{"id":3182,"date":"2017-02-03T20:02:49","date_gmt":"2017-02-03T20:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journeytojustice.org.uk?page_id=3182&preview_id=3182"},"modified":"2021-07-13T13:13:41","modified_gmt":"2021-07-13T13:13:41","slug":"sunderland","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/journeytojustice.org.uk\/projects\/sunderland\/","title":{"rendered":"Journey to Justice in Sunderland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanks to our superb taster day in January 2016 co-organised by colleagues at the University of Sunderland, JtoJ got off to a flying start and a strong steering group was formed by the local community with active sub groups for fundraising, education and PR. Sunderland Museum\u00a0&\u00a0Winter Gardens generously hosted our exhibition in the beautiful Pottery Gallery where we told Hidden Stories of the city through oral history and art in partnership with MBC Ceramics. Schools, youth and community groups were involved in planning and hosted a workshop for young people led by\u00a0Jean Stallings who was active in the National Welfare Rights Organisation and the US civil rights movement.\u00a0 The launch event on October 23rd was superb and 100s of people visited the exhibition which was staffed by local volunteers. See this link for details:<\/p>\n

With many thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund and Celebrate, the Big Lottery who funded this project<\/p>\n

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Jackie Nixon, Chair of Sunderland JtoJ<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What happens when the travelling exhibition leaves town?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

In November 2016, the JtoJ travelling exhibition left Sunderland for Tower Hamlets , but the Journey to Justice legacy and spirit\u00a0 lives on. Lindsey Mullan,\u00a0 JtoJ Sunderland co-ordinator, says the exhibition \u201cserved as a reminder that although Sunderland lies in a small corner of the world, it is a city with a wealth of experience relating to social justice issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

JtoJ Sunderland ran a number of projects with the local community during the time of the travelling exhibition including the production of wonderful art installations: \u2018Hidden Histories\u2019,\u00a0 \u2018Ship of Souls<\/a>\u2019 and \u2018Hidden Stories<\/a>\u2019 all of which embody the JtoJ aim of \u201clearning about human rights movements past and present through history, storytelling and the arts,\u201d and continue to convey this message to everyone \u00a0who see them.<\/p>\n

\u2018Hidden Histories\u2019 started life in Sunderland Museum& Winter Gardens as part of \u00a0the travelling exhibition and has since gone on a journey of its own.\u00a0The project involved MBC Ceramics\u2019 Emily Nolan telling stories to participants \u00a0about Sunderland\u2019s history of human rights and social justice (see examples\u00a0here<\/a>). The aim was \u00a0to inspire them to think and write about their own experiences. Their stories were placed inside a clay sphere which they handmade and each sphere was uniquely decorated to reflect the story inside. The\u00a0 spheres were then fired to look like cannonballs, a reference to the cannonball rocks found on Sunderland\u2019s beaches and maritime history. Read more about the ‘Hidden Histories’ cannonballs project here<\/a><\/p>\n

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The exhibition has been kindly hosted across the City of Sunderland College campuses, and it will soon go to Sunderland University\u2019s Interfaith Centre.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe aim of this exhibition was to a give a platform to people who feel \u00a0voiceless in the city. It was a way for them to tell their stories and capture their struggles, so it is important we bring them to a wide audience. In Sunderland, we have connectivity issues where outlying areas often feel detached from the hubbub of the city centre. A touring exhibition\u00a0 is an excellent way of bringing together the narratives of people from across Sunderland,\u00a0 highlighting \u00a0how we are more connected than we might otherwise think. The cannonballs represent individual journeys to justice and when they are brought together they have a great power to drive positivity and change.\u201d<\/i>
\nLindsey Mullan, JtoJ Sunderland Coordinator<\/b><\/p>\n

Journey to Justice Sunderland and\u00a0 MBC Ceramics partnered with pupils from Red House Academy to create the \u2018Ship of Souls\u2019 installation, with thanks to a grant from the Arts Council.<\/p>\n

