Shawn Sobers' Outputs (118)

“Anything you say, will be used against you!” : The necessary place for creative expression and language as an outlet for young people, and the criminal act of criminalising them (2024)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Keynote speech exploring the importance of nurturing and protecting creative spaces and opportunities for young people, and for that creativity to not become stigmatised and criminalised. Shared examples of how various forms of music, dance, film, an... Read More about “Anything you say, will be used against you!” : The necessary place for creative expression and language as an outlet for young people, and the criminal act of criminalising them.

AI and the complexity of Black photographic representation and critical analysis (2024)
Book Chapter

In this chapter artist Yuko Edwards and academic Shawn Sobers discuss the complex dynamics of AI image making, with regards both the problems and opportunities in the cultural politics of Black and African heritage representation. The significant cha... Read More about AI and the complexity of Black photographic representation and critical analysis.

Visual anthropology of home, culture and identity (2023)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Specially commissioned staff development lecture for housing professionals at Stonewater, (one of UK's largest social housing providers). The lecture discussed different ways of thinking about the idea and importance of home and housing, through th... Read More about Visual anthropology of home, culture and identity.

Windrush reluctance (provocation) (2023)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Expressing need to keep politics in the Windrush conversation, some of the unease about the label 'Windrush Generation', and questioning whether it is a history to celebrate, rather than reflect on more critically in the context of colonial exploitat... Read More about Windrush reluctance (provocation).

Navigating personal and professional pathways towards the telling of Bath’s African-connected histories (2023)
Book Chapter

This chapter is a transcript of a conversation between Polly Andrews - Learning Officer for Bath Abbey, and Convenor of the Bath & Colonialism Action Group; and Professor Shawn-Naphtali Sobers – trustee of Fairfield House , Bath, and Professor of Cul... Read More about Navigating personal and professional pathways towards the telling of Bath’s African-connected histories.

Black Everyday Lives, Material Culture and Narrative: Tings in de House (2023)
Book

This book is an exploration of everyday life as experienced through the lens of Black British cultural history and creative practice.

The structure of Black Everyday Life, Material Culture and Narrative: Tings In The House examines everyday life... Read More about Black Everyday Lives, Material Culture and Narrative: Tings in de House.

Candles (2022)
Book Chapter

In this short auto-ethnographic essay, Sobers uses material culture as a doorway into a deeply personal reflection. Focusing on a pair of candles given to him by his late brother, the chapter leads the reader through the complexity of family dynamics... Read More about Candles.

Reflections on anti-racism and memorialisation from South West UK (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Sobers spoke at a roundtable discussion with 20 human rights advocates from across Europe, at the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR), Brussels. Sobers talked about the King Leopold II statue in Brussels, and points of... Read More about Reflections on anti-racism and memorialisation from South West UK.

Small anthropology, and black everyday life, material culture and narrative: An overview (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

University of Liverpool, The Centre for Culture & Everyday Life Presents

Small Anthropology, Black Everyday Lives, Material Culture and Narrative: An Overview

Shawn-Naphtali Sobers

3pm, Monday 12th December 2022, SoTA library, 19-23 Abercrom... Read More about Small anthropology, and black everyday life, material culture and narrative: An overview.

Dynamics of family album photography within a Black British context (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

In his talk, Shawn explored different dynamics of family album photography within a Black British context. He explored the phenomenon of the photowall, often curated by the mother figure in the house in the 70s and 80s. He also looked at how cherish... Read More about Dynamics of family album photography within a Black British context.

In conversation with Ingrid Pollard (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

The Turner Prize 2022 at Tate Liverpool, invited audiences to get to know each of the four Turner Prize nominees. Each artist was in conversation with a guest of their choice, to discuss the themes of their work.

For the fourth and final talk in... Read More about In conversation with Ingrid Pollard.

Material culture and the echoes and legacies of transatlantic enslavement - before and after the Colston statue (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

The Duldig Annual Lecture on Sculpture was inaugurated in 1986 to commemorate the life and work of the sculptor Karl Duldig and his wife, the artist and inventor Slawa Horowitz-Duldig. 

Now in its 36th year, the Duldig Annual Lecture has continued... Read More about Material culture and the echoes and legacies of transatlantic enslavement - before and after the Colston statue.

In conversation with Dr Julius Garvey MD (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

On Friday 21st October, Fairfield House was honoured to have Dr Julius Garvey MD, son of Jamaican national hero and Pan African visionary Marcus Garvey, visited Bath city.

Dr Garvey, is a Human rights activist, vascular surgeon and Medical Profes... Read More about In conversation with Dr Julius Garvey MD.

Photography and the representation of Black lives (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This half-day workshop explored the role of photography in the representation and exploration of Black cultural ideas, from history to the present day.

