Maxwell Ayamba interviewed by Paul Merchant, Oral Histories of Environmental Collaboration, Track 2. © University of Exeter.

Founder of the Sheffield Environment Network, Maxwell Ayamba reflects on relations with mainstream environmental organisations in his work with ethnic minority (global majority) communities in Britain.


Transcript: 
In terms of the environmental organisations like the Wildlife Trusts and those kinds of things, you understand that these have been predominantly white organisations that have practised traditionally along the whole Eurocentric way of nature conservation and recreation. Because honestly speaking, if you understand, communities that come from the developing world see nature as a source of livelihood, because that’s what they’re dependent on [...] and moving here nature is more a creation of leisure, and so, you know, seeing nature on those terms, people are not very, very keen because – not only they are not keen, because they want leisure and recreation, but they cannot afford due to socioeconomic issues. And so, but they – white environmental organisations, or traditional environmental organisations do not understand – they are not culturally sensitive, to put it that way, so they don’t understand that different cultures have different perspectives on the environment and how they relate to the environment. So, my relationship with these environmental organisations has been an uphill task in terms of really trying to reframe the whole narrative of how they work with minoritised community groups to bring them onboard. Because it’s a whole issue to do with organisational culture – the organisational culture would need to be changed but its difficult for them to change the organisational culture because it’s a practice that has been normalised and people working within that particular space are socialised about what they do and their actions have become normalised so they don’t see what they should change that norm […] and therefore it is really difficult to break through and create that difference. 

Image: Pinecone at RENEW Collaborations Workshop. Credit: Angela Cassidy

Maxwell Ayamba on limitations of mainstream environmental organisations

Originally written and recorded as 'Barrett's Privateers' by Stan Rogers

With permission from Fogarty's Cove Records (http://stanrogers.net/)

Performed live and adapted by British Library Writer-in-Residence Rob Sherman and Nick Henderson (http://twitter.com/NickJHenderson) at the British Library, 8th December 2015 

“In the mid-nineteenth century, arguably the brief 'Golden Age' of vernacular organology aboard British ships, Arkwright's Privateers was one of the most popular 'chanteys', or accompanied work-songs, amongst the general maritime population. Though it did encroach upon naval vessels, it was amongst merchant crews and private ventures that it displayed the greatest tenacity; these vessels were often crewed by Midlands men, whose bravery and Romantic fate this song handles. It is also a prime example of the esteem in which sailors from the county of Derbyshire were held, an almost-mythopoeic pedestal from which they have never descended, not even in the present day.

The tune was likely sung on deck to the simple beat of a drum, most often as a 'hand-over-hand chantey', used in the task of setting the jib and other repetitive hauling tasks. The key evidence of this designation is the call-and-response component of each verse's first line, followed by a repeated refrain which keeps a tight rhythm, allowing for methodic application to the task at hand.

Despite its regional appeal, and its reliance on knowledge of mid-English folklore regarding the 'Derbyshire Sailors' and their adventures, versions of it have been recorded by folklorists up and down both littorals of the Atlantic, even as far south as the Antilles.”

Dr. Mark Tollas, from his introduction to 'Hilo, Boys, Hilo: A New History Of The English Ululation'

Learn more about Rob's British Library residency, 'On My Wife's Back' at http://onmywifesback.tumblr.com/ 

Arkwright's Privateers

Where are the current trends in radio and online audio leading? What might radio sound (and look) like on its 2022 centenary? Some leading figures of UK radio come together for a discussion on radio today and tomorrow: Ruth Barnes chairs a panel featuring Matt Deegan (Folder Media/Next Radio conference), Helen Boaden (Director of BBC Radio), Femi Adeyemi (NTS Radio) and journalist/broadcaster Miranda Sawyer. Produced by Rosina Sound & Allanah Chance for the British Library, 16 September 2016.

The Future of Radio

The Copeland-Long restoration of the earliest known recording of computer music, recorded at Alan Turing's Computing Machine Laboratory in Manchester in 1951. Read Copeland and Long's fascinating blog account of the all-night programming session which led to its creation, and Turing's reaction on hearing it the following morning:  http://blogs.bl.uk/sound-and-vision/2016/09/restoring-the-first-recording-of-computer-music.html

First known recording of computer music, 1951

A short stereo excerpt of a longer 8 channel work. This is a sonic investigation into community and gentrification in the London neighbourhood of Walworth. It has traditionally been a working-class neighbourhood with more recent residents coming from all over the world. The area has been subject to several contentious ‘regeneration’ schemes that have already caused the loss of 1100 socially rented homes of the Heygate Estate.

Elephant Endangered Stereo 1

One of the last Black Country chainmakers, Lucy Woodall, sings the worksong ‘Chainmaker lad is a masher’ and talks about singing. 

Recorded by Roy Palmer in Old Hill, Dudley, West Midlands, England. There was much iron and coal production in this area of England since the 1600s and chainmaking, centered around towns south of Dudley, was a flourishing business, now defunct. Songs like these are documents of our history and heritage. 

The full-length recording from the Traditional music in England collection is on British Library sounds: 
http://sounds.bl.uk/World-and-traditional-music/Traditional-music-in-England/025M-C1023X0040XX-0100V0#

Chainmaker lad is a masher

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Maxwell Ayamba on limitations of mainstream environmental organisations

The British Library

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