Bolton Wanderers in the Community recognised Black History Month with a special celebration event hosted at the Toughsheet Community Stadium on Wednesday 9th October. BWitC invited 40 pupils from across 3 schools to join us for a morning of celebrating Black History Month through the lense of ‘Reclaiming Narratives’.
The aim of the event was to enable black people to take control of their stories and honouring our heroes while challenging narratives which have often overlooked the contributions and achievements of Black individuals both in the UK and globally.
Enabling young people to learn about Black history through the stories of their own communities, narratives that reflect their realities and aspirations BWitC aimed to provide a platform for educators and community leaders to engage young minds in a way that is both meaningful and empowering.
Prior to the celebration event Bolton Wanderers in the Community Staff visited local schools hosting art workshops as part of their transition support workshops. Students from each school created oil pastel portraits of a significant figure or role model from Black History in the style of the artist jean-Michel Basquiat.
These were then displayed during the event in an art gallery style for pupils to share and celebrate one another’s pieces of work. Students voted for their favourite piece, awarding one winner from all four schools who took part in the workshop with tickets to a Bolton game of their choice.
Students also had the opportunity to take part in a Q&A session asking the panel their opinions and thoughts on Black History Month and their own life experiences.
We would like to thank our special guests who hosted a panel talking about their personal experiences, achievements and challenges in their life related to their sports and careers. For more information head to bwitc.org.uk.