Black history project will revive works of African philosophers through film

Young offenders from areas hit by gang violence have launched a black history project to showcase the work of African philosophers.

Therapeutic Productions, a company created by ex-offenders and working with disadvantaged communities in South London, launched its new documentary series, Dark Thoughts, in October 2024.

Filming for the project is now under way after the team secured funding from the MSN Fund, Croydon Voluntary Action and the Woodward charitable trust.

Set to be complete by July 2025, the first series will focus on Ottobah Cugano, an anti-slavery campaigner and one of the first formerly enslaved people to write and publish a text in the English language.

Mr Cugano is commemorated with a blue plaque at Schomberg House in Pall Mall, where from around 1784 to 1791 he worked as a servant while writing and campaigning for the abolitionist movement.

A team of young South Londoners from Croydon, Forest Hill and Sydenham attended a workshop at the London Museum Docklands in Canary Wharf to learn about the 18th century campaigner, before getting stuck into filming.

Over the past two weeks they have shot interviews with professors, researchers and authors who specialise in Mr Cugano’s work, including Simon Hudson, author of History Through the Black Experience.

Animator Demari Joseph-Lawrence, 27, from Sydenham, said: “This documentary tackles visuals from different continents, terrains and technology, meaning the museum trip and research on different sources was a key factor in getting accuracy.

“The museum workshop was eye-opening, and gave a great insight into what happened in London around the time of slavery, particularly on the abolitionist movement.

“It’s been an amazing experience to be apart of this documentary so far and I hope it broadens people knowledge on this topic.”

Therapeutic Productions have partnered up with film director and artist Jasbir Nsangla and Jaspal Nsangla from Two Side Studios in Luton, for the series.

Further work is underway with a team of animators from Sydenham and service users from the Royal Bethlem hospital in Beckenham who have been commissioned to create illustrated set designs and record soundtracks for the motion picture at a recording studio in Brixton.

Jerome Sewell, managing director of Therapeutic Productions, said: “Therapeutic productions believe in using the arts to assist communities in South London to deepen there insight and thoughts about the world and its history.

“Ottobah Cugano was a landmark figure, it is vital to showcase his contributions to the world as well as other figures of African descent like him.”

Pictured top: Simon Hudson, author of History Through the Black Experience, interviewed in Croydon during filming for Dark Thoughts (Picture: Jasbir Nsangla)