The Crossings Project was a collaborative project with the GBHS, Art Gallery of Guelph, Silence and International Institute for Critical Studies in Innovation. The intention of this endeavour was to tell the story of the trans-Atlantic slave trade (approximately 1526 – 1867) and the subsequent establishment of a Black community in Guelph, Ontario on May 26, 2019. The local and historical narratives were generated through research, conversations, and workshops from within the Guelph community. Of the millions of Africans who were abducted and enslaved over the centuries, a small portion of families or individuals escaped and traversed to Guelph via the Underground Railroad. In the nineteenth century, a larger community of fugitives arrived in Guelph and built the BME (British Methodist Episcopal) Church, which has stood at 83 Essex Street since 1880. This historic limestone building, now renamed Heritage Hall, housed the finale of this three-part performance.
For more information:
https://improvisationinstitute.ca/document/the-crossings-project/
