Schools Anti-Racism Workshops
Thanks to funding from the UK Government Community Recovery Fund, WonderZoo has been commissioned to do 9 workshops in Primary Schools around Plymouth. This has come as a result of the riots in August 2024. The idea is to allow children to think about racism and what it means to feel excluded, with the help of storytelling and drama, using the idea of a lonely platypus who doesn’t fit into nature’s categories.
Community Recovery Fund
Summary of the Project:
WonderZoo’s Anti-Racism Workshops in Plymouth Schools and Community - 2025
Background and Funding:
- Funded by the UK Government Community Recovery Fund (£3000 Pounds).
- Implementing 9 workshops from March to June 2025 in primary schools across Plymouth.
- Initiated as a response to the riots in August 2024, aiming to promote understanding of racism and exclusion through arts and storytelling.
Organization Profile:
- Based in Plymouth, WonderZoo is a multi-cultural arts and community organization.
- Focuses on Performance Events, Historical Projects, and Community Activities with Storytelling at the Heart of everything we do.
- All members have lived experience of racism or discrimination.
- The idea for this project came out of the “Hidden Figures of Plymouth” project, highlighting achievements of people of Global Majority backgrounds in Plymouth.
Workshop Content and Approach:
-The workshops have been run by Slain McGough Davey and Jackie Wacha, with help from Lorna Coulson.
- Free, 2-hour drama-based workshops led by people with lived experience.
- Uses the metaphor of a lonely Platypus who doesn’t fit into nature’s categories to explore themes of diversity and acceptance.
- Interactive activities include storytelling, writing, drawing, music, dance, and discussions.
- Sessions foster safe spaces for conversations about racism, diversity, and inclusion.
-They've each presented the workshop to between 100 and 200 children at a time.
Goals and Impact:
- Address recent racial tensions and foster healing through dialogue and education.
- Strengthen communities by offering meaningful conversations and challenging racist beliefs.
- Promote city-wide engagement, across Plymouth.
Schools Included in the Workshops -2025
1. St. Mary’s C of E
2. St Peter’s C of E
3. Hyde Park Infants and Primary
4. Salisbury Road Primary School
5. Mount Street Primary
6. St. Mary’s C of E (second session)
7. St Peter’s C of E (second session)
8. Hyde Park Infants and Primary (second session)
9. Salisbury Road Primary School (second session)
Comments from Schools:
"Thank you so much for your kind message. It was a real pleasure to welcome you into our school and to be part of such an important and impactful workshop. The children thoroughly enjoyed the sessions, and the feedback from both the children and staff has been positive. Your team created a safe and engaging space for important conversations, and we’re very grateful for the opportunity to be involved." — Sarah Hooper, Assistant Headteacher, Pennycross Primary School
- "Thanks for coming! We all really appreciated and enjoyed it. — Keziah Allen, Mayflower Academy
- "Thank you so much for the fantastic workshop. The children really loved it."* — Bridget Shillaber, Head Teacher, Mount Street Primary School
A Call for More of This Work in the Current Climate
In today’s world, where tensions around race and identity are increasingly prominent, initiatives like these are more vital than ever. Schools and communities need safe spaces to explore difficult conversations, challenge stereotypes, and foster empathy and understanding among young people.
Now more than ever, it’s crucial to prioritize education and dialogue around race, diversity, and social cohesion. Supporting and scaling such impactful work will contribute significantly to creating resilient communities prepared to face the challenges of the future with kindness and understanding where everyone is celebrated and everyone feels valued and heard.
In October 2026 - This work be included in the Community Recovery Fund Learning Event, taking place on Wednesday 21 October 2026, from 10:00am to 3:00pm in the Reception Room at Plymouth City Council. The event is being held specifically for organisations that have received Community Recovery Fund funding over the last two years.
