Project '81 Evaluation Report

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Evaluation ReportNovember 2011Compiled by Jim Ralley of The Big Art People

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PEOPLE

Contents

Foreword

Executive summary

The focus of the heritage work

Project aims

The story of Project ‘81

Outputs

Key partners

In-kind contributions

Project aims and impact mapping

Findings from visitor surveys

Visitor comments

Social media engagement

News coverage

Project review (poster session)

Summary of lessons learnt

Credits

Funders, sponsors, and supporters

Links

All photos in this report are by Jim Ralley

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Foreword

I was a five year old boy when I watched the riots taking place from my auntie and uncle’s house on Quinney Crescent, and since then I have always been fascinated by how the events of 1981 shaped our community. Through the process of putting Project ‘81 together I have learnt a great deal and developed a closer emotional bond with our heritage.

The project has only been possible with the help of the people of Moss side and the surrounding areas. When I set out to make this happen, my mission was to put on an event for the community but knew that it could only be delivered by the community itself, and that is absolutely true.

It has been a tribute that so many talented local people have pulled together to make Project ‘81 happen. They have brought their knowledge and expertise and without them this project wouldn’t have been possible. Add to that the commitment of our core team of dedicated staff and the wonderful volunteers and you can see how much effort has been put into this.

Our partner organisations have been totally committed to this project from the start and have offered their time, services, and archives that were critical to making this project as interesting and well-rounded as it is. We have collected an amazing archive of material that will become freely accessible in the near future and will be a priceless resource for future generations.

Finally, this is a Heritage Lottery Fund project and without their funding none of this would have been possible. Particular thanks go to Karen, Iain and Sally for their support and helping to make Project ‘81 a reality.

I am incredibly proud of what we have collectively achieved and I hope you are too.

Chris BissonProject Curator and Artistic Director

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Executive summary

Project ‘81 was a series of public events, workshops, and art and film projects that ran from March to August 2011, all focused around the 1981 Moss Side riots. With the financial support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Project ‘81 set out to deliver an exciting programme of events that brought this recent history to life. In putting together these projects it created a massive archive of materials, some old and some new.

Hundreds of people contributed to the project in countless ways. Volunteers of all ages, local schools, community groups, media professionals, public bodies, and private companies all pitched in, providing funding, services, expertise, contacts, and help in a myriad other ways. This kind of help enabled Project ‘81 to deliver activities to the value of approximately £152,000, on a HLF budget of just £50,000.

Project ‘81 culminated in a two-day series of events in the custom-made Media Tent at the Caribbean Carnival on the 13th and 14th of August. Over the two days over 2,500 people visited the tent to view the Archive Display, watch the original documentary and archive films, participate in debates, and listen to performance poets.

The project was a huge success, engaging members of the local Moss Side community and Greater Manchester, and visitors to the area. Of the 89 visitors to the Media Tent that filled in the survey:

• 96% agreed or strongly agreed that they had an enjoyable visit• 86% agreed or strongly agreed that Project ‘81 had given them the

opportunity to reflect on the 1981 riots• 88% agreed or strongly agreed that they had gained new knowledge or

understanding about the 1981 riots• 91% agreed or strongly agreed that Project ‘81 would leave a valuable

legacy in conserving local heritage• 98% agreed or strongly agreed that this kind of heritage work is

important

The Archive Display and films are now touring key cultural locations in Manchester, widening the community engagement with the project even further.

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Outside the Media Tentat the Caribbean Carnival

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The focus of the heritage work

Project ’81 aimed to provide a timely retrospective marking 30 years since the Moss Side Riots of July 1981.

The project would give residents of Moss Side, Greater Manchester, and visitors the opportunity to learn about the riots and their underlying causes.

It would also provide opportunities for residents and visitors to consider the changes and developments that have taken place in the community as a result of the riots.

Project ’81 aimed to preserve the rich and diverse heritage of the last 30 years in Moss Side that is in danger of being lost. Early consultations suggested that the many new residents of Moss Side were unaware of its rich recent history.

The project would examine how the media currently reports civil unrest, compared to in 1981.

It would give those involved a chance to reflect, and those that weren’t a place to learn.

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Project aims

1. To enable the community to reflect on, and learn about the Moss Side riots and the resulting changes to the community.

