Owen Henry Animation for Bristol Bus Boycott Project

Firstborn Studios have asked me to produce an animation to go with a piece of audio that Mary (Project Manager) recorded in an interview with Owen Henry about the Bristol Bus Boycott.

The 1963 Bus Boycott leapt out of the work of the Civil Rights Movement in America and saw British and Caribbean Black people standing up for the rights here in Bristol by boycotting the segregated buses.

It is so great to be able to be involved in this project in which Firstborn are bringing back to life the stories of the people who were involved in the movement.  Here are a few stills from the animation:

This animation tells the story of the experiences of Owen Henry when he first arrived in Bristol in the 60s, in his own words. For more information on the Bristol Bus Boycott project have a look at www.firstborn-studios.co.uk.

8 kings..

So the first chapter of the animation is done, it's not actually the first in the story, just the first one I've done - have a look on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28vSNGE_TDw 


Here's some stills from the scene...

Now I'm looking forward to starting work on a scene with Anokye himself! However something really exciting has happened, we recently had a call from Akua who has found a publisher for the book! So the animation will have to go on hold for a little while as we go full steam ahead on the illustrations for Anokye and the Creation of the Asante!

8 Kings...

When Louise came back from Ghana she brought with her the story of Anokye which was written by Akua Ofosuhene and which Louise had turned into a story in rhyme. She was keen to bring the story out as a children's picture book and she asked me to work on the illustrations and an accompanying animation for the piece.

So I've started work on the animation, I having a great time working with the characters and finding out more about the story and the overall Anokye project - here's some of the kings I've been working on...

The eight kinds couldn't get it right...

From The Anokye Book of Rhymes for Children

Me-Map Designs

Some designs of a worksheet and DVD that I produced with Firstborn Studios as part of the Me-Map project. Find out more by visiting www.me-map.mediaclub.org.uk 

Cardboard screening

After the success of the House of Card we were really happy to be invited back to produce another series of workshops with Milestones Trust for the 2010 Expressions exhibition. This time we were asked to make 'the smallest cinema in the world'. We ran a series of animation workshops where we produced stop frame animations with people, then finished up with a series of cardboard workshops where we produced the cinema with the long standing commitment and dedication of Norm our star player, who we named the cinema after! Have a look at the Expressions website for more pictures of the exhibition: http://www.milestonestrust.org.uk/Expressions/index.html

House of Card

The Cardboard Club was set up by my friend and I when we started creating set pieces and installations out of cardboard. It really caught on, I think people just loved seeing something so quirky and friendly made out of something that is usually just considered rubbish. We were asked to work with a group of adults who have mental health difficulties to produce an installation of a house for the annual 'Expressions' exhibition held by Aspects and Milestones Trust. We worked with a small group over a period of five months and produced the 'House of Card', cutting and sticking and making basically everything you could think of that you might find in a cardboard house.

The Ups and Downs of the Town of Brown..

The Ups and Downs of the Town of Brown was a political, site-specific musical based on The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahogany, a play by Bertolt Brecht. Common Wealth 

Theatre Company collaborated with artists, musicians and performers from all over to produce this unique and inspiring piece of theatre.

 Based in the Old Bridewell Courtrooms in Bristol we (the Cardboard Club) transformed the marble pillars and eerie stands into a cardboard set fit for the all singing all dancing cast of renegades, complete with storytelling proscenium arch and fifty piece cardboard orchestra.