07.05.24
Watch an exclusive preview of the upcoming documentary-film 'Black Town & Gown', featuring St Catharine's alumna L'myah Sherae (2018, International Relations and Politics) sharing what she learnt about the life of our alumnus Dr Cecil Belfield Clarke (1914, Natural Sciences) from a College-funded research project in 2019–20, and reflecting on the importance of his legacy today.
About the film
This film explores the historical legacy of Black presence in Cambridge and demonstrates how this has developed both in the town and the University through the passage of time.
Building on the unmatched success of the CRASSH funded ‘The Post-Windrush generation: Black British Voices of Resistance‘ conference of May 2022, this production examines both what it means to be a Black scholar at Cambridge but and the lived reality of being a Black resident in the city.
Via personal engagement with both black scholars and prominent Black residents in Cambridge, this film highlights the impact of the established notions of ‘Town and Gown’ on community cohesion, as well as noting the many, cultural, political and artistic contributions that Black people have made to this historical city. This will culminate in making this production a valuable educational resource that reliably represents the people of Cambridge who have helped make it one of the most vibrant and celebrated places in the world.
Meet the creative directors
Seetha Tan is Gates Scholar and PhD candidate at St Catharine's College, and is based at the University's Department of Sociology. Dedicated to public-facing, decolonial research, Seetha has produced audio-visual podcasts for Cambridge Sociology and feminist, anti-racist healthcare international nonprofit organisation Medical Herstory. Her short films have won awards for screenwriting, directing and cinematography at local film festivals across Australia including the Willoughby Film Festival and MLTA Film Festival. She has experience directing and filming live music events and conferences such as TEDx Sciences PoMenton in France. Her recent role as Communications and Project Assistant at St Ethelburga’s Centre for Peace and Reconciliation has further developed her skills in communication strategy, videography, website design and audio-visual production.
Kenny Monrose PhD, FRSA is a researcher at the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge and Fellow at Wolfson College. Kenny acted as lead researcher for the Black British Voices Project and is author of Black men in Britain: an ethnographic portrait of the Post-Windrush generation. Kenny is also an affiliate at The Centre for Screen & Film at the University of Cambridge, an advisory board member for Education & Culture at the South Bank Centre London, and member of the Cambridge City Arts Network.
Visit the CRASSH website for further updates and information about 'Black Town & Gown'.