2. To enable the community to participate meaningfully in all aspects of the project.

3. To create and exhibition using newspaper cuttings and photos

4. To work with young filmmakers to create a documentary about the riots.

5. To deliver a series of educational workshops to two schools in Moss Side.

6. To create one troupe to participate in the main Carnival street procession.

7. To host public debates and Q&A session with key figures from the time.

8. To collaborate with partners to deliver a quality, accessible, and exciting project.

9. To ensure the project leaves a valuable legacy that will conserve the heritage explored.

10. To carry out a quantitative and qualitative evaluation and clear reporting.

11. To work with a wide range of people.

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The story of Project ‘81 in brief

Preparatory work began in early 2011 with Project Curator and Artistic Director Chris Bisson and Project Manager Mike Bisson contacting the key partner organisations and project staff members. Greater Manchester Police, the MEN, the BBC, ITV, the North West Film and Sound Archive, the University of Manchester, Zion Arts Centre, Greater Manchester Police Museum, and the People’s History Museum all came on board very early on, providing archive materials and historical expertise.

As the HLF bid was developed and submitted, the planning and organisation had already started to take place. From March to May 2011, Project Researcher Judy Craven interviewed a wide range of people from the Moss Side community and gathered information for the exhibition and school workshops.

Dr Laurence Brown started to pull out archive materials for use in the education workshops and archive display.

Colin Stone began working on the archive documentary with footage from the MEN, BBC, ITV, and NWFA archives.

Jim Ralley from The Big Art People was brought on board as Evaluation Coordinator.

Chris Bisson partnered with ‘BBC Developing Talent’ to put the call out for aspiring filmmakers. This relationship with the Developing Talent team would turn up all of the selected filmmakers. And many other key people got busy doing countless other crucial tasks.

The funding was confirmed on 26th May 2011 and planning and organisation continued.

A call was put out for a Project Coordinator, and after a quick interviewing process Jess Zadik was appointed on 28th June. The creative workshops to develop a Carnival troupe also began, after Charlotte Barnes was hired to run the sessions and manage this section of the project in collaboration with Saskia Metcalf at the Zion Centre in Hulme, and Circus Zapparelli.

The documentary team had been selected and started work on the 4th July. The four young local people had access to documentary and archive footage and clippings from the period, and spent days researching the key figures, stories, and issues from the 1981 riots.

The first educational workshop was run at Chorlton High School on the 11th July, and the second workshop was run at the Manchester Academy in Moss Side on the 15th July.

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Judy Craven and Laurence Brown had collected a wealth of materials for the exhibition, and Nadine Andrews was bought on board as the Layout and Interpretation Designer to help finalise the display boards. The first meeting with Judy Craven, Nadine Andrews, two curators from the People’s History Museum, and Laurence Brown was on the 15th July. They worked on the design for the next few weeks, and the final pieces were designed down in Bristol by Media Co.

Work at the Zion Centre creating the costumes and dances for the Carnival troupe began on the 25th July, and ran right up to the day before the Carnival. 22 young people were involved in the workshops and most of them participated in the final performance in front of the Media Tent during the Carnival weekend.

On the 26th July the poets from Young Identity started developing ideas and working with the archive materials provided by Judy and Laurence.

Chris decided that the only discipline missing from the project was some visual art. A chance meeting with internationally renowned graffiti artist Tony KayZe, who was working with the documentary team, provided the inspiration for the mural. They agreed to show Moss Side in 1981 and 2011.

The Caribbean Carnival hosted the Project ’81 Media Tent during the weekend of the 13th and 14th of August. Project staff, volunteers, and Carnival staff all pitched in to get the tent set up before the first event on Saturday morning, the premiere of the documentary film, I Predict a Riot. The weekend was a great success.

Tapes were lodged with the Northwest Film Archive and NWSA.

A group of key project staff came together on the 18th September to evaluate the project.

The exhibition started touring the city, going to the Windrush Centre in Moss Side/Hulme.

It moved to the Samuel Alexander Building at the University of Manchester.

The display is scheduled to go to the GMP Museum next and then the Zion Centre.

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Young documentary filmmakersat reelMCR

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Outputs

FILM - Moss Riot: The Forgotten TapesOriginal film made using archive footage from the BBC, ITV, The Manchester Evening News, Greater Manchester Police, North West Sound Archive, and North West Film Archive. Produced by Colin Stone, Directed by Paul Sapin, and edited by Liza Ryan-Carter.

FILM - I Predict a RiotOriginal documentary film telling the story of the riots from a local perspective. Made by four young filmmakers (Tashaneish Crawford, Kezia Daniel, Marian Edusei, and Paredeep Singh Gill) in collaboration with reelMCR. With Charles Lauder, Chris Bisson, and Eamonn O’Neal executive producing; Vanessa Kirkpatrick, Interviewer; Jacqui Carroll, Producer; Jarrod Roberts and Terry Egan, Camera Operators; and Liza Ryan-Carter, Editor.

