A 1,000-seater big-top in the grounds of Harewood House will be the dramatic setting for a re-staging of Carnival Messiah: a symbolic commemoration of the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade.

The backdrop of Harewood House, built in the mid-18th century with money made from the sugar trade, brings an extraordinary resonance to Carnival Messiah which has its origins in Trinidad & Tobago and the Leeds Carnival, one of the earliest Caribbean Carnivals in the UK which celebrates its fortieth anniversary in 2007.

Carnival Messiah is an ambitious, large-scale piece of theatre with a cast of over 100 including a chorus to be recruited from the community of Leeds at open auditions on April 21 at Opera North's rehearsal studios. The 20 performances will include a new element of 'J'ouvert', extending the show into the car-park and grounds before audiences reach their seats.

In addition to having the chance to perform, the community cast will have access to a new and extensive education, skills and training programme, making participants aware of the many cultural heritages the show draws upon - their own and other peoples. Funded by Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) this will be a further development of Harewood's HLF supported education programme, which targets new audiences and works with all sections of the community.

Harewood House has a long musical heritage. John White, Music Master at Harewood, conducted the massed choirs for the famous performance of Handel's Messiah in York

Minster in 1823 and his annotated score was recently discovered in the Library at Harewood. In his diaries, William Wilberforce remembers singing at a Harewood soiree in 1796, accompanied on the piano by the then Lady Harewood. The present Lord Harewood is a major figure in 20th century music in Britain. He has been Director of the Edinburgh Festival, Managing Director of English National Opera and one of the founders of Opera North. One of his more unusual recent musical experiences was feeling the furniture in his apartment in Harewood House shake as Massive Attack and The Who began their sets at last year's O2 Festival.

Carnival Messiah is another chapter in Harewood's rich and varied musical history.

David Lascelles, talking about Carnival Messiah at Harewood:

'There is no more comprehensive, more multi-dimensional, more exuberant expression of Caribbean culture in Britain today than "Carnival Messiah" - a two- hour spectacular musical showcase that blends the excitement, music and colour of carnival with some of the most inspiring melodies of Handel's Messiah in an exhilarating musical and theatrical celebration.'

Geraldine Connor:

'I originally conceived Carnival Messiah as a way of bringing together people of different backgrounds, ethnicities and creeds. What better way to do that, I thought, than through media that are universal to us all - art, theatre, dance and music - and in so doing help to move towards a better understanding of the shared heritages of Europe and the Caribbean.

In its new form at Harewood in 2007 I hope it can create in the performers and audiences new to the show a transformation that can take us all to a new space, a new dimension, a new understanding and give us a new hope.'

The general public should contact This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it , or 0113 218 1010 for further details.

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A new image created for Carnival Messiah at Harewood has been created by artist Paul Hodgson. The image and a short DVD of Carnival Messiah video clips are available.

For information, contact Anita Morris or Rebecca Wood, Anita Morris Associates This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it , This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Tel. +44 (0)1943 603311

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone welcomed the ‘Moving On Up: Ethnic minority women at Work’ report released by the Equal Opportunities Commission today.

The report, which was based on two-year study- the largest of its kind in Britain, found that Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean women are facing intense discrimination in getting jobs and winning promotion. In addition they are suffering extreme pay inequality and are more likely to be segregated in certain types of work despite having good qualifications and strong motivation. The report also shows that there is a substantial full-time pay gap for women from all ethnic groups relative to white men, and that Pakistani women working full-time suffer a pay gap of 28 per cent, the highest of any group by this measure.

The report points out that racism, sexism and anti-Muslim prejudice based on widespread stereotypes make it harder for ethnic minority women to integrate in the workplace and to get promoted.

Welcoming the report, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said:

‘This report further proves that discrimination is the cause of inequality of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and black Caribbean women and debunks the myth that inequality can be dismissed as the result of so-called 'choice' or cultural factors. The pay and employment discrimination inequality being experienced by these women is unacceptable and demands action.

'The Government has an opportunity, through the Discrimination Law Review, to introduce the changes necessary to ensure that the recommendations in the Equal Opportunities Commission's report are given the backing of law. This would mean that employers were obliged to find out and publish and act on data on where black and Asian women were in their workforces, that there were more adequate rights to flexible working and that racism was properly tackled, in both the public and private sectors. The Discrimination Law Review is also an opportunity to introduce the changes needed to ensure that legal rights are more adequately enforced.'

‘London is a multicultural city and the contribution of ethnic minorities is vital to its success. London's employers need to act on these findings and the Government should ensure that the law is fully fit to root out discrimination.’

