Actors Of Dionysus
Interrogating History; Black Voices in Myth
We are raising money to 1. Host a Research & Development project exploring marginalised voices in myth 2. Investigate ancient stories & their relevance to modern experiences 2. Create an artistic output for schools to present a diverse view of Classics & increase accessibility
It ran from 12:00 PM, 1 December 2020 to 12:00 PM, 8 December 2020
Registered Charity in England and Wales (1044532)
Match funded Campaign target
£6,000
Amount raised
£6,219
Donations
55
Championed by The Reed Foundation
Location
United Kingdom
Campaign overview
Aims
Where's the money going?
Impact & reporting
The way in which the students’ knowledge of Greek theatre/the text was constantly questioned/added to. It brought the themes of the play to life for them more and definitely also gave them a different perspective on the characters.
— Julie Gardner, Nower Hill High School
Given time and support, aod could restore the Classics to their proper place in the theatre repertoire, which would be something like a National Classical theatre.
— Times Educational Supplement
Actors of Dionysus leave behind in their audiences an experience of deep intensity.
— St Andres Citizen
Situation
Classics is a notoriously homogeneous field with leaders typically being white, male and from financially strong backgrounds. Due to this homogeny, ancient stories have been presented through a narrow world view and people are alienated from these stories and our shared history. When you don’t see yourself represented in a field, aspirations are flattened, and children are discouraged from pursuing this fascinating field due to a lack of representation and a singular interpretation.
Solution
Using the play 'Trojan Women' as a stimulus and provocation for exploration of Black voices in myth, we will bring together a team of creatives to work from the text with the goal of using the ancient story to create around experiences of being a marginalised group, particularly looking at the future and how we can work as a society to widen our framework when thinking about history. This project will lead to a sharing of work which will invite Classicists, students from colleges and artists.