The project involved teaching pupils about the links between Sunderland, the slave trade, and its abolition. The students made ship planks out of clay, which they wrote on to express their response to learning about the city\u2019s history of slavery. They chose words like \u201cfreedom,\u201d \u201chumanity,\u201d \u201cequality,\u201d \u201cno to racism,\u201d and MBC Ceramics\u2019 Mark Burns Cassell put the planks together and fired them, to create a magnificent ship. Visitors are encouraged to reflect on how far we\u2019ve come in achieving equality, and how much still needs to be done.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve come a long way, so everyone is mixed now\u2026We study this history so we can understand more about it and people don\u2019t make the same mistake and can make changes.\u201d
\n<\/i>Vincent Hessel, Student<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cThe project has been brilliant for raising the students\u2019 self-esteem. They were really pleased when they saw it installed and could identify which planks they\u2019d done. On the back of the project we\u2019ve continued doing work around slavery and we\u2019ll move to the Civil Rights next, so it has really been the pivotal event of Year 8, well organised and well delivered.\u201d<\/i>
\nSteve Newman, former Curriculum Lead for History, Red House Academy<\/b><\/p>\n

The \u2018Ship of Souls\u2019 installation is housed at the Red House Academy, Sunderland, where it creates a lasting impression on all the students and staff who see it. For anyone interested in a viewing, please call Red House Academy Tel. 0191 511 1930 and ask to speak to the Principal\u2019s PA.<\/p>\n

The \u2018Hidden Stories\u2019 project by Hollie Dearing is a photography exhibition\u00a0 created as part of \u00a0JtoJ Sunderland\u2019s programme. It features stunning portrait photos of and moving interviews with 10 people working in Sunderland to promote justice, equality and wellbeing. Happily, \u00a0the project is still touring \u00a0the city of Sunderland. It started in The Bridges Shopping Centre and moved to the Civic Centre:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe JtoJ exhibition was up in Sunderland Civic Centre over the summer holidays. The exhibition has shown the diversity of our city and the passion people we have living and working on social justice every day! We thank the legacy of Journey to Justice in our city to continue the work as we continue to educate local people.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2013 Jackie Nixon, Former Journey to Justice Sunderland Chair<\/b><\/p>\n

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Ceramicist Mark Burns Cassell with pupils of Red House Academy<\/p><\/div>\n

Thursday January 28th<\/sup>\u00a02016 at The Bonded Warehouse, Low Street<\/b><\/p>\n

Over 40 people from across Sunderland gathered in the chilly Bonded Warehouse to find out about Journey to Justice and discuss bringing our travelling exhibition programme to their city. They came from organisations including Young Asian Voices, Sunderland Carers, the LGBT forum, Disability Access, Housing and Homelessness, Sunderland College and schools as well as four members of the Newcastle JtoJ group including our new North East co-ordinator Katie McSherry.<\/p>\n

The taster day was organised with our main partners from Sunderland University –\u00a0Dr. Rick Bowler<\/strong>, Senior Lecturer in Community and Youth Work and\u00a0Justine Gillespie<\/strong>, Head of HR Business Support and a member of the Diversity and Equality Committee. They welcomed JtoJ and talked about how our work complements their focus on creating a fair and inclusive community and society.<\/p>\n

The room warmed up as we heard from\u00a0Rev.<\/b>\u00a0Chris Howson<\/b>\u00a0Chaplain of Sunderland University about Sunderland\u2019s radical history and some of its sons and daughters who were devoted to social justice\u00a0 – John Lilburne, leader of the Levellers, WW1 conscientious objectors including Norman Gaudie the footballer, suffragettes and \u00a0abolitionists such as Anne Isabella Byron and James Field Stanfield.<\/p>\n

We showed films about our Newcastle and Leyton pilots and\u00a0Parul Motin<\/b>\u00a0inspired us with a description of her work with young people and the impact on their attitudes and choices.<\/b><\/p>\n

