26 February 2020
A few weeks ago, while volunteering at the IW Story Festival, I had the pleasure of meeting the creative team behind this production. Michele O'brien and Colin Phillimore have worked closely with a passionate team from the Island to bring this forgotten story to life. The resulting piece is truly engaging, highly creative and extremely relevant for local School children today. It raises issues of migration, self identity and acceptance.
The Ark and Dove, is a tale about a servant woman called Mary Jennings who leaves the Isle of Wight in search of a better life. She sails west across treacherous ocean waters, landing in Maryland, America. While there, Mary meets Mansi of the Piscataway tribe. Together, they share stories, learn valuable lessons, and become firm friends. The project, which is accompanied by an education pack for use in schools, commemorates the story of individuals who left England in 1633 and met with peoples in what we now call the United States of America. The country was inhabited by many tribes of First Nation people, who represent a diverse collection of cultures and communities.
Estelle Baker from the IW Heritage Service and Elspeth Giddens from the IW Story Festival worked with Michele and Colin to engage local schools and to help the children reconnect with this important moment from the Islands Maritime history. Writer David Haworth, Director Lucy Phillips and IoW based puppet maker, Teresa Grimaldi, all helped this wonderful piece of Island themed Storytelling to set-sail. It promises to be a very positive and rewarding journey indeed... What a team!
10 out of 10
