Introducing the project
We invited Yasus Afari, the founder of the annual Jamaica Poetry Festival, to lead the project, as part of the Jamaica Wales Alliance Community Tour he was undertaking with Learning Links International for Black History Month 2019.
Yasus Afari was able to link his work in the Ogwen Valley in North West Wales, with the workshops he was able to deliver before coming to the UK at John Austin All Age School in Pennants, Jamaica. The theme of the workshops was “Movers, Shakers & Legacy Makers” and followed the approach that Yasus Afari has developed with Learning Links International has developed during Black History Month activities for the past 11 years.
The community in the Ogwen Valley experienced great hardships working in the quarries owned by the Pennant family and the Penryn Quarry strike is recognised as the longest in the history of the British Labour Movement as the site of two prolonged strikes by workers demanding better pay and safer conditions. The first strike lasted eleven months in 1896. The second began on 22 November 1900 and lasted for three years. The impact and the trauma is still remembered acutely by many of the community members in the Ogwen Valley and the dislike of nearby Penrhyn Castle, the home built by the Pennant family on the wealth accrued from their plantations in Jamaica, is often articulated.
The Pennants community in Jamaica is situated on one of the plantations owned by the ancestors of Pennant family and where they built their Great House. The challenges faced by the community are very significant and litereacy levels are low.
A range of workshops were held in local schools with children from:
Ysgol Glan Cegin – one day of workshops with the whole school
Ysgol Pen y Bryn – one day of workshops with 9-11 year olds
Ysgol Llanllellid – two half days of workshops with whole school and 10 – 11 year olds
Ysgol Tregarth – half day workshop with whole school
Nueadd Ogwen Family Workshop: Sunday 26 October – half day
Building Bridges: Reflections and possibilities: Sunday 26 October – evening event
Unfortunately, Ysgol Dyfryn Ogwen were unable to take part as they had inspection preparation and follow up during October.
