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Shades is a racial justice and faith project, designed to support schools and churches to be a place of belonging and flourishing for everyone. Celebrating the rich diversity of our communities, helping to embed anti-racist practice within our schools and churches and developing fresh approaches to discipleship.
The project aims to develop discipleship pathways for children, young people and their families, enabling them to grow in their Christian faith and to belong to a thriving church community. The Shade Team works with Church of England primary and secondary schools and parishes across Manchester Diocese.
Shades activities enable schools and churches to create a safe space for dialogue and learning, empowering children, young people and adults to celebrate diversity to champion difference and to put love into action as modelled through the life of Jesus.
This project developed out of discipleship approaches being delivered as part of the Children Changing Places project in Bolton deanery and includes Shades collective worship, Shades Identity and Faith Workshops, Shades Ambassadors (discipleship) groups and Shades CPD sessions for school staff teams.
Inspired by feedback from pupils taking part in the Children Changing Places project, the legacy of George Floyd Jr and the subsequent 'Lament to Action framwork from Archbishops' Anti- Racism Taskforce, the Shades project was created.
The project is responding not only to conversations with pupils in our diocese but also the concerning findings of a YMCA Young and Black report (2020). The report found that:
- 49% of respondents said they believed racism was the biggest barrier to academic attainment
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50% of children and young people felt that the biggest barrier is teacher perceptions of them – e.g. being seen as “too aggressive.”
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70% of students feel under pressure over their Afro hair
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95% hear racist language regularly in school.
Project Aims
- Educating and celebrating Black History role models and the contributions which Black people have made in the UK and worldwide.
- Developing empathy and understanding around racial diversity and acceptance in school, church and communities
- Helping to improve the sense of belonging for children and young people in school, church, the wider community and home.
- Instilling dignity and belonging and promote a strong sense of racial identity for Global Majority children in school, church, and wider community. Help to prepare all children to be students who stand against racial injustice and celebrate who God has made them to be.
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Sharing God's love and teach all children and young people that they are created in the image of God. Create the building blocks for all children to grow spiritually and flourish wherever they are planted. Remove racial barriers to children experiencing faith in school/church, and instill acceptance and belonging.
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Providing training support for school leadership teams with accessible tools to:
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Understand the impact that racism may have on the mental health of Black and Global Majority students
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Embed anti-racist practice within their curriculum, provide a safe space for learning.
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Awareness of anti-racist practice and key terminology
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How attitudes, experiences and beliefs may impact on work with Black, Asian and Global majority children.
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Project Activities
Online Resources
An online resource bank for schools, churches, parents, and teaching staff to use in their settings, to both inspire, empower and equip and educate.
Shades Collective worship/class worships
We will be offering schools interactive and engaging collective worships, class worships which will help school communities to start the conversation, build understanding, improve well being of students, and embed values and identity.
Shades 3-4 week projects with youth groups
Create a safe space for children and young people to share their experiences without judgement, find acceptance, find their voice, empower them to be advocates for change
Safe space workshops for Year KS2 - KS4
Workshops provide a safe and engaging space for children and young people to explore and discuss important issues surrounding race and racial discrimination. Through interactive group discussions, storytelling, and multimedia activities, students are encouraged to reflect on the challenges faced by people from Global Majority backgrounds and the harmful effects of racism. By sharing lived experiences, engaging with thought-provoking content, and exploring creative ways to be allies, students gain valuable tools to challenge racial boundaries, stereotypes and foster a more inclusive, respectful environment both within their schools and beyond. The goal is to empower them to be motivated by their faith and become active voices in dismantling all forms of racism and promoting positive change.
Training Support for Schools
Supporting schools, by creating safe spaces for school leadership teams to develop their anti racist practice in education, through the delivery of CPD training.
Celebrating Black History Month
Championing Global Majority Heritage children and the sharing of Black role models who have made vast contributions throughout both British and worldwide History. Celebrating the nations of the world which God has created and experiencing the varying cultural expressions of worship.
Shades Ambassadors
Shades Ambassadors are small groups of children and young people within our primary and secondary schools who have big dreams to end racism. They take the lead creatively delivering racial justice and anti racism projects with their schools. They create safe spaces for children and staff to embed diversity and inclusion within the curriculum, school environment, culture and ethos.
Shades Ambassadors from Canon Slade School worked with our communications team to create this powerful film, "It's Not Alright" that was released during Black History Month 2024.
The Impact of Shades
Feedback from teachers:
Catherine Anderson, Headteacher at St James’s CE High School in Bolton commented, “It's impossible to convey the positive impact the Shades Project has had in our school. Both our staff and pupils have been fortunate to benefit from this caring, faith-driven programme focused on racial equality for young people. I’m delighted that Shades will now be extended to more schools in our diocese.”
“The Shades Collective Worship was outstanding, delivering a powerful message about stereotypes and how young people can prevent them. It emphasised celebrating individual uniqueness and using words to empower others, promoting acceptance and inclusion. As Deputy Head Ambassador at Bolton St Catherine’s Academy, the presentation inspired me to foster a more inclusive school community, even through simple acts like checking on others”.
Responses from children and young people:
At Canon Slade after our collective worship during BHM a student at the front turned to her friend and said, that's why you're not just supposed to touch black people's hair. She felt her lived experiences were validated having experienced such fascination with her curly coils.
During the tour, children were surprised to learn about how important Bukayo Saka's faith is to him and could not believe that he read his bible every night and prayed before each match. We were able to explore how we can add prayer and reading our bibles into our own daily routines.
A pupil from Bishop Bridgeman Primary commented, “I never joined a club before Shades, but when I was part of the Shades Collective Worship assembly, it got me eager to join, and God let me….I want to thank Nicola and Paul for helping me to respect all faiths and colours."
"The children have experienced a real sense of belonging. One child shared that she had been afraid to be proud of her faith in school before, but now, since joining Shades, teachers have noticed that she has really grown in confidence, in sharing about her identity and faith." Ni-Cola Scott, Shades Lead.
This powerful song, ' A Million Colours' recorded by Ni-Cola Scott, Shades Lead captures the essence of the project teaching children that they are all wonderfully and fearfully made.