Led by Professor Shawn-Naphtali Sobers, the session included a lecture in three parts, looking... Read More about Photography and the representation of Black lives.

The Message (2022)
Book Chapter

How listening to 'The Message' by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 1982, became a life changing class-conscious moment for a 10 year old boy.

In conversation with Reginald D Hunter (2022)
Exhibition / Performance

Comedian Reginald D Hunter talks to Professor Shawn Sobers about race, politics, cancel culture, family, addressing taboos, and faith. Hosted by Glastonbury Festival's legendary Cabaret Stage, in the Theatre & Circus field.

Representing Rastafari and Ethiopian culture in life, creative practice, and research (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Exploring health and well-being as a UK Black creative (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

In an arts career spanning 30 years, Shawn has focussed on health and wellbeing in a range of his creative works in various mediums including film, photography, fiction and non-fiction writing, and also as a workshop and events facilitator. Although... Read More about Exploring health and well-being as a UK Black creative.

#ReconstructionWork: Whose Memorials? (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

The state backlash against the mass protests for racial justice in June 2020 is well underway. A reaction punctuated by the recent passing of the Police, Crimes and Sentencing Bill, which has increased the maximum penalty for criminal damage to a mem... Read More about #ReconstructionWork: Whose Memorials?.

Contested culture as change-maker: The collaborative approach to displaying the toppled statue of Edward Colston (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

The toppling of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol in June 2020
made international headlines. Professor Shawn Sobers of the UWE Bristol and ‘We are Bristol History Commission’, and Ray Barnett Head of Collections & Archives at Bristol Museums,... Read More about Contested culture as change-maker: The collaborative approach to displaying the toppled statue of Edward Colston.

Between the Ears: The Emperor and the Pianola (2022)
Digital Artefact

Short description:

In this captivating Between the Ears, Professor Shawn Sobers uncovers the fascinating story of Emperor Haile Selassie I and his pianola as told through the music of the time, (based on Sobers' original research).

Long descrip... Read More about Between the Ears: The Emperor and the Pianola.

The Colston Statue: What Next? ‘We are Bristol’ History Commission - Full Report (2022)
Report

In the summer of 2021, the ‘We are Bristol’ History Commission consulted with the public about the future of the Colston statue and the Colston plinth. People had a chance to see the statue and learn about its history in a temporary display at the M... Read More about The Colston Statue: What Next? ‘We are Bristol’ History Commission - Full Report.

The Colston Statue: What next? ‘We are Bristol’ History commission - Visual short report (2022)
Report

This version of the report contains images and presents the findings of the research in an accessable format.

In the summer of 2021, the ‘We are Bristol’ History Commission consulted with the public about the future of the Colston statue and the C... Read More about The Colston Statue: What next? ‘We are Bristol’ History commission - Visual short report.

The future of visual anthropology in the wake of Black Lives Matter: A dialogue among Shawn Sobers, Deborah Thomas and Sireita Mullings (2021)
Journal Article

As a discipline, anthropology has long been subject to the scrutiny of critical race theorists and to questions of ethical practice with regard to ethnicity and representation. This dialogue features critical Black visual anthropologists discussing t... Read More about The future of visual anthropology in the wake of Black Lives Matter: A dialogue among Shawn Sobers, Deborah Thomas and Sireita Mullings.

'Don't Wander Off' and other rules to ignore (2021)
Book Chapter

This article explores the complexities of navigating the city as a photographer during the period of the covid pandemic lockdowns. The article is a response to Chris Hoare's photobook Keywork, in which he took photographs around Bristol during lockdo... Read More about 'Don't Wander Off' and other rules to ignore.

Which of us photographs? (2021)
Book Chapter

How will future historians interpret how the 2020/2021 lockdowns impacted photographic aesthetics? Such a study would likely be done best by scholars who are not yet even born. Practitioners and scholars of today are too close to the moment to be abl... Read More about Which of us photographs?.

What does decolonising the curriculum mean? (2020)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

What does decolonising the curriculum mean? What practical steps can I make to adapt my teaching?
Myra Evans and Dr Shawn Sobers explore the issue and ideas and actions to make change. The session has been designed to help staff to consider how they... Read More about What does decolonising the curriculum mean?.

What's next for the future of Decolonial practice? (2020)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Panel discussion with Dr Errol Francis, Dr Angelina Osbourne, Stacey Olika, Jennifer Sharratt and Matthew Branch. On the topic of;

- Is Decolonisation the appropriate word for this work, or is it Diversification?
- What does a Decolonised future... Read More about What's next for the future of Decolonial practice?.

