Ignite Imaginations have offered their withdrawal from the Remember Windrush project following comments questioning why an organisation with a mostly white staffing body and board were given funding.
In our latest issue we ran an item from Ignite Imaginations inviting members of the Windrush generation to share their memories and stories. However, since going to press, Ignite have offered to withdraw from the project following comments and criticisms that, as an organisation whose staff, board and artists are mostly white, they should neither have been offered, nor accepted, funding for a project about Windrush.
Ignite Imagination announced on Twitter:
“After reading and listening to comments around our involvement in the Remember Windrush project, we have approached the council and suggested our withdrawal from the project.”
After reading and listening to comments around our involvement in the Remember Windrush project, we have approached the council and suggested our withdrawal from the project. Please see a fuller statement here: https://t.co/7DFcEiol4y
— Ignite Imaginations (@ignite_sheff) June 10, 2021
They further added on their website:
“We’re grateful to have had drawn to our attention some issues relating to the Remember Windrush project, part of which Ignite Imaginations are running on behalf of Sheffield City Council (and supported by the Church Urban Fund). Our role has been to encourage sharing of stories from the Windrush generation, for them to be added to Sheffield Archives.
“In particular, the criticism is that, as an organisation whose staff, board and artists are mostly white, we should neither have been offered, nor accepted, funding for a project about Windrush. We wholeheartedly support the view that stories about Black experience are best gathered, looked after, and retold by people from those communities. Equally, when those communities express concern about the way in which their history is being captured or conveyed, we believe that it is vital their voices are heard and understood and that we respond appropriately.”
The statement can be read in full on their website.
