IAA Project type: Networking grant

Duration of project: May - October 2023

Partner organisation: Wild in the City

MOLA staff leading IAA grant: Marvin Demicoli and Shantol Campbell

Individual partners: Nicole Worrica, Deborah Baksh, Suzanne Worrica

Project aims

This project extends upon the work of the MOLA Network of Ethnically Diverse Staff (NEDS), to help MOLA staff healthily engage with themes pertaining to ethnically-diverse archaeology and immigration. The project will also explore the role MOLA and archaeology in general can have in promoting this connection.

Our partners, Wild in the City (WiTC), are a London-based non-profit community-interest-company, who support the wellbeing of urban residents through engagement and connection with nature and community. They also provide support to organisations by facilitating workshops which reflect on themes of race and nature.

Audiences

  • MOLA Network for Ethnically Diverse Staff members shall feel heard, and their experiences acknowledged and considered.
  • MOLA staff will gain increased awareness of ethnical diversity in archaeology, its barriers, challenges and opportunities.
  • The ethnically-diverse community-network of WiTC will have the opportunity to attend a specially developed Thames foreshore walk exploring the themes of this project. they may also have the opportunity to visit another MOLA archaeological site in London.
  • WiTC will expand their reach to the archaeology/heritage sector, which will help inform their interest in exploring and restoring black-diasporic cultural-heritage and archaeologies.
  • MOLA and Thames Discovery Project will reach previously underserved community groups.

Project plan

This project will take the form of social networking events which will include workshops for MOLA staff reflecting on ethnically-diverse archaeology, a Thames foreshore walk for members of the public themed around ethnically-diverse archaeology and possible visits to MOLA sites in London.

The reflective workshops:

  • Online MOLA workshops: These introductory workshops will introduce the project aims and methods to MOLA staff. The attendees will be able to participate by sharing suggestions and discuss themes about race and immigration that are pertinent to MOLA and its employees.
  • MOLA on-site workshop: Project leads from MOLA and WiTC will conduct a workshop for staff on a current MOLA archaeological site in London to address the specific themes, challenges and barriers that site staff may encounter
  • Two in-person workshops combined with nature walks: Held at a WiTC location, around a campfire in the woods, these workshops provide a safe, non-judgemental and relaxing setting for exploring thoughts and feelings about race, immigration, ethnically-diverse archaeology/ists as well as organisational engagement and messaging that impacts on inclusion and participation of ethnically-diverse staff. Under the guidance of professionally trained WITC psychotherapists, these reflective workshops will offer a unique and novel opportunity (for MOLA staff) to approach these themes by creating a safe and confidential space where staff can come together explore and discuss their thoughts.

Thames Foreshore Walk:

  • This walk will be organised in collaboration with MOLA-TDP, and will explore a Thames foreshore location related to the theme of immigration. This event will be open to WiTC community network and MOLA staff.

MOLA archaeological site visit:

  • WiTC community network may be given the chance to visit a MOLA archaeological site in London that is in the process of being excavated. This will give them a unique opportunity to get a glimpse of archaeological work in practice.

This project will ensure the wellbeing and safety of all involved especially MOLA staff, WITC facilitators, and participants of workshops/walks. Due to the nature of the project and the sensitivity of discussions around reflections on race, ethnicity and perceptions of these, all contexts will be prepared to ensure that all leading, facilitating and participating in the project workshops have robust safeguarding and health and safety measures in place. All discussions will be kept confidential and the identity of the participants will be protected in all project output content.

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