The story of how Bristol poet and educator Lawrence Hoo and his friend, visual artist Chaz Golding, created a series of educational resources to address the lack of representation in schools’ curriculums, is to be shown to a regional TV audience for the first time. Bristol Live has reported on the phenomenon of the CARGO Classroom story since its inception, but now the BBC’s We Are England series is to share the story, including the influence and support of legendary Bristol band Massive Attack.
The We Are England programme, which is being broadcast from 7.30pm on Friday, October 14, documents Chaz and Lawrence’s mission to educate Bristol’s teachers on the black history they were never taught at school.
The programme is part of a nationwide series called The Classroom Revolution, and the programme shows Chaz and Lawrence recording material for their lessons in Massive Attack’s studio, before hosting a training day for secondary school teachers in a disused warehouse on the outskirts of Bristol.
Read more: Bristol poet Lawrence Hoo speaks passionately about his CARGO Classroom project
“It’s all intended to take them out of their comfort zone and put them in a place that will make them sit up and listen,” explained We Are England director Luke David. “The teachers are taught about Nanny of the Maroons, Queen Nzinga and the Haitian revolution, among a plethora of other historical events and people that are not taught in mainstream schools. We then follow teachers who take what they’ve learnt back to their own classrooms. What will their pupils think about the lessons? Will they engage with the material?” he added.
We Are England is aired tonight at 7.30pm on BBC1 and available to watch all over the country on iPlayer.
Get the best stories about the things you love most curated by us and delivered to your inbox every day. Choose what you love here.
