Welcome to Sweet Patootee Arts – our non-profit Arts & Heritage organisation…

News summary

Volunteers to assist in Sewing Skills Workshops wanted…

Sweet Patootee Arts is seeking Sewing Skills volunteers to work alongside workshop leader, Jennifer Laurent-Smart, founder of ‘Sakafet London’. Jennifer will facilitate a free Black Heritage Research & Sewing Skills series called “Sunday Best”

Blog post and role brief here

Free Black Heritage Research & Sewing Skills Workshops – participants wanted…

Jennifer Laurent-Smart is inviting 5 participants to join her for six ‘Black Heritage Research and Sewing Skills workshops. At UCL Culture Lab, Marshgate, UCL East, 7 Sidings Street, London E20 2AE – from 31st March…

Blog post and workshop brief here

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES

Sweet Patootee Arts is seeking volunteers to work alongside experienced and creative facilitators helping to deliver programmes based on our TURNING POINT film and 20th century Black history across London

Blog post and role briefs here

Communities of Liberation: hidden Black history in London’s east end…

On 1st March 2:00-4:00pm, join us at the launch of Communities of Liberation, a new public exhibition bringing light to Black experiences in Tower Hamlets during the transatlantic slave trade.

Blog post and links to download flyer and RSVP here

Available now: free-to-download Schools resources inspired by TURNING POINT Black heritage storytelling.

Blog post and link to download page here

Thirty8 Digital rebuilding this website. Blog post here

TURNING POINT events in Birmingham. Blog post here

Prep for TURNING POINT events in London. Blog post here

Arts projects

Our current exhibition is TURNING POINT (SPA 2022), a Black heritage-inspired video installation that uses Caribbean comedy and melodrama to tell 4 short dramas from Barbados and Jamaica in 1920: starring Suzette Llewellyn, Paterson Joseph, Veronica Beatrice Lewis, Ashley D. Gayle. Blog post here

Click the TURNING POINT poster to play our trailer

TURNING POINT is currently exhibiting in Birmingham. Blog post here

The GAP Arts Project – exhibition, 13th July to 3rd August
Soho House Visitors Centre – exhibition, 21st October to 6th November
ThinkTank Science Museum – screening (date tbc)
Handsworth Library – screening, 7th November

About us

Sweet Patootee Arts create high-quality arts and heritage projects rooted in Black heritage – to engage multicultural audiences. We use oral testimony and archive sources to inspire interdisciplinary storytelling for the arts, learning, heritage, community development, and wellbeing sectors.

Formed in 2017, our practice is driven by inclusive outreach and collaboration for in-depth public engagement. TURNING POINT is our first major arts and heritage project.

Heritage projects

Around the UK, TURNING POINT (our artwork) is also delivering social benefit as a heritage resource.

Partners are using TURNING POINT’s exhibitions and screenings as inspiration for local partner-led public heritage activities for: Schools (13-17), Young people (17-30), Elders, Dementia support, mainstream Arts and Heritage, general public.

Birmingham partner-led activities:

The GAP Arts project. GAP website here

Black History Arts and More – Dementia support. Blog post here

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Abigail Kelly (soprano) – folk workshops. Blog post here

ACE dance and music – dance workshops. Blog post here

Black Heritage Walks Network – research skills. Blog post here

London partner-led activities

Details coming soon…

Made possible with Heritage Fund

TURNING POINT’s Birmingham and London partner-led heritage activities are made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Resources

Barbados Slaves Work Song (c1780)

We’re over the moon that TURNING POINT’s audiences and stakeholders are loving the heritage folk songs and recorded music that we’ve brought together in its sound design. ‘Pride of place’ goes to our soundtrack’s two original interpretations of “The Barbados Slaves’ Work Song” (c 1780). The image below is the original musical notation of the “Barbados Slaves’ Work Song”.

Click HERE to reveal the link to our short video about them:

“Colourism on the Couch”

Our Bristol-based Creative Partner, Dr Yvon Guest has created a digital exhibition, “Colourism on the Couch”. Shown below is her image, “A Binary World”.

To visit “Colourism on the Couch” click here

TURNING POINT Lessons for schools

Available now: free-to-download Schools resources inspired by TURNING POINT Black heritage storytelling…

“The videos… [help] me imagine experience[s] more firsthand as I can visually see their emotions”

In 2021 the Schools History Project (SHP) conference brought together a group of teachers to work with Sweet Patootee Arts to create lessons linked to their TURNING POINT project. Three years later we finally have lessons that are ready to share.

Blog post and download link here

Caribbean Folk Songs

Here are two examples from a new collection of wonderful Caribbean folk songs that we’ll make available when our new website launches in March 2025.

For “Barbados Slaves Work Song” – click here

For “Chi chi bid oh” – click here