Archive DisplayA curved, three-section display that charts “Life in ‘81”, “The Riots & Hytner Enquiry”, and “Life in 2011”.Curated by Judy Craven; designed by Nadine Andrews; graphics by Derek Edwards; historical advice from Laurence Brown; curatorial advice from Kate Chatfield at the People’s History Museum, Gurdeep Thiara at Manchester Museum, and Duncan Brody and Lynn Marsh at Greater Manchester Police; photography by Drew Forsyth; digitising and material rights from Greater Manchester Police; archive rights and researchers from Manchester Evening News and Eamon O’Neal; and printing by Media Co.

Back Chat SessionsFree, open, live, participatory interviews and Q&A sessions with key local figures from the 1980s. Curated by BBC Radio Producer and Presenter Karen Gabay and hosted by Vince Atta, speakers and panelists included Neville Staple (from iconic 80s band The Specials), Gabrielle Cox, Martin Harding, Elouise Edwards, Gus John, Slyvia Tella, Martell Prince, and Aaron Jackson.

1981 Carnival Procession TroupeThrough two weeks of creative and participatory workshops, this group of young people and adults learnt about the events in July 1981, made costumes, designed props, customised vehicles to look like 80s police cars, learnt to stilt walk, and choreographed routines.

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This section was led by Charlotte Barnes as project manager, with costume and design by Aliyah Hussain, choreography by Esther Clarke, historical workshop by Coco P, creative director Danny Zapparelli, hosted and supported by Zion Arts Centre.

Young Identity Performance PoetryOne-off performance of original poetry written specially for Project ‘81 by this group of poets and spoken word performers. Shirley May and Ali Gadema, Artistic Directors; Segun Lee French, Workshop Facilitator

Educational WorkshopsDeveloped by musician and storyteller Coco P, and University of Manchester historian Laurence Brown. These two workshops led Year 10 pupils from Manchester Academy in Moss Side, and Chorlton Academy through the historical and sociocultural context of the 1981 riots.The workshops were developed in collaboration with the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre, Judy Craven, Elouise Edwards, Bill Williams, and the staff and students at both schools.

Graffiti MuralArtist Tony kAYzE worked outside the Media Tent during the Caribbean Carnival to produce a 20 x 8ft mural in response to Project ‘81 and the events of 1981.

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1981 Carnival Troupeworkshops at Zion Arts Centre

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Educational workshop at Chorlton High School

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Key partners

(proposed in original bid to HLF)

BBCCultural Diversity Network NorthITVManchester AcademyManchester City CouncilManchester Evening NewsNorth West Film ArchiveNorth West Sound ArchivePeople’s History MuseumWFA Media and Culture CentreZion Arts Centre

(additional)

The Big Art PeopleCommonwordChorlton High SchoolGB Building SolutionsGreater Manchester PoliceMediaCoPatwa Design StudioPelican PressreelMCR (replaced WFA)The University of Manchester

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Grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund

£50,000Additional value of in-kind contributions

£102,046 (approx)

In-kind contributions come from people and companies giving their time, expertise, materials, and services for free or at reduced rates; and from people volunteering their time.

Total worth of Project ‘81 activities

£152,046 (approx)

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1981 Carnival Troupeworkshops at Zion Arts Centre

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Impact mappingThis section lists the 11 main aims of Project ‘81, which of the HLF’s core aims they meet, what success indicators the Project ‘81 team used to assess whether those aims had been met, and the ways in which the aims were actually met. Quantitative data comes from the project outputs, the visitor survey, and social media analytics. Qualitative data is drawn from the evaluation session run with key project staff in late September, from interviews with participants during events, and from written feedback forms given to trainees and volunteers. Where possible the quotes are accompanied by the relevant source.

Project ‘81 Aim 1To enable the community to reflect on, and learn about the Moss Side riots and the resulting changes to the community.

HLF Aim Success Indicator EvidenceLearning Visitors reflect

on and learn something new about the riots

86% of visitors agreed/strongly agreed that Project ‘81 gave them an opportunity to reflect on the riots88% of visitors agreed/strongly agreed that they gained new knowledge or understanding about the 1981 riots

Participation Visitors engage in debate at the Q&A sessions

We produced videos of the Backchat Sessions in which you can see audience interaction. They can be found here - http://vimeo.com/user4559693“The Q&A and debates gave visitors the chance to reflect and learn” (Poster Session)

Conservation The reflections and opinions of the community are recorded and published

See the videos of the Q&A sessions on Vimeo

See pp.25-26 for a list of visitor responses

Project ‘81 Aim 2To enable the community to participate meaningfully in all aspects of the project.

