This workshop devised by Historyworks in partnership with the poet Michael Rosen will offer participating young people and their teachers an introduction to the theme for marking Holocaust Memorial Day 2019, which is ‘Torn From Home’. They will hear Michael Rosen’s methodology of responding to the past and the present through poetry, performing key readings to illustrate how he navigates war and refugee issues, home and belonging.

Historyworks will suggest ways in which the young people may develop their values and brainstorm their own creative responses to real life stories. Michael Rosen will reflect on the workshop themes and the young people’s responses to homelessness and what ‘home’ means to them, before we end with some songs led by Mario Satchwell and Helen Weinstein to sing pieces responding to these stories in a positive way using their voices.

For more information and to find resources bespoke to the Historyworks HMD project in Cambridge, go to: www.CreatingMyCambridge.com

For more information and to find survivor’s life stories, go to Holocaust Memorial Day Trust: http://hmd.org.uk/resources/life-stories

For schools requesting to be involved in this project in Cambridge, contact Helen Weinstein, at historyworkstv@gmail.com

The Historyworks event will give all the participating young people the opportunity to have a follow-up workshop in school to record their co-created pieces, composing and performing works inspired by the testimony and the poetry introduced in the ‘Torn From Home’ workshop. Some of these pieces will be developed into poems and songs to be performed at the civic ceremony to mark Holocaust Memorial Day at the University Church, Great St Mary’s on the 27th January 2019 at 3pm.
All are welcome to attend!