Community Capsule

Title: Community capsule – world war II

Aims:

-To document the experiences of African Caribbean men and women during WWII

-To record how they were treated during the war/post war era

– To document what society was like for them at that time;

-To Document what society was like for their families and the cumulative effects/impact upon them.

Description

Community Capsule, a partnership project between Nottingham Black Archive and Nottingham Photographers Hub, documented the experiences of Nottingham’s World War II Black Servicemen and their families. The project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It covered the war period 1939-1945 and up to 10 years after (to 1955). It includes servicemen’s testimonies of fighting during the War and rebuilding their lives afterwards.

Collection

-Photographs,

-Books,

-11 oral history testimonies from ex-servicemen, childhood memories of the war.

-6 minute trailer

Armchair Traveller

On the 28th May NBA hosted a whistle stop tour of the Black presence in the NG7 area of Nottingham from the earliest point in time to the present day . Stories were told through poetry, music, film and drama by members of the Nottingham community, including the first generation of Caribbeans to settle in Nottingham during the 1950s. read more →

Treasure In The Archive

We have turned 6 this year and have planned 6 events for each joyous year of our existence. Our third event is on the 28th July at New Art Exchange in collaboration with Black Cultural Archive (BCA) Treasure In The Archive series. read more →

Nottingham Black Writers

We are currently documenting Black writers in Nottingham and aim to create a timeline of writers from the earliest time to the present day. This includes Black writers of fiction and non-fiction, magazines, newsletters and pamphlets. Black writers must either have been born in Nottingham, or have lived in Nottingham for at least 12months or are living in Nottingham currently and have been doing so for at least 12 months. The writers must also have been published or self-published and be of African Caribbean heritage. read more →

Community Capsule Launch Event

For 18 months Nottingham Black Archive worked with Nottingham Photographers' Hub to document the contribution of Black Ex-Service personnel and their families in WWII. This event held at New Art Exchange launched the exhibition, learning resource, and the book and dvd No Tears For Me My Mother. read more →

In Memory Of The Millions

Commemorative event celebrating the Commonwealths Service personnel in the two World Wars, held at New Art Exchange 16th May 2015 read more →

Intergenerational project

NBA worked in-conjunction with the Afro-Caribbean National Artistic Centre (ACNA) during 2011 to deliver an Intergenerational Project. The Project involved working with a group of young people (16-25 years old) and elderly members of the African Caribbean community. The theme was bridging the generation gap. read more →

Ain’t nothin’ but a heartache

This event was organised jointly with the Nottingham Playhouse and provided a rare opportunity to hear from one of the first black stars to appear on British TV, singer Viola Billups, aka Pearly Gates from Alabama, and Nottingham’s community activist, Louise Garvey. read more →

Journeys to Nottingham

I came to England in 1943 and to Nottingham in 1951. I was in the air force for five years. When I came to England in the Cornwall areas you had to take off your hat and say ’Good morning Squire.’ if you didn’t you could lose your job. (Mr Oswald George Powe) read more →

Community Capsule

Common Land

“Times were hard. Most of the people had large families and some lived in two up two down with the toilets outside, no inside baths, but yet if the conditions were right babies were delivered at home”. Tryphena Anderson – Midwife in St Anns during the 1960s read more →