Interrogating History; Black Voices in Myth

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.