On Saturday, the 30th of June, Diversity House held an event to celebrate the Armed Forces Day which is held annually. Armed Forces Day is a day to commemorate the service of men and women in the British Armed Forces. It was a hot, sunny day. The army force and the mayor were both present. The day was emceed by the local FM radio and they supplied some music. Veterans were proudly dressed in their uniforms and their badges shone in the sunshine.
We delivered several workshops including drumming and dancing, arts and crafts and the project team of ‘Breaking the Myths: First World War and Africa’ used this opportunity to exhibit all the tangible legacies from the project. Many visitors to the stall had the opportunity to view the display of photographs and information about Africa’s involvement and contributions in the First World War.
We asked them if they ever knew that Africa was heavily involved in the world wars. One woman said she was not aware and was quite taken aback. She said that in school, she was only taught of Britain’s involvement in the wars. This is one of the reasons why we are dedicated to spreading and breaking the myths to everyone, starting with our community.
In the afternoon, African drummers came to showcase their talent. The rhythms of the drums and movements of the dancer attracted people to participate. The children sat in a circle with the drummers and learned how to drum in call and response.
Bagpiper, Alex Burt who is a veteran played several tunes including ‘It’s A Long to Tipperary’ on the bagpipe.
By Tomisin Alhassan