The Emperor and the Pianiola: A children's book for adults (2019)
Book

This illustrated photo-book explores the story of Emperor Haile Selassie and the Ethiopian royal family coming to live in the city of Bath following Mussolini's invasion, and how they used pianola music to create a sense of sanctity for the family at... Read More about The Emperor and the Pianiola: A children's book for adults.

A Call For A Black Bristol Filmmakers Archive (2019)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

In this introduction to the Sudanese documentary film 'Talking About Trees', Sobers brings the storyline to a Bristol context. He charts Bristol's own history of professional Black filmmakers, and argues that making films alone is no longer enough.... Read More about A Call For A Black Bristol Filmmakers Archive.

Point of View - Positioning public engagement central to your research. Case Study: Ethiopian echoes in a British Landscape AHRC Research Networks project (2019)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This key-note presentation discussed approaches to research design and methodology, and offers thoughts towards how to connect research projects closer to real world experience and impact. The three areas discussed were; 1) Public engagement as the c... Read More about Point of View - Positioning public engagement central to your research. Case Study: Ethiopian echoes in a British Landscape AHRC Research Networks project.

Me and my work: Education, Photography, Filmmaking, and Rastafari philosophy (2019)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

In this wide-ranging talk, Sobers discussed how he got to be where he is now with his career, shared some examples of his photography and films, and talked how Rastafari and Pan-Africanism has informed his creative practice and life choices.

TEDx - Ethiopian Echoes in the Bath landscape, and three lessons those echoes can teach us. (2019)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This TEDx talk discussed how the history of the Ethiopian connection with the city of Bath can shed light on how we live today. The talk addressed three key lessons;

1) You can find sanctity in unexpected places
2) The need for calmness in times... Read More about TEDx - Ethiopian Echoes in the Bath landscape, and three lessons those echoes can teach us..

Connection People and Places - Fairfield House case study (2019)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Fairfield House was one of the case studies for the Connection People and Places research project, led by the Stephen Lawrence Trust in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

In my opening talk I explained the history... Read More about Connection People and Places - Fairfield House case study.

Colonial Complexity in the British Landscape: An African-centric autoethnography (2019)
Book Chapter

This chapter explores the notion of what sites of collective significance in the UK can mean to people of African descent , whose ancestral lands were formerly colonised by the British Empire. With such a premise, the methodological position of this... Read More about Colonial Complexity in the British Landscape: An African-centric autoethnography.

When the Prophet was angry with the Emperor: On Marcus Garvey's critique of Haile Selassie I, and the aligned legacy of both their logic (2019)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Discussing the challenging moment in 1937 when Marcus Mosiah Garvey strongly criticised Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie for moving to Bath in the UK, to rally for support for Ethiopia's liberation from Mussolini's fascist invasion. Garvey attacked t... Read More about When the Prophet was angry with the Emperor: On Marcus Garvey's critique of Haile Selassie I, and the aligned legacy of both their logic.

Rivers and oceans: Navigating pictorial legacies of enslavement in New Orleans and Bristol (2019)
Journal Article

This two-part article is a comparative analysis of two late twentieth-century works of art: John T. Scott’s Ocean Song (1990), an abstract, large-scale public art sculpture in New Orleans, Louisiana in the US, and Sold Down the River (1999), a major,... Read More about Rivers and oceans: Navigating pictorial legacies of enslavement in New Orleans and Bristol.

Re-definitions (educational app) (2019)
Other

As a result of speaking at the National Conference for Religious Education Advisers in July 2018, Sobers was approached to speak about the Rastafari faith on the RE-Definitions app, which is an educational resource featuring key terms and definitions... Read More about Re-definitions (educational app).

What is Rastafari? History, beliefs and philosophy of the Rastafari movement (2018)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This talk sheds light on the core history and beliefs of the Rastafari faith, which Sobers considers to be the world's best secret. Sobers challenges some common misconceptions regarding the public perception of Rastafari culture. This talk also shed... Read More about What is Rastafari? History, beliefs and philosophy of the Rastafari movement.

Transatlantic slavery connections with Bath (2018)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

The predominant discourse relating to the South West's connections with the transatlantic slave trade tends to focus on Bristol, though Bath has got its story to tell. This public talk for Black History Month discusses the rise of Bath's economic for... Read More about Transatlantic slavery connections with Bath.

Hidden pluralities: Rastafari in the South West and the house where God lived (2018)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

In this keynote presentation Sobers discusses the intricacies of the Rastafari faith, how it has been underestimated as a cultural movement, and how its legacies have local, national and global significance.
The paper is presented in three parts.... Read More about Hidden pluralities: Rastafari in the South West and the house where God lived.

Blood Sugar - Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire - A slavery connected history (2018)
Digital Artefact

This film has been made by the Nottingham based Slave Trade Legacies (STL) group with Dr Shawn Naphtali Sobers, based on a poem by Michelle 'Mother' Hubbard. STL is a mainly African Caribbean group working to gain acknowledgement of the contribution... Read More about Blood Sugar - Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire - A slavery connected history.

