HISTORY SHAPER FUND WINNER ANNOUNCED

On 8 February 2023, Shape History launched our inaugural History Shaper Fund. The winner would receive £10,000, 6 months of mentoring, and full use of our office space. 11 weeks later, we are hugely excited to announce the results.

The judging panel – Sachini Imbuldeniya (Exec Creative Director at Nemorin), Sheeraz Gulshar (co-founder of People Like Us), David Levin (Founder & former Creative Director of That Lot), Ayesha Gardiner, Antoinette Orr, Lewis Parker and Zoe Dawson (all Shape History) – were blown away by the quality, breadth and creativity of the applicants.

We received 37 submissions in total from right across the country – of which 12 were shortlisted – before a final 3 presented their projects to the judges. The panel were looking for ideas that were above all creative, unique, inclusive, and had the ability to effect meaningful social impact in society.

We’d like to thank all the applicants, judges, organisations and individuals who helped spread the word about the Fund. For anyone who wasn’t successful this time, or missed out on applying, the History Shaper Fund will be returning in Autumn 2023 for the next round.

So without further ado, here’s this year’s History Shaper Fund winner, finalists and a selection of the shortlist.

WINNER | LAMESHA RUDDOCK, 22 | I’NA SUIT YOU

“I’na suit you” is a 6-month long historical research and theatre-making project, which aims to explore the patois language in the diaspora, with a focus on London and its rejection, assimilation, and appropriation over time. The idea for my project was sparked from a Twitter discussion over where certain phrases/idioms came from, and how different cities over the world had claims due to the spreading of language from the Caribbean diaspora. My project will aim to highlight Caribbean influence and the mark it’s made on the world. It will culminate in a live theatre performance and an e-book, showcasing the contributions of the team.

To demonstrate the need for adequate research before engaging in a theatre project, we will have a team of 10-20 individuals who will attend regular sessions. These sessions will help the team feel immersed and confident in telling this history.

The first half of the project will focus on historical research, where there will be sessions such as, “Intro to history-making”, “Oral history workshop” and “Archival research workshop”. The skills gained from these sessions will set the team up to conduct oral history interviews, which will be used in the final performance, and write copy for the e-book.

The second half of the project will focus on theatre-making, where there will be a full week of creative output workshops to help develop the teams’ artistic range and interests. This would include verbatim theatre, performance art, cabaret, and poetry – and would help the team to express their language and their culture, with ownership in the way it’s displayed. We will then hold weekly rehearsals led by a director and dramaturg, who would help shape the performance. The collaborative relationship with the creatives and the team will encourage their voice in the room – as ultimately the words are coming from them.

Following the rehearsals, there will be a performance in September. We will invite the local community, young people, project collaborators, historians, project interviewees, theatre organisations, and families. The performance will display a range of art forms and demonstrate every individual’s response from the historical research, which will be vulnerable and powerful. Following the performance, we will host a Q&A with a panel of interviewees to encourage further discussions and platform their hidden experiences.

To continue the momentum of the showing, we will publish an e-book of this history in the hope it could be taught in schools and youth groups, and used as further stimuli for creative projects.

Our language suits us and we should be encouraged to speak it more. Patois is an intellectual language, it is a clear language and it is a language that connects us to our ancestors. I hope the project will encourage us to use it more and change British society’s negative bias towards it.

FINALIST | GEORGE IMAFIDON, 25 | SUSTAINABLE SOUTHWARK

Sustainable Southwark is a 3-month project born out of the tragic passing of Ella Kissi-Debrah in South London due to air pollution – an unfortunate victim of climate injustice. It will be delivered in three key phases: Engage & Inspire, Empower, and Unleash in order to build intergenerational relationships with local engineers and 200 ambitious young people aged 14-16, who are disproportionately affected by climate change in deprived areas in Southwark. This will be achieved by facilitating a competition to develop creative engineering-based solutions with local businesses and residents to mitigate local pollution issues.

Through 20+ fun activities, industry and neighbourhood visits to places like Tower Bridge Road – London’s 8th most polluted road, fireside chats, intimate workshops and mentoring led by relatable and inspirational young professionals, the young people will increase their awareness and knowledge of how engineers can solve these issues.