HLF Aim Success Indicator EvidenceParticipation Members of the Moss

Side Community visit the Media Tent

Moss Side is covered by the M14 and M16 postcode areas, and 48% of visitors came from those areas

Members of the Moss Side community are involved in the exhibition, documentary film, and public debates

“The 2011 riots actually served to engage people more with the project, making these historical events far more relevant” (Poster Session)

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Project ‘81 Aim 3To create an exhibition using newspaper cuttings and photos.

HLF Aim Success Indicator EvidenceLearning Visitors learn something

new about the riots88% of visitors agreed/strongly agreed that they gained new knowledge or understanding about the 1981 riots

Participation The community is involved in the creation of the exhibition”

“We needed to have points of view from different groups. Personal accounts, newspaper cuttings, statistics, different points of view responding to what happened, people lent us files, letters written by solicitors, letters from a youth worker to the chief of police. It was about finding different ways to represent different points of view” (Judy Craven - Display Curator)“The display was created by the community, it featured interviews and documents from the community, and this served to better engage other members of the same community” (Poster Session)

Conservation Stories and information that might have been lost, is preserved in the archive and display

“It gave the community an opportunity to record its own history” (Poster Session)“It was important to document the historical facts that the project uncovered and made visible” (Poster Session)

Project ‘81 Aim 4To work with young filmmakers to create a documentary about the riots.

HLF Aim Success Indicator EvidenceLearning Young filmmakers learn

new skills, and learn about the riots and local heritage

“The staff were amazing and very knowledgeable. I learnt a lot due to their professionalism” (Young Filmmaker)

Participation Members of the community contribute to, and form an essential part of the documentary film

“The filmmakers and interviewees were all members of the local and regional community” (Poster Session)

Conservation Stories and information that might have been lost, is preserved in the archive and display

“It gave the community an opportunity to record its own history” (Poster Session)“It was important to document the historical facts that the project uncovered and made visible

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Project ‘81 Aim 5To deliver a series of educational workshops to two schools in Moss Side.

HLF Aim Success Indicator EvidenceLearning Develop workshops with

an education professionalDr Laurence Brown from the University of Manchester and Coco P developed the workshops in collaboration with the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre, Judy Craven, Eloise Edwards, and Bill Williams

Workshops teach children something about the riots

We knew a little, but we know quite a lot now (Pupil at Manchester Academy)We knew that riots happened but we didn’t know anything about them. We didn’t know how Moss Side had got to how it is today (Pupil at Manchester Academy)We learnt about the riots and what happened and the different reasons why people started the riots (Pupil at Chorlton Academy)We were working with 13/14 year-olds, giving the students some information which I thought they received very well. They gave us an indication (through drama, poetry, and music) that they understood (Coco P - Workshop Leader)

Participation Children actively participate in the sessions

It was really fun and very interactive (Pupil at Manchester Academy)Really enjoyed the activities. It was a new way to learn. Singing and dancing (Pupil at Chorlton Academy)The schools workshops were participatory and free from the restraints of the curriculum. They taught the children something new (Poster Session)

Project ‘81 Aim 6To create one troupe to participate in the main carnival street procession.

HLF Aim Success Indicator EvidenceParticipation Young people and

volunteers collaborate with arts professionals on the troupe

There were 27 volunteers who worked on and participated in the troupe. 22 of them were under-18. The troupe worked with Danny Zapparelli, a circus-arts professional“Young people and parents engaged at the Zion centre” (Poster Session)

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HLF Aim Success Indicator EvidenceLearning Young people learn

about the riots“It was educational. I never knew about the riots, and he (Coco P) told us more about the Caribbean traditions. They also got us out of our comfort zones, they make you think quickly, and not to be shy around people. They had us up and jumping and stuff like that. I knew there was a riot and it was in 1981, but they went in more depth with us. He showed us what the people were rioting for, describing the things that happened, people getting arrested and people looting. That it wasn’t just young black men, that it was multicultural” (Young volunteer in a focus group discussion)

Project ‘81 Aim 7To host public debates and Q&A session with key figures from the time.

HLF Aim Success Indicator EvidenceParticipation Members of the

community attend the Q&A sessions

See the videos of the Q&A sessions on Vimeo - http://vimeo.com/user4559693

Members of the community participate in the Q&A sessions

See the videos of the Q&A sessions on Vimeo - http://vimeo.com/user4559693“The sessions were more of a success than anticipated, they brought people together and brought new people to the Caribbean Carnival” (Poster Session)

Project ‘81 Aim 8To collaborate with partners to deliver a quality, accessible, and exciting project.