View over Bristol - Tryers, creativity and a civic imaginary (2017)
Book Chapter

"Bristol has a culture of tryers, lots of people trying but because there’s a lack of accessibility. Because there is a lack of exits, naturally there are loads of people trying to get out… it is full of people who are trying because they can't grab... Read More about View over Bristol - Tryers, creativity and a civic imaginary.

Community media as social innovation: Transformation, agency and value (2017)
Book Chapter

This chapter discusses the Creative Citizens study, an extensive research project conducted by the authors from 2013 to 2015, looking into the community media practices of the South Blessed collective, a self-motivated network of young creatives appr... Read More about Community media as social innovation: Transformation, agency and value.

Five corners of reggae music, and the house where Rastafari lived (2017)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This presentation began with a personal exploration of what reggae music means to me, from the perspective of five areas of life - Cultural/ Educational, Spiritual, Political, Entrepreneurial/ Resourcefulness, and Social. It then goes on to discuss... Read More about Five corners of reggae music, and the house where Rastafari lived.

Photographic Dialogues: Moving Stills (2017)
Book

Special issue looking at photographers who shoot moving image, and the relationship between the creative approaches.

We ran the Moving Stills symposium in April 2016, which explored the practices of photographers who also produce moving image work... Read More about Photographic Dialogues: Moving Stills.

Ethiopian stories in an English landscape (2017)
Book Chapter

Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with an established narrative of being built by the Romans, and built upon with architectural splendour by the Georgians in the 1700-1800s. This has resulted in a tourist industry worth an annual average of £414... Read More about Ethiopian stories in an English landscape.

Five corners of reggae music (2016)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

A personal exploration of what reggae music means to me, from the perspective of five areas of life - Cultural/ Educational, Spiritual, Political, Entrepreneurial/ Resourcefulness, and Social.

Speech given at the Afrika Eye Film Festival, 12 Novem... Read More about Five corners of reggae music.

Civic cultures and modalities of place-making (2016)
Book Chapter

Acts of creative citizenship require places, where challenges and tensions generate energy, inviting resolution through creative collaboration. In this chapter we aim to shed light on processes of place-making, whether they occur in physical, digital... Read More about Civic cultures and modalities of place-making.

Varieties of creative citizenship (2016)
Book Chapter

This chapter reflects on different variations of creative citizenship drawing from empirical studies carried out across the Creative Citizen project, covering different domains in which media are used creatively by communities. It discusses a number... Read More about Varieties of creative citizenship.

Conversations about co-production (2016)
Book Chapter

This chapter explores the dynamics of Higher Education Institutions working with non-academic partner organisations. The chapter engages in dialogue with key individuals in these partnerships, discussing key issues experienced throughout the Creativ... Read More about Conversations about co-production.

Language and resistance: Memories of transatlantic slavery, and its continuing afterlives in the use of Rastafari language and terminology (2016)
Book Chapter

This article discusses how language within the Rastafari culture, known as Iyaric, or Word Sound, has been formed in resistance to the effects of white supremacist domination in the forms of slavery and colonialization. It explores how Rastafari ter... Read More about Language and resistance: Memories of transatlantic slavery, and its continuing afterlives in the use of Rastafari language and terminology.

Names I once owned (2015)
Exhibition / Performance

A spoken word autoethnography of names. Exploring the names I once owned discussed through the lens of identity, history and politics. Contextual references are made to Malcolm X, and his journey with names in pursuit of social justice and spiritual... Read More about Names I once owned.

One bridge, two Williams: Photographic integrity in the age of ubiquity (2015)
Journal Article

A brief and personal exploration of integrity in photography in relation to identity. Starting with an analysis of the differing photographic practices of William Klein and William Eggleston, as a means of entering the discourse of what integrity me... Read More about One bridge, two Williams: Photographic integrity in the age of ubiquity.

Walking interconnections: Walking in someone else's shoes (2014)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

'Walking Interconnections' is a research project that worked in the Bristol region from 2013 – 2014 using walking, conversation and creative activities as methods to trigger communication between self-identified disabled people and sustainability pra... Read More about Walking interconnections: Walking in someone else's shoes.

SS Mendi (2014)
Digital Artefact

This film commemorates the fate of the SS Mendi, transporting South African Labour Corps troops to join the WW1 war efforts on the front lines in France. On 21 February 1917, just twelve miles off the coast of the Isle of Wight from leaving Cape Town... Read More about SS Mendi.

