in the West End. A show with this much history is bound to have some interesting stories to tell, so we have done some digging to come up with ten interesting facts that you may not have known about Les Mis&eacute;rables.

When it opened in the West En... ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2020 09:12:16 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Young Ambassadors Bring Windrush Into Schools ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/young-ambassadors-bring-windrush-into-schools ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/young-ambassadors-bring-windrush-into-schools ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ 
Over the past two years, GCF have been working on a Windrush project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The first half of this project culminated in the production Sorrel &amp; Black Cake: A Windrush Story that was performed at the Mandela Centre in Chapeltown, The Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds Central Library and at the Ilkley Literature Festival. We also developed a Windrush Learning Resource that contains everything you need to plan and teach a lesson on Windrush or simply educate yourself.
As the project draws to a close two of our Young Ambassadors, Adeline Pitu and Lulia Togara have been developing a workshop to deliver in schools throughout June. To find out a bit about how they have found the experience of putting together a workshop and presenting in schools I asked them a few questions.
What have you learnt from creating the workshop?
Lulia: The importance of the bigger picture! Not just focusing on the interesting bits of information I want to share, but really thinki... ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 27 Aug 2019 14:04:43 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Introducing Our Windrush Learning Resource ]]></title><link><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/introducing-our-windrush-learning-resource ]]></link><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ https://www.gcfoundation.co.uk/Blog/introducing-our-windrush-learning-resource ]]></guid><description><![CDATA[ In just over a month's time on Saturday 22nd June, we'll be celebrating Windrush Day 2019. It is a wonderful opportunity to come together to celebrate and commemorate the remarkable contribution of the Windrush Generation to British economic, social and cultural life.
In the meantime, we'd like to take the opportunity to do a big shout out about our Windrush Learning Resource, where you can find out all about the Windrush Generation. Our resources combine a mixture of short films, interviews, recipes, reading lists and playlists. View the full resource here.
If you would like a free workshop in school or the community about the Windrush Generation, please contact GCF: selina@gcfoundation.co.uk.
  
YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_vzhDPFHlY
   ]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 19 Jul 2019 09:20:12 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>