| 25/06/2007 - Staff & students at the College named after the Nineteenth Century slave trade abolitionist, William Wilberforce, enjoyed a day of activities to commemorate his leading role in this noteworthy parliamentary campaign. The whole College took part in a series of activities designed to raise awareness about this horrendous trade as part of the wider Wilberforce 2007 commemorations taking place across the city. The day started off with students experiencing at first hand the appalling conditions within a Slave Ship by re-creating the dimensions in the College Sports Hall. They sat in closely packed rows, to symbolise the small space slaves had to endure for the two month crossing from Africa to the Americas, to watch a DVD about the middle passage. Slave’s songs and readings about the terrible experience were performed by some of the College’s Performing Arts students. Afterwards to understand the importance of the result of Wilberforce’s parliamentary campaign students helped to create large banners to decorate the College which spelt FREEDOM, using their handprints in paint. They also started to make a pride, freedom, belief & change mural from graffiti around Wilberforce 2007 themes. Then the celebrations started when everyone was gathered in the Dome to sample world wide foods and alcohol free cocktails, they received commemorative mugs and Fairtrade chocolate whilst listening to College bands performing in battle of the bands. Representatives from Oxfam, One World Shop and Amnesty International were also visiting the College to give the students an understanding about modern day slavery which unfortunately still taking place in many parts of the world.
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