On Saturday 10^th October 2020, four guest artists – Leah Francis, Rheima Robinson, Asher Jael and Jamal Gerald -  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’s what they had to say…

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 historical contexts through creating spoken word pieces, music and acting out different characters from the past that have said things that are still relevant today. We can understand hard hitting issues such as colourism, racism and intergenerational trauma and directly respond to these through the arts and hopefully create awareness, ideally putting an end to these issues in the future.

Representation of positive stories about black people throughout history is important as we are used to seeing and hearing derogatory and demeaning images or stereotypes, if we see and hear positive and dignified roles we internalise them and see the variety of the human experience.

Going forward I would like to see more songs, visual art and theatre on the hidden stories from the diaspora. Those stories of black people in Britain before the Windrush and stories of people in Ancient African empires that weren’t royalty but merchants, weavers or farmers. These interpretations of history would show us that the past belongs to everyone, not just the victors or the oppressors. I would also like us to be more discerning with our research, asking who’s telling it and why?

'We Can See The Stars' - Leah Francis

The arts keep stories alive across generations, which make more meaning in our lives.

Rheima Robinson

The arts are an important tool for unpacking history because they allow stories to be told by the people who lived them or by those with honest intention. Art finds fantastic ways of expressing emotions that allow those engaging to be able to empathise. Art enables participants to feel closer to the stories being told, which hopefully means the experience is long-lasting.

The likelihood of history being passed on and shared through art feels tangible and more genuine than a textbook.

It would be great to see interpretations of history from different creeds of people. History in the UK and in academia is often biased and likely misses details that would be of interest to a diversity of peoples. The city of Timbuktu, for example, should be realised as more than a faraway fictional land, and have an emphasis on the scholars and knowledge that the real-life city maintained.

History should be allowed to be taught in creative ways and  by creative people so that more people can identify their lineages and therefore themselves in society.

'Black Is...' - Rheima Robinson

The likelihood of history being passed on and shared through art feels tangible and more genuine than a textbook.

Asher Jael

History as a Genre of Art

The arts are not an important tool for unpacking history. Rather, history is an important tool for expressing art. Art is more than history, the arts are concerned with expressing the future and the present moment as well as the past. History is only concerned with the future as an indirect representation of the past.

Many historians may see their subject as an exact science; yet they are only telling stories and creative responses of that which happened. Even interpretative academics who say there are multiple interpretations of history are telling a clever story about stories. Ultimately, history is a genre of art.

The relationship between art and history is misunderstood, which in turn has the potential to drive humanity to fear and create violence. When we talk about “fear of the other” we are talking about peoples’ fear based on the narratives they have of each other. Narratives are inherently created by a storyteller and are therefore artistic. A future peace will challenge us to see the true nature of history.

The future demands that we recognise our mistakes and choose to do better. It demands we give people their humanity back. Humanity, coming from the etymological roots of Humando means to bury. The past is buried, it is laying below sunlight, it is this buried past which we must give back to the people it belongs to, to be engaged in that process of giving-back is an essential part of being an artist.

An Abridged Interpretation of 'The Novelist as Teacher’ (Chinua Achebe, 1965) - Asher Jael

The future demands that we recognise our mistakes and choose to do better. It demands we give people their humanity back.

Jamal Gerald

For me exploring things such as history through art can make it more approachable.

I feel some people don't want to engage with historical things because it might appear too complicated. Even though I have a degree, I still do find scholarly language to be challenging to understand. Black history must be accessible. Something can be layered and nuanced without needing to appear overly intelligent.

With the performance work that I make, I always make sure that it's complex but easy to understand.

I would like to see more decolonising done to the archives. The school curriculum needs to reflect the whole society that we live in. I believe more opportunities should be given to actual experts on Black history. There should be more room for Black people to tell their histories. This would open the door to more interpretations, and explorations of Black history that aren't often learned about or told.

'Daydreams’ - Jamal Gerald

  There should be more room for Black people to tell their histories. This would open the door to more interpretations, and explorations of Black history that aren't often told.

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Leeds Black History Walks are run by Heritage Corner who are fully responsible for the event. Please note that by booking a ticket for a walk you are agreeing to your information being shared with Heritage Corner by the Geraldine Connor Foundation.

Heritage Corner present creative collaborations and public services on the historic African presence in Yorkshire. They engage with top artists and cultural experts to offer diverse and inclusive public and educational projects.

The New Responses special was made possible through support from Leeds Inspired.

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