‘We have more in common’

As you are aware, October is Black History Month. Inspirational ideas for work with your children/students can be found on the supporting website: www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk.

Please do find some time to think about how your school could participate during October, to highlight this theme within your curriculum and collective worship.

As a Diocese, we would like schools to get creative and inspired to think about the theme of ‘We have far more in common’ and to participate in an Art and/or Poetry competition across our schools.

The quote from Jo Cox MP introduces this theme: “We have far more in common with each other than that which divides us.”

Are we all one human race, despite our differences and divisions?

We are all different, and all religions are different – but are we all the same too? Can we all be united? What holds humanity together? Is it faith? Hope? Love? Music? Sport?

What threatens to tear us apart – racism, sexism, hatred, bigotry? How can we conquer the forces of division?

We would like schools to explore these issues as Church of England schools with core Christian values at an age-appropriate level, to create a piece of artwork or poem which represents your response to the title, with a particular focus on anti-racism to address the title of ‘We have far more in common’, especially given the context of the shocking events of the summer across the country.

Competition

Make a work of art or poetry that shows what unites us, brings us together, joins humans as one people and expresses our harmony. This could be at local, national or global level.

Each school may submit up to three pieces of work - you may decide to submit a mix of poetry and art or just one of them. You can decide to submit work from different year groups or to focus in one age group only – the choice is yours!

Entries should be no larger that A4. Please submit digital versions of the work for judging to Mark Whitehill by 5pm on Friday 1st November 2024.

Entries should including the school’s name (but not pupils’ names) and competition category: Infants; Juniors or Secondary.

All entries will be judged by a panel and the winners contacted directly.

The winning entries will receive a fiction book by a published black author as a prize and the winning works will be put on display at our Senior Leaders’ conference on 21st November.