Case Study: Engaging Working Class Young Men with Local Sporting Heritage

What is this case study about?

This case study is about 'Halifax Stars', a project that celebrates local boxing heritage. It demonstrates how verd de gris arts responded to a local need to amplify the stories and talents of working-class men by giving them agency in shaping the outputs of a heritage project about local boxing history, instilling a sense of pride and celebrating rich local heritage.

This case study was produced with verd de gris arts. Verd de gris uses the arts to promote cultural diversity as a positive, collaborative solution to community issues and concerns, developing creative projects that bring generations together to share and learn from each other. You can find out more on their website.

What are the key points?

What was the project about?

Verd de gris arts were awarded funding through Historic England’s Everyday Heritage Grants to create an innovative intergenerational project with the aim of celebrating the working-class culture of boxing clubs around Halifax, West Yorkshire. Halifax Stars recorded the stories of older fighters and the gyms that used to be a prominent feature of the area, as well as celebrating the importance of boxing coaching with young working-class people today.

The project looked to share the boxing culture of Halifax with a wider audience, increase understanding of boxing’s remarkable working-class legacy in the area, and champion the work that is done through the clubs to help some of the poorest and most marginalised young people in our communities.

Through interviews, photography and film, Halifax Stars produced an exhibition at the Piece Hall, a Grade I listed and rare surviving example of a late 1700s large-scale, purpose-built cloth hall. The exhibition ran from 29 April to 28 May 2023 and was visited by over 2500 people.

500 booklets were offered free to exhibition visitors and also distributed through local libraries and boxing clubs. A 30-minute film ‘Halifax Stars’ produced as part of the exhibition is now available to view online. The exhibition will become permanent as the Halifax ABC redevelops its mill complex over the next few years.

What were the aims of the project?

Through consultation with young local people in 2022, the verd de gris team found evidence that young men from socially and economically marginalised communities in Halifax felt alienated and that their culture was excluded from celebration compared to middle-class culture and heritage.

With this in mind, the Halifax Stars project aimed to:

• Engage working-class communities (particularly young men) in and around Halifax in a way that is shaped by and for them, about their lives, and to talk with them about their ideas and thoughts about ‘heritage’ and about the communities they grew up in
• Through partnerships with local individuals and clubs, encourage young men in the town to showcase their talents and stories and show them as relevant, valid and valued as the historic collections housed in museums and galleries
• Instil a sense of pride in young boxers by demonstrating the importance and richness of local sporting activity, showing how it has historically helped other young men struggling with adverse life conditions to find a sense of purpose and wellbeing

What were the outcomes?

• Local stories were elevated through the exhibition at a recognised and respected cultural venue. Securing the Piece Hall as a venue for the exhibition contributed to the impact of the project, bringing local people who don't usually engage with arts and heritage into a space that they felt was theirs
• The project successfully brought local people together, particularly those from different generations. It brought together ex-boxers, enthusiasts, family members, friends and old acquaintances
• New audiences were introduced to boxing and its rich heritage, and new members joined local boxing gyms and clubs

Verd de gris measured the project's success through feedback from the project participants, the gallery invigilators at the Piece Hall, and the gym members. They collected over 200 feedback cards from the exhibition, most of which were from local people who rarely attend museum or gallery exhibitions or events.

What lessons were learned?

• Establish a strong case for support when developing your funding application. Ensure you have conversations with key potential partners (in this case with gym owners, former boxers and young fighters) to agree on the extent of their participation in the project
• Don’t underestimate the costs of putting on an exhibition. Research widely and budget appropriately in your project plan, allowing plenty of time for securing affordable venues
• Projects will be more successful if responding to local needs. In this case, we knew from previous consultations that white working-class communities often feel politically marginalised, and excluded from the arts, heritage and culture. Review existing research and data, or budget time and resource to conduct consultations to understand what local people need
• Work to gain trust, support and buy-in from local people. Local communities will be more generous and cooperative if they have been involved from the offset of a project’s development
• Meaningful co-creation happens when there is a strong range of knowledge, experiences and motivations, and a clearly agreed set of objectives
• Involve local people in every stage of the project. In Halifax Stars, participants were involved in setting up interviews and photo opportunities, researching archives and existing writing, filming, editing and producing the exhibition
• Partnering with established cultural venues or organisations can help to increase the prominence of your project, which helps to show your participants how valuable their heritage is while also introducing those stories to new or different audiences. The Halifax Stars exhibition took place at the Piece Hall, which meant that the exhibition attracted visitors who might not otherwise have come into contact with the themes of the project
• Engage authentically with participants throughout the project. Those who feel a sense of ownership and inclusion in the project are more likely to help promote the project and its outputs through word-of-mouth. In local projects, this can be equally (if not more) valuable than more traditional marketing methods
• Seek support early on to help gain wider coverage of your project. Your partner organisations or funders might have connections to ensure a bigger reach for your work

Further reading

• Watch The ‘Halifax Stars’ film, created by verd de gris arts
• Visit the verd de gris website
• Read the Historic England blog post about the history of boxing in Halifax
• ‘Halifax Stars: The Boxing Clubs of West Yorkshire’: a short film about the project by Historic England
• Read an article about the project on the Sporting Heritage website