Snow cancels workshops

A bitter disappointment for all concerned (no pun intended). Camborne School has no option but to cancel tomorrow's workshop because of today's heavy snowfall, which continued until midday. Culdrose (Naval Station) is predicting more.
A real shame as we had spent a lot of time preparing for this. A date to be rescheduled for the New Year.

Job Opportunity

I PACKED THIS MYSELF: Bringing local communities and migrant workers together in Cornwall
As regular blog readers will know... We've been working in schools, youth groups and churches with funding from the Migration Impacts Fund. The aim: to build bridges and increase understanding.

We're currently looking for someone to join the team as schools workshops leader. This work will be occasional and paid by the session. It would suit anyone who cares about social justice - and is articulate, passionate, committed and adaptable. It will involve going into schools with a team of migrant workers, addressing assemblies and classrooms and leading discussions. Workshops last year proved highly successful and schools are asking for more. Could you help? Please email me (info@bridging-arts.com) or call 0794 12 52 444.

Tying up loose ends and evaluation of first stage

I Packed This Myself schools workshops over for the summer term and we're just carrying out an evaluation of the first stage. All the feedback sheets and questionnaires that we distributed will prove useful.

We'll start advertising autumn term workshops at the start of July....

Reminders of Cornish migration

Bank Holiday weekend in west Cornwall. Still not much sign of the sun. For the first time for ages walk around the graveyard at Crowan. In our I Packed This Myself workshops, we have often mentioned the fact that the Cornish are no strangers to migration - and all its challenges. Thousands of Cornish people left Cornwall for California, South Africa and Australia when the tin and copper mining industry collapsed in the 19th century.

It's a beautiful time of year.  But sad to think that so many of these journeys ended overseas. The mortality rate was high.

This miner died at Gold Hill, Nevada.
















And these long dead relatives of mine very far from home .  Thomas Roberts aged 40 in California and his son, aged 21, on his passage to New Granada in 1853. New Granada, where there were important silver mines, subsequently became modern day Colombia.

Making plans for workshops in Cornish schools

We'll be at Treviglas (Newquay),  then Camborne at the start of June.  Inga (who works at SEF Leedstown and made The Hidden Life of a Cornish Farm with three colleagues) and Vadims, also  from SEF, will be working with me.

Two news items about migration in The Times today. "Tensions rise as jobless migrants are blamed for the pain in Spain."  A report from Vic, an industrial town north of Barcelona, which is struggling to cope with hundreds of unemployed people. The vast majority are immigrants - Moroccans and sub-Saharan Africans. At least 10,000 had been working in the town - doing the jobs that others did not want. When the Spanish ecnomic bubble burst, they faced destitution. In reaction: people are calling for immigration to be controlled. Spain's equivalent of the BNP (Platform for Catalonia) are whipping up anti-immigrant feeling about this - ignoring the fact that the economy previously depended on their input.

The second reports on Home Office figures: Record immigration surge as more than 200,000 get British passports in a year." The surge last year was 58%. It's the highest since records were first published 47 years ago. Of those receiving a British passport, more than half come from Africa and the Indian subcontinent.  One possible clause? The Times suggests a rush to apply for citizenship befre rules linking it to earnings, skills and education take effect.

Otherwise keeping an eye on recent publications about migrant workers and immigration.

Recently from the Migrants' Rights Network.... Immigration documents checks and workplace raids: a negotiators guide

They say ...

"Ever tried an immigration officer’s uniform on for size? Unless you’ve worked for the UK Border Agency itself, we would imagine probably not.

But if you’re an employer in the UK, you are supposed to have been getting pretty familiar with the business of checking immigration documents, particularly since tougher regulations on irregular working came into force in February 2008. The hike in UKBA workplace raids since then has also increased the spotlight on workers’ immigration status.

Bringing immigration enforcement into British workplaces, the Government has presented new challenges to activists, trade unions, migrants, migrant organisations and employers.