Engage & Inspire
This uncovers the two-fold heart of the project – the poor visibility of accessible role models from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the London Climate Emergency. Through Fireside Chats, the young people will hear from relatable role models and young professionals in STEAM about overcoming adversity, upskilling themselves and making a change in their local area to inspire and engage them.

Empower
Through a series of workshops, insight days, a visit to a Formula-E race, and group/1:1 mentoring, the young people will experience the realities of working in STEAM. The workshops will be led by STEAM students and professionals who work with Sir Lewis Hamilton, raising the awareness, confidence and aspirations of young people, and cultivating the new possibilities of the future. The participants will use ‘design thinking’ methodology in workshops to design and develop solutions to the pollution problems in their local area. The workshops and mentoring sessions will be the main points of contact time that the young people will use to actively work towards their solutions.

Unleash
This provides the young people with a platform to put their skills into practice. The young people will pitch their creative solutions for their local issues to a judging panel of local councillors and employers. This promotes a competitive spirit and a sense of pride, boosting their confidence and social capital while providing a foundation for the councillors to take suitable solutions further. Following this period of mentoring, they will graduate and the recurring alumni will become peer mentors for the next cohort.

FINALIST | BECK DUNN, 23 | EXPOSING BRITAIN’S WATERWAYS

Britain’s waterways are becoming severely polluted as water companies dump their sewage freely. The UK’s biggest water company, Thames Water, is using streams and rivers as its personal dumping ground for waste. As a result, not a single English waterway is in good ecological and chemical health. Our ecosystems are now under severe threat. Plants and animals are struggling to survive due to the bacteria in their habitats, and it’s even a threat to human health, with hundreds of cases of illness reported last year among people exposed to polluted water.

We plan to make this problem unignorable. Especially in the eyes of those who can enact change. So we’re going to turn the issue of pollution into the medium of communication.

Our idea is to take bacteria from polluted rivers, and use it to recreate the logos of the companies responsible, showing them for what they really are. We’ll work with a microbial artist to create Out-of-Home billboards out of the logos, to hammer home how the companies who are supposed to protect our water are in fact a load of crap.

Our project will launch on 24th September, World Rivers Day. We’ll place billboards strategically in spots close to the the rivers, streams and urban wicks that have become dangerously polluted. We also want to create a stunt near Parliament where we’ll grow one of the signs over the course of a couple days, bringing it directly to MPs.

We believe that we can enact serious positive change with this idea. Change comes when people unite behind a cause. And while the sewage in our rivers and streams has made headlines already, it still lacks the public outcry needed to force change. Until now. Our idea has the power to galvanise the public against a common enemy, against the people responsible for the hundreds of raw sewage warning issues in the first month of 2023 alone. Our wildlife is in danger, as is human health, with hundreds of instances of people becoming ill from last year due to sewage-infected water. We must protect our biodiversity, and cleaning up our rivers is essential to this.

Using the issue of sewage, and the logos of the companies responsible as the medium of the message, our idea is original, powerful and unignorable.

SHORTLISTED | LANAIRE ADEREMI, 23 | EVERY 40 SECONDS PODCAST

The Every 40 Seconds podcast aims to raise awareness about mental health and suicide, particularly among young people aged 25 and under. Through the power of storytelling, the podcast aims to share the experiences of individuals who have dealt with mental health challenges and inspire others to seek help and support.

The project seeks to break down the stigma associated with mental health conditions, especially in communities where mental health problems are rarely recognised or spoken about. The goal is to encourage people to talk openly about their mental health and seek help when needed.

The podcast will feature interviews with mental health professionals, individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges, and community leaders who are advocating for mental health reform. The project also seeks to engage policymakers and promote reform to ensure that everyone can access mental health services.

The project plans to reach its target audience through social media advertising and a targeted campaign to build an engaging social media following three months before launch and then subsequently using guerrilla advertising on launch day to drive traffic to the podcast. The ultimate goal is to create change by raising awareness about mental health challenges, reducing stigma, and advocating for mental health reform.