Being a man (2014)
Digital Artefact

Before being approached to make this film I had heard of muscular dystrophy, but the name Duchenne was new to me. On reading up about the condition, and listening to the audio interviews with the 20 men who talked to the researchers, I was struck by... Read More about Being a man.

The social vocabulary of Hidden Presence: British History and the need to talk through the silence and acknowledge true stories of African presence (2013)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

When British spaces, rural and otherwise, are full of celebrated and re-told myths and legends – from sites such as Stonehenge through to character based fables such as Robin Hood – why do some resist to allow true stories, which are no less fantasti... Read More about The social vocabulary of Hidden Presence: British History and the need to talk through the silence and acknowledge true stories of African presence.

Nothing Matters Everything Matters (2013)
Digital Artefact

Something has happened to set Tim Andrews on a different path. Formerly a lawyer, he has dedicated himself to portrait photography, having been photographed by over 240 artists for his 'Over The Hill' project. Deviating from photography, I pitched an... Read More about Nothing Matters Everything Matters.

Enthusiastic facilitator, reluctant anthropologist (2013)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

After 17 years of working in community media video projects as a facilitator and later as a researcher, I felt the time was right to now reconnect with my own creative practice of photography and filmmaking. As a facilitator I was ever conscious of t... Read More about Enthusiastic facilitator, reluctant anthropologist.

Re:Interpretation: the representation of perspectives on slave trade history using creative media (2013)
Book Chapter

This chapter describes the process, production and context of Re:Interpretation, a participatory media project carried out by Firstborn Creatives in partnership with the National Trust. The brief was to explore the challenging subject of transatlant... Read More about Re:Interpretation: the representation of perspectives on slave trade history using creative media.

Adinkra Poster Series (2012)
Exhibition / Performance

These poster images are work in progress of a series of 54. They explore the Adinkra symbols which originate from Ghana, dating back to the pre-historic era. The symbols are still widely used by Ghanaians to the present day, as well as by the wider A... Read More about Adinkra Poster Series.

Real and Imagined Lives (2012)
Exhibition / Performance

Real and Imagined Lives explores identity through works drawn from the National Portrait Gallery Collection. Fictional character sketches written by well known authors accompany Tudor & Jacobean paintings of unknown sitters, while writers offer an a... Read More about Real and Imagined Lives.

Words Inside (2012)
Exhibition / Performance

Solo photography exhibition - This photography series is interested in marginalia – notes in the margins of books, and the other markings they carry that were not there when new. The photographs on display are a combination of my own books, and ones... Read More about Words Inside.

Roots & Wings (2012)
Exhibition / Performance

Touring group photography exhibition - 2012.
Locations included The Hawth, Crawley, Steel Shed Gallery in Barbados, Martinique art gallery, and Brighton Photo Fringe.

Curated and coordinated by Urban Flo Creative Consultancy, in partnership with... Read More about Roots & Wings.

15 autobiographical moments in perpiTubeity (2011)
Exhibition / Performance

I was invited to present a personal film journey through YouTube categories. A video essay reflection on identity in YouTube and Social Media spaces.

Produced for the PerpiTube exhibition – Entertainment & Education strand. Pitzer Art Gallerie... Read More about 15 autobiographical moments in perpiTubeity.

Myths, facts and feelings: Bristol and transatlantic slavery (2010)
Book

Positioning education within community media (2010)
Book Chapter

Looking at how educational activities contribute to the broader community media sector, and discussing the impacts of involvement for young people in media arts activity.

Plan China (2009)
Digital Artefact

In 2007 I visited Guangzhou, China for 10 days as Filmmaker-in-Residence with a group of young people and three other support workers, on a research trip exploring creative life and education in the city.

The resulting 21 minute film was screened... Read More about Plan China.

Lafrance’s Story: Inside Out (2008)
Digital Artefact

Short documentary for BBC 1's 'Inside Out' magazine programme, exploring the story of Lafrance Gordon, and how he has overcome suffering from a stroke by challenging himself to physical tests. This film charts his climbing of the highest peak in Sout... Read More about Lafrance’s Story: Inside Out.

Blueboard: Story of a creative media residency project: 4 companies / 11 schools (2008)
Book

This publication offers an introduction to some ways in which partnership work between creative media practitioners and schools, can enhance the learning opportunties of children and young people. The Blueboard publication aims to share the key lear... Read More about Blueboard: Story of a creative media residency project: 4 companies / 11 schools.

Consequences and coincidences: A case study of experimental play in media literacy (2008)
Journal Article

This article will discuss the way children across three schools in Bristol, United Kingdom have been engaged in a unique short film experiment. The video project they were involved with aimed to inspire the young participants to actively consider not... Read More about Consequences and coincidences: A case study of experimental play in media literacy.

