In the first project of its kind at the Tower of London, 30 young people from Tower Hamlets schools and youth clubs formed teams and were given the chance to explore the rich history of the Tower in the
Tower Legend youth project.
From a selection of stories including a
plot to steal the Crown Jewels,
queens losing their heads and diamonds passing hands they chose one to retell with a modern twist, and to perform in front of family and friends.
The project was organised by Akthar Hussain, who was on a Community Affairs Trainee scheme from the East London Business Alliance (ELBA) and on placement at the Tower in the Outreach and Community Involvement team.
History: On the doorstep of Tower Hamlets
The aim of the Tower Legend project was to engage young people in the wealth of history on their doorstep and be inspired to get creative with a choice of media including dance, video, photography, drama and story telling.
One participant - Kamal Miah - acknowledged: 'I never knew that the Tower of London was a part of Tower Hamlets.'
Volunteer mentors from London Metropolitan University kindly gave up their time and talent to help the young people develop legendary performances. Workshops to perfect the performances were held at the Tower during February and March. And the participants also attended tours and seminars with the warding staff who passed on their knowledge of the Tower and its stories.
'Anonymous' impress in final performance
The final performance took place on March 15 where the groups performed their mini-plays in front of family and friends.
The winning team - Anonymous - included Tasin Sayef, Sultan Ahmed Sheikh, Nahima Khanom, Tajahed Chowdhury and Shamim Ahmed Jitu, who performed a dance about the Koh-i-noor diamond and its bloody history. Each winning team member won a Nintendo Wii.
Another of the groups was from Phoenix special needs school who came in second place with a storytelling presentation based on the execution of the Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two queens of Henry VIII. Each team member won an MP4 player for second prize.
All participants were awarded a certificate for their hard work.
Trustees judge performances
The main event attracted senior figures from Historic Royal Palaces and ELBA. There were three judges present: two Trustees of Historic Royal Palaces - John Hamar and Dawn Austwick - and the Director of Conservation & Learning John Barnes.
MC for the day was Chief Executive of the ELBA, Liam Kane, and the winners were announced by Historic Royal Palaces' Chief Executive Michael Day.
All agreed the young people showed commitment and courage as they journeyed towards the final show. They displayed impressive contemporary responses to familiar Tower stories.
One participant, Tahsin Sayef, said: 'I hope that the Tower Legends is done again next year.'
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