The success of this project can bring about significant change in the way society views mental health, especially among young people. The project can promote more open discussions about mental health, improve mental health outcomes, and ultimately reduce the rates of suicide.

SHORTLISTED | ELENA ESCALANTE & SOPHIE MCDONALD, 22 & 24 | ELEPHANT FAMILIES

‘Elephant Families’ will be directed by Elena Escalante, a Spanish writer, director and creative producer with a passion for storytelling that transcends the medium. Through migrating from Spain and collecting experiences of South London’s diverse communities, her interest in the vibrant narratives of the Latin diaspora sprung from her time living in Elephant & Castle.

Our producer is the multicultural Sophie McDonald, Hong Kong-born and Madrid-bred to British parents. Sophie has a deep love for sharing people’s intimate stories, particularly those of Latin American descent. With a degree in Hispanic Studies and experiences living in Spain, Chile and Colombia, her work explores the Spanish language and uncovers Hispanic migration stories.

Elephant Families is a 10-minute documentary that tells the urgent story of Elephant & Castle’s changing social landscape through the voices of Latin American immigrant families. We unearth shopkeepers’ forgotten memories from a community being pushed aside by high-rises.

In Elephant Families, we hear the stories of the community that is being pushed out due to redevelopment. The tragic hope of a displaced shopkeeper. The relentless rhythm of cumbia folk songs. The crackling of a freshly fried empanada. We are taken on the neighbourhood’s emotional journey through intimate stories of migration. The cultural nest they have created in Elephant, a home away from home, is vital for their coexistence in the city.

Conceived with and for local residents, our aim is to connect the new high-rise buildings to connect gentrifiers with long-standing neighbours.

WATCH TRAILER – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZCk1QFxpqk&t=1s

FOLLOW THE PROJECT – https://www.instagram.com/elephantfamilies_/

SHORTLISTED | FFION DENMAN / HADAU MAG, 23 | Y WLADFA GYMREIG

My project will expand and enrich the historical narrative of the Welsh colony in Patagonia by elevating the voices and stories of indigenous peoples. By shedding light on their experiences and shared memories, we aim to challenge the one-dimensional perspective that currently exists. In doing so, I hope to raise awareness of the reality of oppression faced by indigenous communities in Argentina, both before and during the arrival of the Welsh.

In addition, my photography workshops, conducted in Welsh, English, and Spanish, will offer Content and Language Integrated Learning opportunities for students to learn a subject and a second language simultaneously.

SHORTLISTED | SAM LAYTON, 25 | SUPPORT FOR US – MAKING CAMHS MORE CONFIDENTIAL AND ACCESSIBLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Through a survey I conducted, where 1,438 12-25 year olds from across the UK shared their views and/or experiences of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), there are clear issues with the confidentiality within CAMHS. Despite 87% thinking under 18s should be able to access services without parents knowing, only 25% thought it’s currently possible.

Despite many young people reporting how the lack of confidentiality had a detrimental effect on their mental health, this is an area that is not being focused on. The obstacles faced by young people were diverse, with some reporting practitioners directly breaching confidentiality where others reported issues around administration or the timings of the appointments leading to confidentiality being breeched.

Through my survey, I launched a petition, that currently has over 2,100 signatures, to change the way CAMHS is accessed. I have also had the opportunity to speak to 2 MPs, Norman Lamb and Debbie Abrahams, about this where they expressed their support for the cause.

With sexual health services having a reform in a 10 year programme from 1999-2010, where sexual health clinics were made easily accessible. The same needs to be done for CAMHS, where the whole system is looked at and reformed to enable young people to get the right support at the right time.

Within the documentary, a group of young people from a diverse background will share their experiences and influential people will to illustrate that it’s not an isolated case. I am looking to speak to influential people to make them aware of the issues, gather their views, and persuade them to get involved to help eliminate the issues that are present.

A documentary will get young people, practitioners and decision members engaged and will inevitably start discussions surrounding what areas need addressing to fix the problems that currently exist.
Through people talking about the documentary, it will add pressure to the government to act upon the concerns raised.