He continued:

‘The Women in London's Economy report year on year has demonstrated that London has a wider gender pay gap and, as the result of occupational segregation and the glass ceiling, are clustered into a narrow range of occupations, largely at the bottom of the pay scale. Single mothers in London actually have a lower disposable income than their counterparts in other parts of the UK and women with dependent children have a lower level of employment.

‘With 70 per cent of London's working women employed in the private sector and London's economy dependent on women workers, the EOC's report highlights the challenge to all employers. It underlines the need for action on pay inequality, laws which can combat the results of prejudice and support employees with caring responsibilities, and how firmer rights to take positive action would help women smash the glass ceiling.'

The Liberal Democrats have launched a Parliamentary internship scheme to encourage young people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds to get involved in politics.

Organised in collaboration with Operation Black Vote and Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats, participants in the scheme will assist MPs or Party staff in Westminster, learning about the work of a political party, the procedures of Parliament and the role of an MP.

The intern scheme is part of a campaign by the Liberal Democrats to improve the representation of minority ethnic communities in the Parliamentary Party and in other areas of elected government in the UK. As well as working to ensure more people from BME communities are elected to public office today, the intern scheme also aims to invest in the next generation of politicians.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell said:

“I am committed to making the Liberal Democrats more representative of modern Britain.
 
“Our new intern scheme will encourage young people from under-represented backgrounds to work in Westminster.

“Many people from ethnic communities still feel isolated from the political mainstream. A healthy democracy relies on everyone taking part and having his or her voice heard.”

Commenting on the Liberal Democrat intern scheme, National Co-ordinator of Operation Black Vote, Simon Wooley said:

“All the major political parties are having to face up to the challenge of representing and involving everyone in 21st century multi-cultural Britain.

“The ivory towers of Westminster are too often perceived as out of reach for young people from black and minority ethnic communities. The Liberal Democrats’ intern scheme is one way of creating opportunities for the next generation of black politicians.”

Commenting further, Chair of Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats, Meral Ece said:

“I am pleased that our leader, Menzies Campbell, is taking positive steps to make the Liberal Democrats more representative of modern day Britain.

“This intern scheme is one of many steps the Liberal Democrats are taking to encourage people from ethnic minority communities to get more involved in politics.

“As a mainsteam political party, we have a responsibility to ensure we reflect the people we seek to represent.”

A new report urging a fundamental cultural shift in the workplace to give black and Asian women the chance to get better jobs, was welcomed today by the Liberal Democrats.

The wide-ranging investigation by the Equal Opportunities Commission found that Pakistani, Bangladeshi and black Caribbean women face “significantly greater” employment penalties than white women.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities Secretary, Andrew Stunell MP said:
 
“This report shows that everyone’s losing out. Black and Asian women in the UK aren’t getting the jobs or progressing in the careers they want, and they’re earning less than their white counterparts. 

“It is important that we provide better careers advice at school, more work experience choices, and help with childcare costs, especially for larger families.

“In the longer term UK businesses and firms won’t be able to maintain their growth unless they start tapping into the skills and talent that young black and Asian women can provide. We’ll also fail to build more cohesive communities unless our black and Asian women can get the jobs they want.”

Christian leaders are calling on politicians to avoid a knee-jerk reaction to the problems of gun crime.

The call comes as the Home Secretary, John Reid, hosts another summit on gun crime – the second in two weeks.

Churches are continuing to work against gun crime through initiatives including Gunzdown, Street Pastors, the Peace Alliance, and ongoing youth work.

Church leaders say any strategy to deal with the problem needs to include the following key points: a strategic, long-term partnership between politicians, parents, schools, community groups, and the police; statutory authorities need to understand and support the work that voluntary organisations, especially churches, do with young people; there needs to be long-term and sustainable partnerships to address some of the worst problems with young people and families.

Rev Katei Kirby, of the African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance, said: “Gun crime and knife crime is a national issue that concerns all of us. It is not a 'Black issue'; it is a social issue that is destroying families and communities. It is going to take families, churches and the wider communities to solve it in partnership with the police and politicians.”

Rev Nims Obunge, of the Peace Alliance, said: “Gun crime and knife crime can only be tackled effectively if communities work together with the police and other criminal justice partners. Community action, vigils in places like Birmingham and Manchester, along with the peace walk against gun and knife crime in London in February saw churches and community leaders say: “Enough is enough; we all need to work together to keep guns off our streets.”

Bishop Joe Aldred, Minority Ethnic Christian Affairs, Churches Together in England, said: “The churches have an important role to play in crime reduction and community cohesion strategies.  We commend the good work they currently do and would encourage statutory agencies to work more effectively with churches and interfaith agencies as they seek to provide pastoral care for families and vulnerable young people.” 