Keith Hodgson<\/b>, retired UNISON Regional Education Officer talked about local campaigns and support for the rights of women workers, carers and miners and he asked us, \u00a0What makes an activist?\u00a0<\/b>Then\u00a0Amer Sheikh<\/b>, Chemistry teacher and rapper told us about THE WORD – a project he created with young people to challenge racism and prejudice. The day ended with an animated discussion about local priorities and the possible role of JtoJ. One participant said, \u2018I\u2019ve not felt passion for years as I felt here in this room!\u2019 There was overwhelming support for bringing the exhibition to Sunderland.<\/p>\n

Issues covered<\/b>\u00a0ranged from disability rights; access to learning and housing; Sunderland’s rich cultural stories, the need to hear more voices and to humanize everyone; devastating cuts to organisations which support the most vulnerable people; the \u2018mental torture\u2019 of asylum seekers as a result of punitive processes; demonization of activists and the need for intergenerational work.<\/p>\n

Evaluations<\/b>: Brilliant organisation and cause; it proves that we can change the world in funny way (like songs); there is so much that could be achieved for and by the people of Sunderland; lots of inspirational stories and people; I got my passion back as to why I work in engagement; it helps the youth to have confidence in themselves; it was well presented, informative and thought-provoking.<\/p>\n

\u2018Journey to Justice could be an excellent vehicle to tackle inequalities and injustice in the region.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

And the next day we received this message from one of the participants:
\n\u2018As a result of the Journey to Justice taster, we have begun talking about what we’re doing today to confront injustice, other than just talk about it or act as individuals. One of the issues where we might act is finding homes for unaccompanied refugee children or possibly families.\u00a0We have no idea which agencies might eventually co-ordinate such action and I wondered if you might know.\u2019<\/p>\n

What next?
\n<\/b>We\u2019re meeting with those who signed up to be part of a steering group to bring the JtoJ exhibition programme to Sunderland. We\u2019ll begin planning \u2013 venues, funding, dates, partners and events\u2026If you would like to get involved with JtoJ Sunderland email:\u00a0carriesupple1@gmail.com<\/a>\u00a0 or call: 07711199198<\/p>\n\n

\"Dr<\/a>\"Presenter<\/a>\"A<\/a>\"Director<\/a>\"Rev.<\/a>\"Dr<\/a>\"Parul<\/a>\"Katie<\/a>\"Sunderland<\/a>\"Sunderland<\/a><\/div>\n

WHEN YAV MET JTOJ, AUGUST 16TH 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

We brought young people from three of our partners \u2013 Young Asian Voices in Sunderland, Girlz United in Tower Hamlets and On the Record\u2019s Fighting Sus project \u2013 together in Whitechapel to share stories and learn from each others\u2019 experiences of coming together creatively, standing up in the face of racism and learning from history.<\/p>\n

It was an evening of exploration, connection, solidarity and fun culminating in a meal together on Brick Lane and many shared selfies.<\/p>\n

London\u2019s young people told us of their admiration for their new friends in Sunderland:<\/p>\n

‘It was a privilege to meet the members of Young Asian Voices in Whitechapel… I wish I had access to such a team growing up\u2019(Liza)<\/p>\n

\u2018I was able to see … how living in different cities have shaped our different identities… their methods of activism inspired me to try more adventurous methods with my own activism.\u2019 (Memuna)<\/p>\n

\u2018Mind-blowing and truly inspiring! To see young people fighting for what they believe in and speeding so much love and positive energy only motivates me to do much more.’ (TC)<\/p>\n

\u2018It was really interesting to discuss the differences between London and Sunderland but connect with the similarities and same causes of Fighting SUS and YAV.’ (Jolina)<\/p>\n\n

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Watch our film of JtoJ Sunderland’s moving launch and opening event:<\/p>\n