Unfinished Business (2007)
Digital Artefact

In 2007 I Directed this film for Firstborn Creatives, for BBC1 (West). It explores how the city of Bristol has dealt with coming to terms with its historical links with the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, in the year of the bicentenary of the passing of... Read More about Unfinished Business.

Barbados to Bath (2007)
Digital Artefact

30 minute documentary exploring the story of how the city of Bath came to be home to one of the oldest Caribbean steel band orchestras in the UK.

Young people's needs and the negotiation of community media working mainstream services (2006)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

How young people have worked with community media projects to negotiate their life needs, working with formal and informal services.

Under the Bridge (2000)
Digital Artefact

This documentary explores Bristol’s historical links with the slave trade, and the feelings in the city relating to this past. It charts local protests, the opening of Pero's Bridge my Paul Boateng MP, and the city's first museum exhibition dedicate... Read More about Under the Bridge.

Footsteps of the Emperor (1999)
Digital Artefact

50 min Documentary about Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I’s time living in the city of Bath in exile from 1936 - 1941, during Mussolini's invasion of Abyssinia.

Directer and Producer - Shawn Sobers
Presenter - Benjamin Zephaniah
Executive Prod... Read More about Footsteps of the Emperor.

Eazy Riderz: A short film about boys, bikes, inner city life and crime (1998)
Digital Artefact

Short documentary telling the story of a group of young men who go from stealing bikes, to changing their lives to be more constructive with their activities with bikes and their building friendships.

Director - Marie James
Producers - Femi Kolad... Read More about Eazy Riderz: A short film about boys, bikes, inner city life and crime.

No Change? Youth homelessness in Bristol - an undercurrents documentary (1998)
Digital Artefact

30 minute documentary exploring the issue of youth homelessness in Bristol, and what can be done to avoid it.

Director - Shawn Sobers
Presenter - Eleni Kyriacou
Producer - Steve Cole

Transmitted on ITV West, 1998

Out of the mouth of babes: 6-11 years olds reflect on learning Black historical narratives
Digital Artefact

Working with children from Hannah More Primary School, Bristol, I brought together their reflections of working on an intensive week long Black history project with a groups of local artists. UWE BA Photography students documented the activities of t... Read More about Out of the mouth of babes: 6-11 years olds reflect on learning Black historical narratives.

7 days after 47 (Nothing Matters Everything Matters, part 2)
Digital Artefact

Commissioned by Kosar Contemporary Gallery, Sobers revisited his 2013 film 'Nothing Matters Everything Matters' with Tim Andrews, and made a new film of his own inner thoughts and feelings, at the event of turning 47 years old. Made structured around... Read More about 7 days after 47 (Nothing Matters Everything Matters, part 2).

Stories of Hidden Presence in Bath City
Digital Artefact

A collaborative research project exploring the presence of Black people in Bath city in the Georgian era. Young people from Black Families Education Support Group conducted research with Bath Record Office, and commissioned me to visualize their find... Read More about Stories of Hidden Presence in Bath City.

Ethiopian echoes in the British landscape
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Presentation about my ongoing work and research at Fairfield House, Bath, the former residence of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I. I discuss engagements with the site using creative media, arts and research, relationships with the local communitie... Read More about Ethiopian echoes in the British landscape.

Photojournalism and ethics: In search of a peace journalism
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Photojournalism has long been associated with events of conflict, war and tension, and never more so than now in the age of 24 hour rolling news, and the proliferation of platforms for citizen media.  This session asks, what could Peace Photojournali... Read More about Photojournalism and ethics: In search of a peace journalism.

Walking interconnections: Case study of methods of a participatory action research project
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Discussing the methodologies and research methods of 'Walking Interconnections' - a research project that worked in the Bristol region from 2013 – 2014 using walking, conversation and creative activities as methods to trigger communication between se... Read More about Walking interconnections: Case study of methods of a participatory action research project.

The suppressed majority? What does it mean to be a modern man?
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Looking at critical issues affecting young people today - exploring the topic of masculinity. What is masculinity? What does it mean to be a modern man? Should gender define us? Is modern masculinity a problem? And where does masculinity fit within t... Read More about The suppressed majority? What does it mean to be a modern man?.

An auto-ethnographic dialogue with archive
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This provocation offered an analysis of a piece of photographic artwork I produced, a self-portrait inbetween two enslaved Africans. The Africans portrayed are named Jack and Delia, enslaved on a South Carolina plantation, photographed by Joseph T. Z... Read More about An auto-ethnographic dialogue with archive.

Haile Selassie in exile, and life in the city of Bath
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This talk sets the scene of the circumstances of how and why Emperor came to the UK in exile, and how he came to settle in the city of Bath.

