The Shades project launched in Bolton in October 2021 during Black History Month, a special time in the UK calendar to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contributions of black people to British society. It also serves as an opportunity to educate, inspire and empower future generations.
We spoke with Ni-cola Jackson, Deanery Children’s and Families Worker as part of the Children’s Changing Places Project, who played an integral role in the implementation and delivery of the project:
"I remember the first Shades collective worship at Bishop Bridgeman CofE primary school in Bolton. We had recorded the song ‘A Million Colours’ over the summer and it was our first time sharing it live. Safe to say the children loved it and requested to sing it again at the end of the collective worship. They sang along at the tops of the voices."
The song was written by Ni-Cola Jackson and accompanied by Paul Saxon on guitar, and produced by Dan Stirling. It is an acoustic guitar-driven piece based on the Bible verse in Proverbs 31 vs 8-9:
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy”.
Nicola states, "King Solomon was full of wisdom, and shared so many nuggets of inspiration with us in the book of Proverbs, regarding how God loves honesty and justice. With so much injustice in our world and racial justice being at the centre of the Shades project, we wanted to create a song which children could easily sing along to and that would carry a message of hope for future generations. It references the fact that we are all made equally in God’s image and likeness and that equality truly is God’s heart."
You can watch the 'A Million Colours' music video below 👇
The chorus says, “A million colours reflecting Him like a sunset sets in June. He made me and He knows me alive in Him, together we are one a million! How fearfully and wonderfully we are all made, and that we are made in God’s image, means that we all belong. We are accepted, unique, and wonderful."
Ni-cola reflects on creating the music video to accompany the song "The song came to life visually when we collaborated with schools in our Bolton deanery who have been a part of the Shades project as Shades ambassadors. They have the role of helping their schools to really embed racial justice and God’s heart in all our schools, to develop an inclusive anti-racist community. Through advocacy, creating welcoming, safe spaces for learning, leading collective worship, and amplifying children’s voices by working with senior leadership, we help all children to feel a sense of belonging. We help them celebrate their identity and enable them to flourish within our Diocesan schools."
Ni-cola continues to encourage everyone to get involved with the Shades initiative: "Get involved with the Shades Project in your context by sharing the video! Feel free to use the resources during your church services, schools, or collective worship! Please use the #AMillionColours hashtag so we can share in the fun".