Mapping Our Roots” was a community-led arts and heritage project focused on documenting and celebrating the contributions of African diaspora communities in North Wales. The project engaged African and a few local Welsh residents, particularly older residents, youths, and creatives, through activities such as oral history collection and collaborative public art creation.
What was done:
• Community members were guided on how to collect oral histories, resulting in recorded personal stories, migration journeys, and cultural experiences.
• A digital archive of videos and photographs was created to make these stories and materials accessible.
• Public art (murals) was co-created with artists and community participants, producing visible representations of African heritage in the local space (The Bangor African and Caribbean centre (BACC) located on the Bangor High Street.
• Participants gained skills in storytelling, documentation, and creative expression, strengthening intergenerational connections and community ownership.
Main Highlight:
The key highlight of the project was the co-creation of a community mural alongside deeply personal oral history interviews, which together brought African and Welsh heritage to life in both visual and narrative forms.
Through one-to-one and small-group oral history interviews, participants shared powerful stories exploring identity, culture, and lived experiences. These conversations created a rich, authentic record of the community’s voices, strengthening intergenerational understanding and preserving heritage for future generations.
At the same time, the hands-on creation of a mural, guided by a professional artist, transformed these stories into a lasting public artwork. Community members were directly involved in designing and producing the mural, ensuring it reflected their histories, symbols, and cultural pride.
This combination of storytelling and collaborative artmaking was especially impactful, turning personal experiences into a visible, shared cultural landmark. The mural now stands as a powerful symbol of representation, belonging, and pride, while the oral histories ensure those stories are preserved and accessible
Main aims and objectives
To achieve the main aims and objectives of the “Mapping Our Roots” project, we delivered a series of community-led activities focused on heritage preservation, creative expression, and skills development.
We began by guiding up to 15 community members, equipping them with skills in oral history collection. This enabled participants to take an active role in telling their own histories and those of others within the African Welsh community.
We organised three small-group oral history workshops aimed at creating a safe and supportive environment for participants to share their stories about identity, culture, migration journeys, and personal experiences. These sessions resulted in a rich collection of meaningful narratives and helped strengthen intergenerational connections. Additionally, we recorded the discussions, took photographs, and documented personal items brought by participants, all of which contributed to the growth of a digital archive.
We conducted up to 12 collaborative art workshops in which community members worked closely with a professional artist to design and create a large mural. These hands-on sessions enabled participants to transform their stories and cultural heritage into visual art. The initiative concluded with the installation of a public mural that reflects the community's identity and pride.
The project successfully met its main goals of promoting cultural understanding, empowering participants, and preserving African Welsh heritage. Community members gained new skills, increased confidence, and a stronger sense of ownership over their stories. The oral histories and public artwork are lasting results that improve visibility and representation.
Overall, the project has engaged the community well and produced creative results. It has made a significant impact at the local level and set a strong foundation for future outreach and sharing.
Cultural, educational, and personal impact
The “Mapping Our Roots” project had a significant cultural, educational, and personal impact on its beneficiaries, particularly in our local community members who participated as artists and storytellers, students, etc.
1. Increased confidence, skills, and empowerment
Participants developed practical skills in oral history collection and creative arts. Many participants reported increased confidence in sharing their stories and engaging publicly with others.
“Gave me strong community engagement, team work connections with others”
2. Strengthened identity, pride, and intergenerational connections
Through the small-group oral history sessions, participants were able to reflect on their identity, culture, and lived experiences. This created meaningful dialogue between generations and reinforced a sense of belonging:
“Listening to everyone, especially people older than me, share their journeys made me feel more connected to my roots and proud of where I come from.”
“I got to meet new people and learn about other parts of Africa.”
3. Visible representation through public art
The co-created mural will become a powerful and lasting symbol of African heritage in the community. Participants expressed pride in contributing to a public artwork that reflects their culture and presence:
“Seeing our stories turned into a mural in our community is something I will always be proud of. It makes us visible.”
The hands-on process of designing and creating the mural, guided by a professional artist and student artists, also fostered teamwork, creativity, and ownership.
Overall Impact: The project gave participants a platform to share their stories, build skills, and connect with others. While the oral history and mural produced lasting, meaningful benefits for the community
The “Mapping Our Roots” project worked closely with and directly supported a diverse group of beneficiaries from the local African community in North Wales, alongside creative practitioners and community partners.
1. Community participants (storytellers)
We engaged 15 local African residents as active participants, including young people, adults, and students. These individuals took part in t the workshops, oral history sessions, and creative sessions. Adults shared lived experiences, migration journeys, and cultural knowledge through one-to-one and small-group interviews. This intergenerational mix was central to the project, encouraging knowledge exchange and strengthening community bonds.
2. Artists and creative facilitators
We collaborated with a professional artist and various art students who guided the design and hands-on creation of the mural. Their role was to support participants, many with little or no prior artistic experience, to confidently contribute to the final artwork. This ensured the creative process was inclusive, accessible, and high-quality.
3. Wider community members and families
Beyond direct participants, the project also engaged family members and the wider community, particularly through the sharing of stories and cultural materials. Some individuals contributed historical items for digitisation, while others supported or attended sessions informally.
4. Project team and volunteers
The project was delivered by the North Wales Africa Society team, supported by volunteers who assisted with coordination and participant support. Their involvement helped ensure sessions ran smoothly and that participants felt welcomed and supported throughout.
Overall:
The project brought together a diverse group of people of different ages who all wanted to celebrate and preserve African heritage. By involving participants as co-creators and storytellers, the project created a strong sense of ownership and pride in the community.