HLF Aim Success Indicator EvidenceNone specifically

Work with all of the partners set out in the project plan

Planned to work with 12 organisations, ended up working with 22“The partnerships worked well” (Poster Session)“There could maybe have been better development of the relationships between partners” (Poster Session)“There was a significant credibility added to the project by the involvement of the BBC, the University of Manchester, ITV, MEN, GMP, and the Police Museum” (Poster Session)“The relationship with GMP in particular was mutually beneficial, especially for the GMP at the time of the 2011 riots. It showed they were actively engaging with the public and listening to the communities of Manchester” (Poster Session)

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Project ‘81 Aim 9To ensure the project leaves a valuable legacy that will conserve the heritage explored.

HLF Aim Success Indicator EvidenceConservation Tour the display The Project ‘81 Tour has started. The

fantastic displays and the graffiti boards are now available to view at the Windrush Millennium Centre (Facebook Status - 19/09/11)

Visitors agree that the work will leave a valuable legacy

91% of visitors agreed that Project ‘81 would leave a valuable legacy in conserving local heritage

Archive materials are made accessible after the project has ended

Some archive materials can be found on the Project ‘81 blog - http://mossside81.wordpress.com/“We need to talk about the potential future for the project, the need to find a permanent place for the physical archive, the populating of a digital archive” (Poster Session)

Project ‘81 Aim 10To carry out a quantitative and qualitative evaluation and clear reporting.

HLF Aim Success Indicator EvidenceNone specific An evaluation is done and

made accessible in both print and online

This evaluation report will be hosted on the blog, linked to on the Facebook page and on Twitter. Several hard copies will also be toured with the exhibition

Project ‘81 Aim 11To work with a wide range of people.

HLF Aim Success Indicator EvidenceParticipation The visitor

demographic profile is varied

The visitor demographics in terms of age were wide ranging but slightly skewed towards the 19-25 and 26-59 age ranges. There was a 67/33 female to male ratio in visitors.Visitors were also from diverse ethnic backgrounds, with 58% white, 25% black, 16% mixed ethnic group, and 1% Asian8% of visitors considered themselves to have a disabilityFacebook likes were spread across all ages“The participants in the project were all areas of Manchester” (Poster Session)

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Archive Display in the Media Tent

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Findings from visitor surveys

2,509 visitors to the Media Tent over two days

89 surveys were completed (3.5% of total visitors)

As no systematic attempt was made to undertake probability or randomised sampling, the responses from the survey cannot be assumed to be representative of any particular population, other than ‘people who came into the Media Tent who agreed to fill in a questionnaire’. However they do present a picture of opinions from a relatively diverse range of visitors to the Tent, and produce some valuable data for formative and summative evaluation of Project ‘81.

• 71% of respondents were aged between 26 and 59• There was a 67/33% female/male split in respondents• 58% were White, 25% Black (Caribbean, African, other), 12% from a

Mixed Ethnic group, 1% Asian (Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, other)• 8% considered themselves to have a disability

The questionnaire survey asked a range of questions about the experiences and opinions of visitors, and allowed space for respondents to make qualitative comments. These are collected below on pp.25-26.

The charts below represent how far respondents agreed with each question on a standard five-point scale, from strongly-disagree to strongly-agree. Each yellow brick represents 1%.

Charts

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagreeNeither agree nordisagree

2. I have had an enjoyable visit.

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3. Project ‘81 has given me the opportunityto reflect on the 1981 riots.


4. I have gained new knowledge or understandingabout the 1981 riots.


5. Project ‘81 has helped me to understand more about the local area and its people.

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6. The community has changed for the better since the 1981 riots.


7. Project ‘81 will leave a valuable legacy in conserving local heritage.


8. This kind of heritage work is important.

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Visitor comments

QUESTION - “If you agree or strongly agree that this kind of heritage work is important, why?”

ANSWERS

“Because if the events that occurred at the riots are not documented the struggles will be forgotten and would have been in vain.”

“Many people make assumptions and judgements (usually negative ones) based on what they see on the crappy media. This type of work is paramount in informing people of a ‘real’ community.”

“It is important for young people to understand our history and our journey. They might not be aware of 1981 and how far we have come. We still have a long way to go but what we don’t want is to go backwards.”

“Because it gives people the chance to talk about the things that matter to them.”

“I think it’s important, especially in our current situation, that the local community and everyone learn from our history to see how we can cope with our own situation.”

“Learning our shared history is really important. I really love this project, well done to everyone.”

“It’s easy to forget the struggles and history of residents. Plus too easy to go backwards if we’re not careful. There is still more to do.”

“As a visitor to England and the Manchester Carnival is was fascinating to see a community project that is keen to convey events affecting the Moss Side community so that they may not be repeated.”

“Need more time to think about it! Thank you.”

“So we can learn about history, struggle and resistance. Particularly in light of recent riots, it’s more important than ever.”

“Who else would compile this legacy? Otherwise history would be incomplete.”

