About the Big History Bright Futures project
The Big History Bright Futures project was created to encourage young people to learn about and celebrate the histories of their families and communities through creative art forms. This initiative was funded by Historic England in partnership with Imagine Rotherham and Children’s Capital of Culture.
These partnerships aim to inspire young people and build a sense of community pride. Overall, the project aims to empower people by connecting them to their roots and community heritage, celebrating diversity, and building a stronger sense of community through art.
We worked with talented mural artist Lucy Oates to run art workshops with local young people which fed into a large-scale mural Lucy then designed for the Clifton Learning Partnership building, transforming the space with the young people’s artworks inspired by their heritage.
What the work involved
Young people attended workshops with the talented mural artist Lucy Oates, who encouraged them to connect with their families and local communities, exploring their own lived experiences and the stories of their families. These stories were transformed by the young people into small art pieces from collages and lino prints.
Our artist Lucy used these designs to create the final mural, which showcased the young people’s family’s stories and the cultural diversity in the community.
After the mural had been painted, it was time to celebrate all the hard work! So, we hosted a celebration event at Clifton Community School. This event brought together all those involved in the project, including young participants, their families, local Councillors, and community members.
It was a vital space to share the stories and artworks created throughout the project, where young people involved had the opportunity to share their experiences and what they learnt.
The Legacy of the project
Through this project and by connecting with their heritage, young people gained a deeper understanding of their communities and themselves. Exploring their heritage had the power to give young people a sense of pride and ownership, not only in their school community but also in the wider community.
One young boy noted that he felt more comfortable talking to his classmates because of how the project had encouraged young people to talk about their heritage.
“I enjoyed it because I love painting and it’s calming. It [mural wall] looks so much better than it used to before the mural. I want more stuff like this to come to Clifton because it makes things brighter and it’s not boring. Having representation for different heritages is important because I’m proud of my heritage and I want to show it off.” – young participant.
“I enjoyed doing this mural because it was fun and interesting. I learnt how to paint, and it made me feel confident working with Lucy [mural artist]. I’m also really proud of my heritage and the fact that my flag, the gypsy flag, is being represented on this mural.” – young participant.