Espresso creates personalised local module 'Bristol a fe me!' for Bristol Education Action Zone
29th November 2001
Bringing local history to life in a fun and exciting way, Espresso Education has worked in partnership with Bristol's Education Action Zone (EAZ) to compile a custom-made series of programmes entitled 'Bristol a fe me' (Bristol is for me). The resource is part of the 'Your Espresso' service and is centered on the Afro-Caribbean, Asian and Somali communities, integrating specially recorded video footage filmed and edited by Espresso's in-house production team. The result is a totally unique module featuring carefully researched websites and local resources to produce a multimedia resource bank that addresses specific curriculum issues.
'Bristol a fe me' celebrates the richness and diversity of the local community and is the first project of its kind. It has been a partnership of schools, businesses and the community to improve education and awareness. The 'Bristol a fe me' programme is designed to widen the learning resources available for pupils in central Bristol so that they are more culturally diverse and reflect the experiences and life stories of this multi-ethnic community.
Working alongside Bristol EAZ, Espresso collated information from local museums and libraries and talked to residents with local businesses about how they got started and built them up. Local people were also interviewed about their backgrounds and how they came to be in Bristol, whilst pupils contributed their own work, including video footage. The outcome is a rich resource which gives the children - and their parents - a sense of pride in their community. It also motivates them to improve their standards of literacy by using the materials as a starting point for creative writing, biographies, report writing, story telling and presentations.
Teachers have praised the 'Bristol a fe me' resource, and although it has only been in use in classrooms for a couple of months, it is already complementing the National Curriculum by adding ethnic relevance and diversity to lessons. Perhaps more important is the positive effect that the resource will have on life outside the classroom.
Sarah Gornall, Project Director of the Bristol EAZ, initially had the idea of creating some locally based content because there was nothing available which celebrated the rich ethnic culture of the area. She enthused, "Espresso has worked very hard with the local community to produce these excellent resources. It's very exciting to see a bank of learning materials that celebrate the multicultural heritage of Bristol. This is very special for our pupils in the Education Action Zone. The results are wonderful."
Jean Rowton, Producer, 'Your Espresso', commented:
"It is important that children from a multi-cultural area such as Bristol have the chance to learn about how everyone has contributed to the making of the city and its history. Espresso has worked in conjunction with Bristol EAZ to develop a totally unique learning resource that is relevant and familiar to all of the children of Bristol."
Other 'Your Espresso' schemes that have either been completed or are in production include projects in Birmingham, Plymouth and Sunderland. Any Local Authority (LA) or EAZ can apply to have a 'Your Espresso' module created for their schools. It can either take the form of an add-on module for those subscribing to the 'Espresso for Schools' broadband service, or can be delivered on CD-ROM for non-subscribers.
For further press information or paper versions of this release please contact:
Espresso Marketing, Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, W6 9RL
Tel: +44(0)20 8237 1200
Fax: +44(0)20 8237 1201
Email: info@espresso.co.uk
