News centre

The 15 young people, aged between 13 and 20, had been working on the project for the past three months, meeting weekly at the Forest Community Centre in Leyton to rehearse under the guidance of AHEC practitioners George Eggay, Rita Asante, Kojo Tawiah and Jean Luc.  The project had been made possible thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Golden Stool was performed at Waltham Forest Council Chambers and Waltham Forest Assembly Hall for a total of four performances.  One of these performances was at the opening of AHEC’s We Were There exhibition, and was watched by an audience including former Eastenders actress Angela Wynter, BBC Robin Hood actor David Harewood, and journalist and broadcaster Henry Bonsu.  These celebrities presented the young people with certificates for their participation in the project.

“The project really had two key purposes,” explained Christine Borsah, AHEC Director, “We wanted to raise the profile of female role models to young people, which is why we chose the story of Yaa Asantewaa, who is a celebrated female figure in Ghanian history.

“We also wanted to develop and nurture young people’s creative talents.  Drama can really help to develop confidence and creativity, and by staging this play the young people had a fantastic opportunity to work on these skills.”

AHEC Chairman Amaning Bediako also praised the success of the project.  “One of AHEC’s core aims is to promote understanding of different cultures, and to help young people of African descent learn more about their heritage,” he explained, “The Golden Stool project gave not only the young people a wonderful opportunity to learn more about a key figure in Ghanian history, but also the audiences who watched the performances of the play.”

Feedback from the plays was extremely positive.  Melanie Roulston from Waltham Forest Borough Council’s Safe and Strong Communities Department commented: “They were brilliant.  It is refreshing to see such confident, positive youngsters.  They present a real positive image for Waltham Forest.  I would certainly like to involve them in future events.”

Cllr Chris Robbins, Waltham Forest Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, commented: “It was brilliant, they came across as professionals. Clear voices, good acting and a good story.”

And the young people themselves also found it a rewarding and exciting experience.  “The performance has boosted my confidence and given me experience in acting,” said Gabriel Marfo, one of the young actors, “Even though I am a Ghanian, this project has given me an insight into this history.”

Yaa Asantewaa was a female leader in Ghana who led an uprising against British attempts to seize The Golden Stool – a Ghanian artefact of great cultural and historic significance.

For a full report on The Golden Stool project, click here. (Please note, this is a 3MB pdf file.)

back to Past projects