“It helps to build the community - make it stronger - appreciate how far we have comeBecause it’s important to show the young how much they can make a difference.”

“To question and challenge assumptions about the past.”

“There is not much around like this to help the people and give us a voice.”

“Because we need to record how various people felt or reflect on issues - we have to learn from the past to move on and grow. Without recording the past those voices and

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opinions are lost.”

“So the past is not repeated and the true community are listened to not just the youth but the elderly - so all have a valid input into our children’s future.”

“A chance to reflect on negative aspects of local history and move on from then in a positive way.”

“I strongly agree because most of the issues Project ‘81 supports are valuable for community growth and development.”

Other comments“The film was fantastic - as was the whole event. Congratulations - it must have been hard work.”Clare Proffitt - BBC

“I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed working with you all. Thanks to you all for the opportunity of working with such a talented group and such a swell bunch of personalities. You’re all really lovely people!”Paul Sapin - Xray Spex Ltd

“Just wanted to say I think you’ve done both an extremely important and amazing job with Project 81. You should be proud of yourself.”Colin Stone - BBC

“I was really pleased with how the carnival went and I thought it was done in a really good way. It’s really great that you take the time to be involved. I was pleased it all went without trouble or major incident and people enjoyed themselves. The carnival was a great advert for Moss Side.”Tony Lloyd - MP

“Thanks for the opportunity. It was enjoyable, enlightening and instructive and Ibelieve we have managed to help four lovely, talented young people take some important early steps. And at the same time provide a useful community legacy.”Charles Lauder - Talawa Consulting

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Social media engagement

Project ‘81 had a Facebook Page and a Twitter account for the duration of the project. The aim was to engage a wider, digital audience by posting information, photos, audio, and video.

To date the Facebook page has 196 likes, and the Twitter account has 72 followers.

13 to 17 18 to 24

% who Like Project ‘81

25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55+

% who are on Facebook in the UK (accounting for 87% of total Likes)

Age of Facebook users

Social media followers over timeFacebookTwitter

0

40

80

120

160

200

04/1027/0920/0913/0906/0930/0823/0816/0809/0802/0826/0719/0712/0706/0729/0622/0615/0608/0601/06

Media Tent weekend

Facebook views/interactions per day

0

34

68

102

136

170

04/1027/0920/0913/0906/0930/0823/0816/0809/0802/0826/0719/0712/0706/0729/0622/0615/0608/0601/06

Media Tent weekend

First school workshop

Funding confirmed

Zion workbegins

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Audience at Backchat Q&A Sessions

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News coverage

The BBC covered the event for both TV and radio. Films about the riots made by Chris Bisson for BBC Northwest Tonight went out on the 7th and 8th July, which served as excellent promotion for Project ‘81.

Local radio station Peace FM provided coverage for the week leading up to the Caribbean Carnival.

The Manchester Evening News (MEN) ran a week-long retrospective on the 1981 Moss Side Riots in early July. Many of the key local figures that were featured in the documentary film and Q&A sessions were interviewed for these articles. The retrospective ended with an interview with Chris Bisson.

Monday July 4th - p.4-5Intro to week-long series of reports

Tuesday July 5th - p.6-7Interviews with Lester Williams and Norman Davies, from the documentary film

Wednesday July 6th - p.12-13More interviews, photos, and an interview with Gus John of the Moss Side Defence Committee.

Thursday July 7th - p.12-13Timeline of Moss Side with interviews with residents.

Friday July 8th - p.12-13Interview with former police superintendent Robin Oake.

Saturday July 9th - p.14Interview with Chris Bisson.

Tuesday August 2nd - p.19Chris publicising the work being done at Zion, and a callout for more volunteers.

Friday August 12th - p. 12A page on the Carnival and Project ‘81.

City Life Supplement - Friday August 12th - p.5Direct response to the Summer 2011 riots. A full page on Project ‘81 and the Carnival

The South Manchester Reporter also featured a two-page spread on the Carnival and Project ‘81, five days after the Carnival weekend on Thursday July 18th.

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Project review (Poster Session)

On September 18th 2011 the Evaluation Coordinator Jim Ralley ran an evaluation Poster Session along HLF evaluation guidelines. The aim of the session was to look at what worked in Project ‘81, what we could have done better, and what unintended positive consequences arose from the project. We also spoke about what we wanted to achieve next, and what we would need to do to achieve it.

Below are a selection of themes that arose from the session, paraphrased for the reader’s convenience. Some of the findings from the poster session can also be found in the Impact mapping section of this report, starting on p.16

Present at the meeting were (in alphabetical order):

Charlotte Barnes Project CoordinatorChris Bisson Project Curator and Artistic DirectorMike Bisson Project ManagerLaurence Brown Historical AdviserJacqui Carroll ProducerCharles Lauder Executive ProducerJim Ralley Evaluation Coordinator

HIGHS

Generally the project was seen as a great success. The poster session drew out five main high points.