Sankofa dialogues: Making things to make sense of colonial saturated embodied landscape
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Sankofa is a Ghanaian symbol which represents the idea that there is no shame in going back to fetch that which you have forgotten. The symbol is of a bird looking back with a seed it its mouth. The common interpretation is that the seed represents c... Read More about Sankofa dialogues: Making things to make sense of colonial saturated embodied landscape.

Reflections on partnership working: Case Study of BBC partnership with UWE photography programme
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This presentation discussed the partnership that was built between BBC Bristol and the UWE photography programme, which saw students working with BBC staff on the 'More Than Words' festival, producing imagery across the city. Reflections on the succ... Read More about Reflections on partnership working: Case Study of BBC partnership with UWE photography programme.

Re:Interpretation: The representation of perspectives on slave trade history using creative media
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This presentation describes the process, production and context of Re:Interpretation, a participatory media project carried out by Firstborn Creatives in partnership with the National Trust. The brief was to explore the challenging subject of transa... Read More about Re:Interpretation: The representation of perspectives on slave trade history using creative media.

Walking interconnections: Researching the lived experience of disabled people for a sustainable society
Presentation / Conference Contribution

‘Walking Interconnections’ is the name of a collaborative research project. As the name suggests, the project’s focus is on the ways in which walking, as an activity, can prompt the sharing of experiences between people. The interconnections we expl... Read More about Walking interconnections: Researching the lived experience of disabled people for a sustainable society.

Hidden Presence: British history and the need to acknowledge true stories with African descendent casts
Presentation / Conference Contribution

British culture is full of legend and folklore, yet true stories about the Black presence in pre-20th century UK, which on the surface are even more fantastical than fiction, struggles to find a place in the historical British narrative. The functi... Read More about Hidden Presence: British history and the need to acknowledge true stories with African descendent casts.

What came first, the Black or the Arts? An autoethnography
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This highly personal paper will discuss what inspired me about the Black Arts Movement and the critical decade’, and how has it continued to influence my arts practice and thinking.

Growing up in Bath in the 80s, leaving school in 1988 aged 16 to... Read More about What came first, the Black or the Arts? An autoethnography.

Hidden presence: Comparative study of visualising the presence of Black people living in Georgian era Britain – an analysis of two participatory creative history projects
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This paper will discuss the outputs and findings of three recently completed creative history projects, which worked in participatory ways to explore and visually respond to the lives of Black people living in Georgian and Victorian era Britain. All... Read More about Hidden presence: Comparative study of visualising the presence of Black people living in Georgian era Britain – an analysis of two participatory creative history projects.

Self-portraiture and portraiture in the dialogic moment
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This presentation will be an autoethnographic exploration of personal and public approaches to memory, reparation and reconciliation within implicit gendered contexts. Discussed will be personal art works ranging from my confessional works, activist... Read More about Self-portraiture and portraiture in the dialogic moment.

Photography and integrity - an overview
Presentation / Conference Contribution

To open the 'Integrity and Photography' symposium, this brief paper gives an overview of how I see integrity played out across various genres of photography. I argue that integrity is not a notion owned by documentary approaches to photography, and... Read More about Photography and integrity - an overview.

Cultural hybridity as the fuel of creative enterprises
Presentation / Conference Contribution

South Blessed is a community media operation based in Bristol, specialising in Hip Hop music videos, activist documentary, and live topical debates streamed online. The editorial ethos of South Blessed is one of promotion of talent and opinion from... Read More about Cultural hybridity as the fuel of creative enterprises.

Representation of slave trade legacy in the popular culture of Bristol
Presentation / Conference Contribution

In this talk I highlight how different people in the city of Bristol have responded to and made things in relation to the city's slave trade history. From a slavery tour, art works, animation and exhibitions, over the years Bristol citizens have soug... Read More about Representation of slave trade legacy in the popular culture of Bristol.

The bold agency of making something out of nothing
Presentation / Conference Contribution

From slave trade tours, music videos, activist documentary and independent journalism, Bristol has a vibrant tradition of DIY culture which links creativity to civic engagement and personal and social impacts. This talk draws on a range of examples... Read More about The bold agency of making something out of nothing.

Photography that revisits: Participatory influences in post-colonial, auto-ethnographic visual anthropology practices
Presentation / Conference Contribution

My current creative practice – of a photographic discourse which revisits and moves closer into the subject after the shutter has been pressed - brings together three distinct but (for me) related areas in my educational background; BA in film & phot... Read More about Photography that revisits: Participatory influences in post-colonial, auto-ethnographic visual anthropology practices.

Creative citizens: Researching the value of creative citizenship through co-creative action research (A ‘transmedia’ case study)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This presentation shares the approach and findings of a case study that explored how ‘South Blessed’, an informal youth network of creative citizens in Bristol, generates value through its activities. South Blessed showcases a diversity of young, cre... Read More about Creative citizens: Researching the value of creative citizenship through co-creative action research (A ‘transmedia’ case study).

