Fairfield House News #4
Fairfield House enters the UK heritage mainstream, gets superb new advisers and celebrates Sylvia Pankhurst
Fairfield House is welcomed into the UK heritage mainstream
Heritage Day took place in the recently refurbished St John’s Church, Waterloo. Fairfield House was there.
As a new Heritage Alliance member Fairfield House was invited to national Heritage Day in the beautifully refurbished St John’s Church in Waterloo. The theme this year was The Power of Collaboration.
Chair of trustees William Heath spoke about partnerships with Bath Spa University, B&NES Council, the National Trust and Rocketmakers, and explored the comment by our new cultural ambassador Barbara Blake Hannah that Fairfield House is “the only place in England (she) would want to visit”. He explained why she would so want to visit Fairfield House, and invited other Heritage Alliance members to work together to make sure she would also feel equally welcome in other heritage locations (read his speech here).
“The work Fairfield House is doing with inclusion, wellbeing, community and the ageing population is inspiring” said Heritage Alliance CEO Lizzie Glithero-West. “It’s also an excellent case study on the zeitgeist of a range of important topics the sector needs to be engaging with.”
Heritage Day: William Heath took our cultural ambassador Barbara Blake-Hannah’s call to action to the UK heritage community.
Remembering Sylvia Pankhurst and her crucial role in HIM’s story
Sylvia Pankhurst was remembered at Fairfield House with a preview showing of a new mixed-media film “Sylvia” by Joan Ashworth.
Joan Ashworth’s new mixed-media film about Sylvia Pankhurst was previewed at Fairfield House for International Women’s Day in March.
Sylvia Pankhurst is perhaps best known as a suffragette who was arrested, imprisoned and force-fed for campaigning for the right of women to vote. Joan Ashworth’s short film reminded us she was also an exceptional and highly political artist, painting women at work in industrial locations. Most important for Fairfield House was Sylvia Pankhurst’s time as a staunch anti-fascist, supporting HIM and the cause of Ethiopia with her newspaper, campaigning and broadcasting. She lived her last years in Addis Ababa and is buried in Holy Trinity Cathedral alongside Imperial family members and national heroes.
The film soundtrack includes the haunting piano playing of the Ethiopian nun Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, who died recently aged 99. After the film there was a panel discussion with the director, introduced by Sir Christopher Frayling.
Her son Richard’s collection of papers was recently donated to Fairfield House.
The panel (l to r): Sir Christopher Frayling, director Joan Ashworth, operations manager and historian Ras Benji and Angela Raven-Roberts (Anglo-Ethiopian Society)
The UnMuseum consultation: “exciting discussion about local cultural heritage”
The Black South West Network hosted a terrific Saturday afternoon of deep discussion and diverse opinions at Fairfield House, Home of HIM Emperor Haile Selassie. Part of their #Unmuseum consultation, it asked what cultural heritage means to Black and minoritised people in SW England: how they engage with it and would like to see it preserved and presented.
Louise Boston-Mammah and Louisa Adjoa Parker led the UnMuseum consultation for the Black South West Network.
The BSWN team of Louise, Louisa and Jeff heard some pretty feisty opinions and trenchant consultation responses from participants. It gave them a lot to process. More than one participant described it as among the most interesting meetings they had ever attended. The event was made extra pertinent and timely with last week's ambitious announcement by Bristol deputy mayor Asher Craig of a potential £50m StoryHouse Bristol Legacy Project.
Meet the team: some of our new advisers
Thanks to our key partner the National Trust, Fairfield House now has a new and highly capable team of advisers helping the project on its way. Pictured below in mid-conference-call are:
Jess Kellard, a project manager in the National Trust’s Innovation & Partnerships Team. Jess is currently dedicating half her time to Fairfield House, progressing our major grant bids. We have Jess to thank for finding some of our other experts.
Charles Brindley: a highly strategic experience masterplanner who has advised on the design and operation of some of the best known building projects locally and nationally
Jennifer Marzullo: a strategist and social investment specialist who runs her own consulting business and is helping with business modelling
Some of Fairfield House’s new specialist advisers caught in a candid camera screenshot mid conference call.
Also pictured above is Rebecca Hales, B&NES’ highly capable and organised project manager who oversaw recent essential repair works at Fairfield House. She brings wide experience including much larger projects, and is now working with our new director Ras Cos on all matters building-related.
“We’re incredibly fortunate to have this quality of specialist advisers now working with Fairfield House,” said chair of trustees William Heath. “Each one of them seems to have fallen for the spirit of HIM’s legacy, just like all of us.”
What did we learn on our travels to Ethiopia, Ghana and Jamaica?
Join us for Ethiopia, Ghana and Jamaica Night at Fairfield House Fri 19 Apr
Coming up on Fri 19 Apr at Fairfield House is an evening where three different countries that intimately connect to the legacy of HIM Emperor Haile Selassie I will intersect through the journey of Fairfield community members. Ras Benji will be speaking about his recent visit to Ethiopia, Ras Haile Bongo will be presenting lessons from his trip to Ghana, and Pauline and William will be reminiscing of their experiences in Jamaica.
This event is 1800-2130 with Jamaican food on sale, poetry and music. All welcome. Suggested donation to Fairfield House £5.
Upcoming events:
Fri 5 April Sam Garrett gig
Sat 6 April Empress Menen Rastafari Sabbath Observance
Fri 19 Apr Ethiopia, Ghana, Jamaica night (talks, food)
Sat 27 April HIM community Table Tennis tournament
Sun 5th May Benjamin Zephaniah tribute (Ethiopia Liberation, Sylvia Pankhurst birthday)