These challenges can only be met with proactive negotiation with employers to ensure that only necessary document checks are carried out, and that these are carried out consistently and fairly. This should deny any unscrupulous employer the opportunity to exploit migrant workers, to divide workers or to threaten those that stand up for their rights.”

And John Vincent's Network ebulletin, as usual, is full of news.

Migration issues – Government, Government Agencies and Local Government

Longitudinal study of migrant workers in the East of England

 

Focusing on the perspective of migrant workers in the Eastern region (Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambs, Herts, Essex and Beds.) Studying: factors that influence decisions on coming to and length of stay in the UK; barriers to full participation in the regional economy; and, barriers to social inclusion in the local community; how these change over time and whether public policy has an influential role on these decisions.”

“Is the progressive case for migration truly progressive?”

 

Article by Tim Finch, the Head of Migration, Equalities and Citizenship at ippr.

  

New books for young people featuring migration

Gillian Cross. Where I belong (OUP, 2010), a story involving a Somali family - read a review in the Guardian by Mary Hoffman.

A misty morning in west Cornwall

A misty morning in west Cornwall for our first workshop directly with children of migrant workers and their friends. Children at Pool School have volunteered, in pairs, to attend.
We arrive first thing and work all day. Games first to break the ice. A prize for the pair building the highest tower.

People are so creative that we award a further prize for the most imaginative structure - architecturally.

Then we get to work, making cases of metaphorical journeys. Children have come from Poland, Latvia and Lithuania to the school. Ewa Cimochowska, who has been helping throughout, has come along to help

People draw pictures from their journeys to this country. We discuss problems faced - difficulties and how were best tackled.   
We've brought our map suitcases to help things along - here pictured with new cases.

One of the aims of this workshop is to come up with an Action Plan, that might be used in this school and elsewhere to help new arrivals - children who don't speak English, find it tough to make friends and experience difficulties.
All sorts of suggestions are made...
It is a very lively team.

Who have their own ideas of how to brainstorm! They draw a picture of an imaginary Greek girl, called Luella, who arrives at the school.

Then imagine her thoughts and feelings.
A good day. Lunch in the school canteen and the first time for ages I have had chocolate sponge and custard.

Later call in at SEF (Southern England Farms) Leedstown, to see the four filmmakers whose film premiered at I Packed This Myself in Truro in March. We discuss future plans.

It's a fairly chilly early summer evening - slightly damp and the trees (just) in full leaf.

Drive past daffodils fields that are now being prepared for the next crop.

St Austell, a brief stop at St Clement then stunning suitcases at Richard Lander

An early start to the day with a workshop at Cornwall College St Austell - with Art degree students and ESOL learners. An interesting discussion on treasured possessions. Jewellery figured high on many people's lists.

Then a pause before the next workshop. By the river at St Clement, just outside Truro - near Malpas, where Tristan carried Iseult across the ford in Arthurian legend. Had not realised that the channels in the mud could be so deep. (An important journey for Iseult - an elaborate trick that saved her life.)

In the churchyard at St Clement - a standing stone dating from around 600 AD with a Roman inscription. Its history unclear.









Plenty of clarity though at Richard Lander School,  Truro, with the class of very motivated and engaged children we met two weeks ago. A variety of excellent suitcases that they have created with their journeys.

Emily Irwin has drawn her journey eight years ago, from Maidenhead to Cornwall. She's now 14.

Miles Cooper has drawn a memorable journey to Primary School some years ago in a snowstorm, when his intrepid father had a minor accident and hit the bank. He found his sister and brother had built two snowmen by the time he got home.

 

Megan Mason has drawn a journey of dreams - her planned career and passage through life.

Rebecca Water, 14, drew a very delicate map with key symbols in her life - a palm tree on the left from the Caribbean island where her mother was born. The London Eye - top right (she was born in London).

Rihana Davey, 13, drew all the places that have been significant in her life so far - from the maternity wing where she was born, to the play group she attended, to her home and school now...

The class hard at work, imagining themselves migrant workers far from home, and writing postcards home. A very rewarding place to work - we are returning after Easter to do some assemblies.