Lives of Colour
Lives of Colour seeks to elevate the voices of marginalised communities by fostering equity, equality and inclusion working with businesses, statutory agencies and organisation to develop strategic solutions through education, events and training.
We do this using our ‘G.R.A.D.E.S inclusion strategy’, we attribute an increase in investment, innovation and income using the benefits of diversity and inclusion.
What do we mean by G.R.A.D.E.S.?
Authors of Colour Book Club
Authors of Colour Book Club provides a subscription service to educational institutions and parents, giving them the tools needed to teach their children about diversity and inclusion. More
Diversity and Inclusion Workshop
Our diversity and inclusion workshops and consulting services provide your organisation with the expertise needed to profit from difference.
A curation of photography and oral histories from Gloucestershire's Windrush generation and the Cheltenham African diaspora. More
I-MMIGRATE Exhibition
A
NUDGE
FOR
DIVERSE
BOOKS
​
For many people looking back at childhood years, books played a big part of their growth and understanding of the world. Whether it be Enid Blyton and the Famous Five or the nostalgic tales of Biff, Chip and Kipper, the lessons and the memories of the books we read at school have stayed with us onto adulthood. Yet, upon reflecting on these book, very few of them consisted of characters of diverse life experiences. Many sections of society historically have been underrepresented in children's books, and the scope for children to learn about people unlike themselves has been limited as a consequence. Likewise, children from these underrepresented groups often feel neglected in the tales told in schools and find it hard to connect with books when none of them reflect their family makeup or their lifestyle.
It is our No.1 mission to make sure that the books that children read at school reflect the makeup of the world around them. If this is important to you too, click the link below to find more!
​
Whether you are a former student or a parent of a child at school, join our #nudgefordiversebooks campaign to fill your school library.
Lives of Colour: Featured Author - Nana Pierre
"I write the books I want to read, books that my children can see themselves in and the books I wish existed when I was a young girl. Visual storytelling has always come more naturally to me, however, I feel a good storyteller can blur the boundaries of their craft, be it through writing, imagery, film or art.
My view points are heavily shaped by my family and the Pan African values I cultivated in school while living in Ghana. My perspectives are important and under-represented. I have two strands of work: Children's books and adult fiction. My first book, co-produced with my brother Ekow, A is for Accra, has been a great platform for both of us. We've sold thousands of copies in Ghana and hundreds more around the world.
I nearly gave up on writing adult fiction all together, but the first draft of my debut novel was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Prize 2019. So I've dusted off the manuscript and I'm slowly editing it, while working on the next picture book. It's hard to find the time,
while raising my young family, but I'm committed to telling those stories however long they take."
A is for Accra
By Ekow Pierre and Nana Pierre
Conversations of Colour
Alongside diversity and inclusion consulting, we at Lives of Colour believe in the importance of enabling individuals and communities to own their own narratives. We run projects both locally and nationally, that give voices to people regardless of their Gender, Religion, Age, Disability, Ethnicity, Economic status, Sexual Orientation or Sexuality. Through our Conversations of Colour blog we invite you to learn from the stories and insights we have gained through our articles, video stories and podcasts.
​
Visit our blog here to see more:
Feedback on our Culture Festival:
‘ I lived in Germany as an expatriate which tend to be a very tight community. I have been back working in the UK for the last 5 years and Saturday is the first time I felt the sense of belonging as when I lived in Germany’.
​
‘Cheltenham doesn’t have anything like this for the community, you must come back next year’.