Familiar ways: Vulnerable auto-ethnography in creative practice
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Sobers’ presentation discusses different ways the notion of family has entered his work: from the macro perspective of identity through diaspora communities through to very personal reflections relating to immediate family members and events. Showin... Read More about Familiar ways: Vulnerable auto-ethnography in creative practice.

From networks to complexity - Creative Citizens project
Presentation / Conference Contribution

From Networks to Complexity: two case studies from the AHRC Creative Citizens project. From the noticeboard in the newsagent’s window to multi-layered online networks using social networking technologies, citizens are increasingly accessing networks... Read More about From networks to complexity - Creative Citizens project.

Creative citizens: Researching the value of creative citizenship through co-creative action research (A ‘transmedia’ case study)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This session shares the work of the Creative Citizens strand that set out to investigate the impact of informal creative networks on their communities. In Bristol we worked with the network of young people that work around the very informal South Ble... Read More about Creative citizens: Researching the value of creative citizenship through co-creative action research (A ‘transmedia’ case study).

Identity in community media (negotiating marginal positions within photographic practices)
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Invited to discuss how notions of identity, self, and place feature for participants in community media projects, where those themes are related to the project contexts.

The business of community media: Stakeholders and sustainability
Presentation / Conference Contribution

I was invited to discuss the economic, ethical, pedagogic, political and other factors relating to community media activities, and their bearing on the sustainability of the businesses carrying out the work.

"This interdiscplinary Symposium brough... Read More about The business of community media: Stakeholders and sustainability.

Perspectives of slave trade history using creative digital platforms
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This presentation describes the process, production and context of Re:Interpretation, a participatory media project carried out by Firstborn Creatives in partnership with the National Trust. The brief was to explore the challenging subject of transa... Read More about Perspectives of slave trade history using creative digital platforms.

Positioning education within community media
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Looking at how educational activities contribute to the broader community media sector, and discussing the impacts of involvement for young people in media arts activity.

Re-Representing rural racism through the use of community media
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Discussing how critical pedagogy approaches to participatory media production can enable young people co-producing the media address and negotiate complex aspects of their identities, in this instance, identities of race and culture. This paper was... Read More about Re-Representing rural racism through the use of community media.

Re-Representing rural racism through the use of Community Media
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Discussing how critical pedagogy approaches to participatory media production can enable young people co-producing the media address and negotiate complex aspects of their identities, in this instance, identities of race and culture. This paper was... Read More about Re-Representing rural racism through the use of Community Media.

Re-Representing rural racism through the use of community media
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Discussing how critical pedagogy approaches to participatory media production can enable young people co-producing the media address and negotiate complex aspects of their identities, in this instance, identities of race and culture. This paper was... Read More about Re-Representing rural racism through the use of community media.

Beyond Project: Working towards defining and sustaining the community media sector
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Discussing the impact of the UNESCO MacBride Report titled, 'Many Voices-One World', on the ethos and working principles of community media education, and building upon the report findings to build a sustainable community media sector.

Using digital media to enhance creative writing
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Discussing Creative Partnership case studies: 'Blueboard Creative Media Residencies' and 'Brief Consequences' as examples of embedding the use of digital media across the curriculum in primary and secondary school education to enhance creative writin... Read More about Using digital media to enhance creative writing.

Socially engaged arts practice in the current economic climate
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Demanding Conversations was a conference that took place at Knowle West Media Centre, Bristol on 22nd and 23rd September 2010. The conference involved practitioners, artists, policy makers, and commentators in debate about socially engaged arts pract... Read More about Socially engaged arts practice in the current economic climate.

Democratising a decolonised functional and cultural heritage space
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This presentation discussed how Fairfield House in Bath, the former residence of Emperor Haile Selassie, could be considered a decolonised space - predominantly Black led, catering for predominantly (though not solely) Black audiences. Sobers discu... Read More about Democratising a decolonised functional and cultural heritage space.

The politics and myth of the Untold Story: From personal liberatory practice to decolonial discourse
Presentation / Conference Contribution

This talk will discussed a journey in creative practice and deconstructing motivations of making - from the personal to the political and the blurs inbetween. Sobers discussed modes of using creative culture to challenge to the colonial centre, and e... Read More about The politics and myth of the Untold Story: From personal liberatory practice to decolonial discourse.

Theoretical considerations of compassionate education practices
Presentation / Conference Contribution

Opening provocation exploring the theme of whether a compassionate led approach to education can lead the way for equality. Acknowledging that it is a shame that the question need be asked at all, looks into ways formal education spaces have become b... Read More about Theoretical considerations of compassionate education practices.