The project benefited from Chris Bisson’s strong leadership and vision. He was instrumental in bringing partnership organisations on board, without which the project would not have taken place. It was this collaborative and community-focused culture that he fostered that enabled this £150k project to be delivered for just £50k.

The documentary film was far more successful than anticipated. Evidenced by the practical experience and contacts that the trainee filmmakers gained, the quality of the final product, the valuable oral histories recorded, the fantastic anecdotal feedback, the high demand for the DVD, the extra screenings that had to be put on, and the support from MPs, local councillors, and community leaders.

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The Media Tent, Archive Display, and public engagement with the Backchat Debate Q&A sessions were seen as a great success. The professionalism and high quality of the materials lent an air of authority to the whole event. The display drew people into the debates and screenings, and likewise the debates and screenings drew people over to the display.

The Zion troupe workshops were a particular high point. The project coordinator noted that engaging young people for two weeks during the Summer holidays to the level that Project ‘81 did, was a real achievement.

Finally, the archive was highlighted as an important output of the project. Its construction involved the local community in its heritage, and its subsequent use in the documentary, display, poetry, and blog led to further engagement and a permanent record of important historical facts.

LOWS

Despite it being an incredibly successful project, there were certain systemic, organisational, and logistical issues that made planning, organisation, and execution more challenging than it should have been. These lows, or issues, are grouped below.

Lack of infrastructure

Project ‘81 was developed through the Caribbean Carnival of Manchester, but the project staff had never worked together before. As such communication was sometimes difficult, roles lacked clarification, and the aims and objectives for each section sometimes lacked focus.

Many of the structural issues arose due to the short time scale for the project. The funding was confirmed just 11 weeks before the final Media Tent event at the Caribbean Carnival; the Project Manager came on board just 7 weeks before the Carnival; and the documentary film was made in just 6 weeks. This time scale was essential to have the project outputs ready in time for the Caribbean Carnival and a much larger audience, but it meant that some elements were rushed.

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Educational workshops

It was felt that the workshops were too broad in both content and delivery methods. More contact with the schools beforehand would have been beneficial.

Young people and teachers commented that the workshops gave too much historical information, and could have focused more on debate and reflection.

Unforeseen events

The draft display was lost in the post, delaying the design process.

The marquee company erected the Media Tent 20 hours late, delaying everything else for the Carnival weekend.

The Summer 2011 riots occurred just days before the Carnival. This meant that the Zion troupe were unable to participate in the parade, due to concern from the families. This is what they had been planning for, and some of the young people expressed their disappointment.

The local council were understandably concerned that a project focusing on the 1981 riots might cause unnecessary friction at such a delicate time. Chris Bisson had to attend a meeting with local councillors and screen both of the films to allay fears that the material was inflammatory, and to put their minds at ease.

A key sponsor withdrew their support as a result of the 2011 riots, which meant that the hospitality section of the Media Tent was understaffed and understocked.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

The involvement of Young Identity poets and spoken word artists developed poems in response to the 1981 Moss Side riots, and performed them at the close of the Caribbean Carnival in the Media Tent. Their involvement fits perfectly with the HLF aims of learning and participation, and there are plans to conserve the poems in the form of a short film. They made the events of 1981 and opinions surrounding those events more accessible to a wider audience who might not have read the display or come to watch the documentary or archive films.

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Draft Archive Display

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Tony Kelso the graffiti artist set up outside the Media Tent for the weekend and produced a mural inspired by Project ‘81. His work served to showcase the project. It brought people into the Media Tent who might not ordinarily have come. It made the work of Project ‘81 more visible and accessible to the wider Carnival audience.

The Zion troupe were unable to perform in the Carnival procession, and instead performed outside the Media Tent. The performance was timed for when it would have maximum effect. It came after the speeches and all of the dignitaries loved the performance. They included the chief constable, MP Tony Lloyd, the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, and local councillors to name a few.

The production of the exhibition and the quality of its presentation. It generated academic discussion about the need for the preservation of materials and papers. According to Laurence Brown from the University of Manchester the subject matter led to uniquely high levels of engagement, and a wealth of different materials being collected.

WHAT DO WE WANT TO ACHIEVE NEXT? (Wishes)

Project ‘81 should be more than just a one-off retrospective event, the materials produced should be made available as a local history offer.

If anything is distributed more widely it should not just be framed as of interest to black people - the issues and findings are applicable to the wider community of Moss Side, Manchester, and the UK.

