Invisible Folk

We made a film about the hundreds of people who were brought to England from Italy, Poland, South Asia and the Caribbean to work in the brickworks after the war. This was funded by the Arts Council and was shown by The Higgins Bedford.

We made a film with original music and songs about the landscape, climate and ecology of Bedfordshire. Funded by the Arts Council and shown at the Higgins Bedford.

A short play exploring gender roles in lacemaking and the response to the industrial revolution. We also adapted Lace Tells to create new music. Funded by the Arts Council in partnership with the Higgins Bedford.

We have taken part in a project to collect the memories and oral history of retired Caribbean Nurses of their time working in the NHS. This projects is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

This was a concert of folk music given to the visitors of Norton Priory in Cheshire. Some of the stories might have been about the crafts people and traders that worked at the priory in days gone by. This was funded by the Wellness Museum and the Heritage Fund

We created a walking tour of Bedford High Street from the memories and stories of the marginalised communities of Bedford. Women, Italians, Poles, Caribbean, LBGTQ, disabled people were interviewed and so were historians, curators and even a sculptor. This was created in partnership with Bedford Borough Council and funded by Historic England. 

Invisible Folk's day to day work is producing radio shows and podcasts. These range from music to documentary. We have collected oral history from a variety of communities in Bedford remembering when Nelson Mandela visited in 2000. We have explored the impact the transatlantic slave trade is having today on Caribbean descendants. We talk to the heritage industry about how we tell ourselves stories of the part. Some of these are paid for by grants from the Arts Council

We have been commissioned by the Library and Theatres department of Central Bedfordshire Council to deliver two training sessions. One on how to make a podcast and one on how to get the best interview for your podcast.

This project marks the 250th anniversary of the writing of Amazing Grace. We are delighted to partner with the Cowper and Newton Museum and be supported by Arts Council England.

John Newton was a slave trader in his youth and an abolitionist in old age. We took this as a starting point to create some new music. We conducted lots of interviews and made some podcasts (see Grace will lead me home page) and invited Angeline Morrison and Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne to write new songs. There will be a concert at the museum 24th June.