Pupils join Michael Rosen to perform in voices of hope and compassion concert in support of refugees

On Sunday 30 June, 190 Cambridge school pupils joined author and poet Michael Rosen on stage at the Cambridge Corn Exchange to perform dance, theatre, poetry, and music and singing, with the pieces devised by the pupils during an education programme focused on refugees and asylum seekers.

Linton Village College pupils performing on stage. Picture: davidjohnsonphotographic.co.uk

School performers involved singers and musicians and poets from: Shirley Community Primary School, St Matthew’s Primary School, Milton Road Primary School, Arbury Primary School, Castle SEN School, Icknield Primary School, Stapleford Primary School, Linton Heights Junior School, Linton Village College, Coleridge and Parkside Community Colleges and The Netherhall School.

Cambridge City Council commissioned Helen Weinstein from HistoryWorks to run the education and arts programme with local pupils, community groups and choirs, working with Michael Rosen as poet in residence for the programme, with the free-to-attend concert for an audience of over 1,000 being the culmination of the young people’s work.

In the past year, over 5,000 young people have been involved in school workshops and special assemblies. The compositions created reflect on what happens when individuals, families and communities are driven out of their homes because of war or climate catastrophe, persecution or threat of genocide.

Michael Rosen delivering a workshop at Linton Heights Junior School which was livestreamed to other primary school within Anglian Learning and beyond.

They also consider the continuing difficulties survivors and refugees face as they try to build new homes and recover from the trauma of their experiences.

Notable performances included “Mournful Hope”, composed by Cyrus, at Netherhall School; “When Time Stood Still”, created by drama students at Coleridge Community College; “The Hope Band”, with their own musical arrangements for Michael Rosen’s song lyrics such as “What Home Means To Me” and “Today, One Day”; and the moving songs with lyrics by Michael Rosen performed by a choir called “The Hope Singers”, coming together across a wide range of schools especially for the concert.

Helen Weinstein, Director of HistoryWorks, said: Michael Rosen has been working with me at HistoryWorks as our “Poet in Residence” for Refugee Week all of this school year, where we’ve been holding large workshops for Cambridge Primary and Secondary School teachers and their students, giving Michael Rosen the opportunity to inspire a huge range of school students by seeing them in person and online.

So far, we know we have had over 5,000 young people in our workshops which has been a very satisfying experience. Sometimes we have a school hall where we walk several classes from nearby schools to join us, and other times we are in one school hall with many classes joining us online.  We aim to be very inclusive, encouraging young people to ask questions, participate by joining in with Michael in co-creating poetry, using technology to make free resources for the teachers and their classes, in order to embrace poetry and to understand the plight of refugees.

Helen further added “It has been especially inspiring to see the fantastic work with Michael Rosen because until you are in the room with him you don’t understand the magical impact he can have on young people.  They’ve grown up with Michael learning by heart his famous books “We’re Going On a Bear Hunt” and “Chocolate Cake” so when we move them on to more complex content thinking about Refugees and how people become homeless it is possible for Michael to make a deep connection on this difficult subject with hundreds of young people in our workshops, because they already know Michael and trust him.

Picture: davidjohnsonphotographic.co.uk

Michael Rosen, poet in residence, said: “In our workshops we rehearsed the songs and we wrote new poetry and song lyrics too.  For our concert, Cambridgeshire composers Bethany Kirby and Andrea Cockerton musically arranged song lyrics, and I was commissioned by Helen at HistoryWorks to write for school singers and community choirs, based on the 2024 Refugee Week theme of ‘Our Home’. The lyrics and music aim to be  uplifting, and to show compassion for those displaced by war or climate change when losing a home, giving hope after disaster.

“Musicians have also scored new works inspired by my poetry which Helen at HistoryWorks has been rehearsing with pupils. One highlight for me was the very talented dance group performing to my poetry, including a piece called “Light in the Darkness”, which I rehearsed at Linton Village College earlier in June. It just took my breath away at the concert because of the beauty of the piano composition and dancers’ choreography of movement to illustrate the poem.

