Dark Heritage: Experience the horrors of the slave trade in the dark.
Laura Wilkinson
26 April 2007
Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich
Tuesday 15 May – Sunday 17 June 2007
PRESS PREVIEW DAY MONDAY 14 MAY 10.00
Dark Heritage explores the horrors of 18th century slavery in a touring sonic installation, The DARK, to mark the 2007 Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade. The tour begins at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, on Tuesday 15 May.
When you enter The DARK you enter a pitch black space where a powerful and dramatic three dimensional soundscape immerses you in a story set in the days of the 18th century when British ships and British finance controlled the global slave trade. In The DARK your eyes are no use to you - instead, you will need to rely on your ears, your imagination and your courage to find your way through the narrative. The resulting experience is a stimulating mixture of the exciting, the challenging and the scary, and an encounter with our heritage that dramatically illuminates a particularly harrowing aspect of the slave trade.
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded a grant of £136,000 to Bee Arts CIC for their Dark Heritage project. This contribution will fund the creation, distribution and delivery of the participatory educational activities. Arts Council England’s contribution of £33,597 will fund the tour and distribution of these activities.
Carole Souter, Director of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said:
"Dark Heritage is a truly innovative and imaginative project which will help people of all ages to learn about the slave trade and its abolition in a sensitive and practical way. Bee Art's installation is the 100th bicentenary project that the Heritage Lottery Fund has supported and we were particularly impressed with its strong educational strand and desire to bring out many of the hidden histories of those who were involved in the abolition movement."
The DARK opens at the Old Royal Naval College on Tuesday 15 May.
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive, Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College said:
The Greenwich Foundation is delighted that the Old Royal Naval College has been chosen to host the first stage of the tour. Installations such as The DARK offer our visitors a new and imaginative way of learning about such an important subject, in the unrivalled setting of the College’s historic buildings and grounds. This project furthers our objective to engage local schools and community groups in a wide-reaching programme of activities here.”
The DARK is open to the general public and is offering workshops for schools and community groups. During the week
The DARK is open for school groups (10.00 - 13.00) with one public performance and at weekends and throughout half-term it will be open for general public with performances every 20 minutes (10.00 – 16.30).
Booking and full tour details are available at www.beearts.org.uk/dark.html
Listing Information
Dark Heritage
Tuesday 15 May – Sunday 17 June
Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, SE10 9LW
Weekdays 10.00 – 13.00: school and community group workshops, one public performance at 12.40.
Weekends and half-term 10.00 – 16.30: open to all, performance every 20 minutes.
Explore the horrors of the 18th century slave trade in a pitch-black installation.
For information on school and community sessions visit www.beearts.org.uk/dark.html
For general visitor information visit www.oldroyalnavalcollege.org or call 020 8269 4799.
Further Information
All members of the press are invited to experience The DARK on 14th May at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich.
For further information about The DARK, the tour schedule and for images please contact Terry Braun or Gabi Braun, Directors of Bee Arts CIC: tel 0208 670 5323, email: terrybraun@beearts.org.uk
Interviews are available with Terry Braun and Gabi Braun, Producers of Dark Heritage; Maria Oshodi, Writer of The Dark; Craig Tunstall, Head Teacher at Kingswood Primary School
Notes to Editors:
1. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded a grant of £136,000 to Bee Arts CIC for their Dark Heritage project, comprising The DARK, a sonic art installation, and specially created educational activities. HLF’s contribution will fund the creation, distribution and delivery of these participatory educational activities. Arts Council England’s contribution of £33,597 will fund the tour and distribution of these activities. Dark Heritage will travel to six locations in the UK starting in Greenwich in May and finishing in Bolton in December 2007.
2. Bee Arts CIC http://www.beearts.org.uk/ is a new not-for-profit Community Interest Company established in early 2007 by Gabi Braun and Terry Braun to devise and produce community arts and educational projects, with an emphasis on digital arts and new media. Gabi Braun and Terry Braun, are also directors of Braunarts Ltd., http://www.braunarts.com/
3. The DARK was conceived and produced by Terry Braun & Gabi Braun in collaboration with the writer Maria Oshodi and composer Rob Godman. The DARK was created by Braunarts for Culture Online / The Department for Culture, Media and Sport © 2004. The Dark Heritage tour will be the first time that The DARK has been offered to the public supported by specially produced creative educational activities. http://www.thedark.net/
4. Following the departure of the Royal Navy in 1998, the Greenwich Foundation signed a 150-year lease to manage the Old Royal Naval College. The Foundation, as a registered charity, conserves, restores and interprets the buildings and their grounds for the benefit of the nation. In 1999 the University of Greenwich became tenants on the site shortly followed by Trinity College of Music in 2001. The Foundation manages the Painted Hall and Chapel, the related undercrofts, Visitor Centre, the grounds and oversees the whole site. Public access has been much increased and the Foundation, and its two principal on-site partners, present a wide range of events and activities. These include open-air theatre and opera, activities for families and children, daily guided tours, concerts and exhibitions.