A white descendant of Francis Barber, the African/Caribbean servant of lexicologist, Dr Samuel Johnson and the BBC TV Apprentice winner Tim Campbell discover their ancestral history live on the night

The bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade is to be marked at the Science Museum’s Dana Centre in London, at an evening event exploring genetic lineage and the legacy of slavery.

The one-off free event on Thursday 29 March will bring together renowned geneticists including Dr Peter Forster with Tim Campbell, the winner of the BBC TV The Apprentice in 2005, and Cedric Barber, a white descendant of Dr Samuel Johnson’s servant who will be unravelling their ancestry through DNA analysis

Tim Campbell and Cedric Barber are both currently having their DNA analysed to ascertain the proportion of African/European (and other) ancestry.    Results will be discussed at the event. 

The event tackles the issues surrounding the science and ethics of using DNA analysis to trace ancestry in respect to African and European origins of individuals whose ancestors had slave origins.  Questions raised will include: Is DNA the key to finding your African or European roots? Can online purchasing of genetic testing give you a better sense of who you are?

The Dana Centre is the Science Museum’s adults-only bar and café for discussing contemporary science, health, medicine, technology and the environment in a cultural context.

Panellists at Tracing Your Ancestry include:
• Mr Cedric Barber: a white descendant of Francis Barber, the African/Caribbean servant of lexicologist, Dr Samuel Johnson who wrote his best known work A Dictionary of the English Language between 1747 and 1755
• Mr Tim Campbell, 2005 winner of Alan Sugar’s The Apprentice who has agreed to have his DNA analysed
• Dr Peter Forster,  geneticist and representative from a DNA testing company
• Dr Mark Thomas, geneticist from University of London
• Dr Caroline Bressey, Research Fellow, Department of Geography, University College London and Co-Curator of London & Slavery Gallery Museum in Dockland

This event has been curated by Prof. Elizabeth Anionwu, Head, The Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice, Thames Valley University.

Prof. Elizabeth Anionwu said: “I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to organize this event at the Dana Centre.  The topic combines many of my own interests: genetics, Black History, ethics and debates on contemporary uses of science.  The participants will ensure a stimulating debate that enables personal insights concerning the bicentenary of the abolition of trading in slavery within the British Empire.”

Sunday 25th March 2007 is the start of activities commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of trading in slavery in the British Empire. 

Tracing Your Ancestry
• Thursday 29 March, 19.00-21.00
• Dana Centre, 165 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5HD
• Nearest tube is Gloucester Road
• Our events are open to anyone aged 18 and over. This event is free, but places should be pre-booked by calling 020 7942 4040 or e-mailing This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
• See www.danacentre.org.uk for more

A newly formed education think-tank in Birmingham has welcomed the a DfES report that acknowledges the extent and devastating impact of exclusion on African Caribbean pupils and communities. 

The report, 'Getting it.  Getting it right' states that Black pupils are routinely punished more harshly, praised less and told off more often in English schools than other pupils.  Furthermore every year 1,000 black pupils are permanently excluded and nearly 30,000 given fix term exclusions.  The report further states that staff in many schools are 'unwittingly' racist, with black youngsters three times more likely than white to be expelled permanently.  

Commenting on the report, Paulette Wisdom of Visions of Esteem said, 'I welcome the report's acknowledgement of the need to confront the issue of exclusion of African Caribbean pupils especially in the secondary sector and its emphasis on Local Authority taking responsibility.  The link between secondary school pupils' exclusion and underachievement in post 16 outcomes, involvement in gangs, and the criminal justice system cannot be overstated'. 

Rosemary Campbell-Stevens of 2nd Principle said, 'there is a historic gap between rhetoric and action in the education service.  What is needed now is urgent action.  The report states that specific details of policy are still being considered by ministers, but young people, parents, community and black education professionals need to inform policy.' 

Responding to the report's citing of 'largely unwitting, but systematic, racial discrimination', and exclusion as an 'iconic' issue for the Black Community on a par with stop-and-search in the to criminal justice system, Bishop Dr Joe Aldred, of Partnership for Achievement said, 'I welcome the thrust of this report, reiterating as it does what Black communities have been saying for decades.  Additionally we are calling for three things: first, a policy of non-exclusion except in extreme cases, and then not without guaranteed provision for the pupil's continuing education.  Second, professional development at all levels of the education process including cultural literacy, an overhaul of the curriculum, and partnership with black parents and community.  Third, clear guidance to local authorities concerning their responsibility for exclusions under education policy and in regards to the Race Relations Amendment Act'. 

The Birmingham Education Think-Tank warns that unless immediate steps are taken to halt the current alarming levels of exclusion of African Caribbean pupils, denying them education, local authorities and the DfES are leaving themselves open to the future possibility of investigation by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, as has been the case with other public bodies.
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