All of the material needs to be made accessible, at least in ManchesterThere needs to be a proper archive created - both digital and physical

Perhaps Project ‘81 should not be thought of as a whole, but be split into its component sections - this provides more options for disseminating the materials further.

The project papers (emails, schedules, minutes, pictures, etc) should be archived.

We need to get a sense of who Project ‘81 is - does it want to become proper organisation? Or does it want to remain as a one-off project done

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under the Caribbean Carnival?

Develop the teaching pack to work in conjunction with the display, which can then tour the city/country.

Possibly publish the findings and materials from the project - Laurence Brown is certainly keen to submit something to an academic journal about the engagement, learning, and conservation work of the project.

Deal with the film and archive rights issues so that the film can be more widely shown.

Possibly make Project ‘81 a regular thing at the Carnival - or make some form of debate and public engagement with social issues a part of the Carnival.

Create a website to host the films, video rushes and interviews, photos and documents.

Develop more links with the University - this project has been a major step towards meaningful involvement with Moss Side and there is potential to tie the project in with the University’s outreach programme.

WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO ACHIEVE IT? (Actions)

Keep or create some kind of structure, whether it is a committee or a working group.

Get in touch with the Race Relations Trust and other similar bodies to care for and manage the archive.

Further develop the workshops with educators and schools.

Put in a possible second, larger bid to the HLF or other funding body to continue the work.

Put more materials online to increase access to what we have at the moment.

Explore other funding for the creation of several other films - there are hours and hours of footage from the documentary that have not been used.

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Young Identity performancesin the Media Tent

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Summary of lessons learnt

This kind of project and the outputs that it produced requires more money and more time. Whilst community engagement work often relies on volunteers and in-kind support from local people, professionals, and organisations, the level and quality of activity that Project ‘81 produced cannot continue on favours and handouts.

A stronger organisational structure would have made for a more coherent and easier experience for project staff, and would have made the educational workshops and archive materials all the richer and more valuable.

You can never plan for every eventuality! There was no way of predicting that riots would break out across England on the eve of the Caribbean Carnival. It is a testament to the commitment and capability of the core project staff that this major barrier was overcome, and actually made for more engaging and interesting debates.

There is a real appetite in Moss Side and the surrounding areas for heritage work and for open public debate. So many people had so much to say, and many voices were left out due to the small scale of this project. There are hundreds of stories, oral histories, and documents out there just waiting to be discovered, disseminated, and archived for future generations. Almost everyone who came said that this kind of work is important. More must be done.

Project ‘81 will live on: in the online archives, the films, the audio recordings, the photographs, this evaluation report, and the skills and experiences that participants, trainees, and volunteers have gained. There is a definite appetite to develop the legacy of the project into something more. But it remains to be seen what shape that will take.

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Credits

Project ‘81 Team

Nadine AndrewsVince AttaMelanie BakersCharlotte BarnesChris BissonMike BissonAaron BootheDuncan BroadyLaurence BrownKate ChatfieldJacqui CarrollJudy CravenTashaneish CrawfordKezia DanielMarian EduseiDerek EdwardsTerry EganKaren GabayAmy GlendinningDavid HieronsAliyah HussainPeter KaluTony kAYzEVanessa KirkpatrickCharles LauderSegun Lee FrenchEamonn O’NealCoco PHelen PalmerZac PetersClaire ProffittLynn MarshShirley MaySaskia MetcalfJim RalleyToby RathboneJarrod RobertsLiza Ryan-CarterPaul SapinPardeep Singh GillNicola SteadColin StoneGurdeep ThiaraJess ZadikDanny Zapparelli

Thanks to

Kathy AugustKatie AlfordKaren BentleyMike BlairCarol BodeySonia BurkeSue BurkeHewan ClarkeDiane ClavinGabrielle CoxAlistair CoxTony CravenEloise EdwardsDaniel EwingtonRowena FinnDrew ForsythNicholas GladdenHartley HanleyMartin HardingMarion HewittPaul HillGus JohnIain KinnearRod LeonTony Lloyd MPAndy ParkAziz RashidRuksana RasulSharon RaymondJohn SandersAndrew SchofieldKaren SewellGeoff SeniorSally SmithTony SmithMark WardKaren WhitwoodIrvine Williams

Sponsors

GB SolutionsMediaCo

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Funders, sponsors, and supporters

Links

FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/project1981

TWITTER http://twitter.com/project81mcr

EMAIL [email protected]

BLOG http://mossside81.wordpress.com/

VIDEO http://vimeo.com/user4559693

AUDIO http://soundcloud.com/project81mcr

Circus Zapparelli

the

PEOPLE

Project '81 Evaluation Report

Documents

Transcript of Project '81 Evaluation Report