“We have been amazed by the number of young poets who came forward for our prize-winning poetry competition, where we asked primary and secondary students to submit their completed poems in empathy with refugees and on the theme of ‘Our Home’. One student at St Matthew’s Primary School, Isabelle, had a memorable image in her poem “There is Always Hope”, where she wrote of refugees “moving like leaves on the breeze” which she used as a chorus throughout her poem. And of course thanks to Helen at HistoryWorks who has been coordinating this programme and working closely with the schools on the creative content.”

Picture: davidjohnsonphotographic.co.uk

Children performing at the concert asked for donations during the event to fundraise for two Cambridge charities that support refugees and asylum seekers – with an estimated almost £3,000 raised so far. Both charities spoke at the concert to explain how they help refugees and we encourage residents and school attendees to fundraise and to donate during July,.

Emma Mason, Music Subject Lead of Linton Heights Junior School

“Michael Rosen’s visit to Linton Heights Junior School, and the opportunity to live stream his visit to a further 20 primary school classrooms across our Trust, was truly inspiring. 

Our pupils sang songs and explored important themes around ‘Home’ and ‘Refugees’ and have been empowered to continue their poetry writing using Michael’s guidance ahead of Refugee week.  Our choir and prize-winning poet were very excited to perform on the Corn Exchange stage alongside Michael at the 30th June concert, which proved to be a very memorable and moving event..”

James Puxley, Headteacher of Linton Heights Junior School:

“Both staff and pupils alike were delighted to welcome Michael Rosen and Helen Weinstein from HistoryWorks into school. As always, Michael and Helen led a very inspiring but also highly entertaining learning session. Michael’s poems were live streamed to 20 classrooms across Anglian Learning.

“Pupils and staff listened in awe to poetry from Michael’s book, ‘On the Move’ and Linton Heights Junior School choir sang refugee-themed songs using Michael’s lyrics. We are incredibly grateful that such an eminent and talented poet, writer and presenter is working in partnership with local company, HistoryWorks, and that they  took the time to visit Anglian Learning. Feedback from colleagues and pupils across the Trust was fabulous.  To have one of our poets read her prize-winning poem, “Running Through the Dark” on the Corn Exchange stage at the concert alongside Michael Rosen was something that she and we will never forget”

Helena Marsh, Principal of Linton Village College, said:

“Linton Village College staff and students were fortunate to benefit from an amazing opportunity to meet Micheal Rosen and to listen to his poetry when he spent a day with us on 14 June, brilliantly organized by Helen Weinstein of HistoryWorks. His session with our Year 7s was engaging. Inspired by the subject of migration ahead of National Refugee Week, sixteen students shared their poems and Year 9 dancers and musicians performed Michael’s poems.

“It was a truly special day to launch our Creativity Week with the theme of ‘footsteps’. I’m proud of the students involved in today’s event and those that will be representing LVC in ‘Voices of Hope and Compassion Concert’ at the Corn Exchange on 30 June. We have 10 singers and 15 musicians who will be taking to the stage alongside Michael Rosen at the concert and we are also very proud that 4 of our poets have written prize-winning poetry in empathy with Refugees, so it was a great honour and privilege for them to take to the stage”

Jonathan Culpin, CEO of Anglian Learning, said:

“Anglian Learning has built an incredible partnership with Michael Rosen as the ‘poet in residence’ at HistoryWorks, resulting in these aspiring opportunities for our pupils and teaching staff. Their participation in this concert as a Refugee Fundraiser is not just a performance; it is a message of solidarity. We are proud to support our pupils as they use their voices and instruments to stand with refugees and inspire positive change in our world.”

Children performing at the concert asked for donations during the event to fundraise for two Cambridge charities that support refugees and asylum seekers – with an estimated almost £3,000 raised so far. Both charities spoke at the concert to explain how they help refugees and we encourage residents and school attendees to fundraise and to donate during July, after the concert, in order to support the work of these important charities:

• Cambridge Convoy Refugee Action Group
• Refugee Hardship Fund, administered by Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum refugee services and Michael Rosen asks that schools and community groups help to increase the level of donations by asking in school newsletters and websites for individuals moved by the project to “Please text Refugee and the amount you wish to donate & send to the number 70560.  For example put in the number 70560 followed by submitting the text with Refugee10 to donate £10, Refugee5 to donate £5, Refugee20 to donate £20.  Thank You!”