About

Sam The Wheels is a participatory arts, video and web project, that explores the heritage of Brixton. Inspired by unique film shot between the 1960's and 1980's by Clovis Salmon, a first generation Jamaican migrant who arrived in London in the 1950's. Clovis is an 80 year old ex-Pentecostal minister, locally known as "Sam The Wheels", due to to his work building wheels at Holdsworth Cycles, and his repair service he operates from his home in Railton Road.

This project has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund under their "Oral History" funding stream, where we are working towards the following outcomes:

1. Collaborative website

Currently live at www.samthewheels.co.uk the website provides a collaborative space to post text video and images, acting as an archive of: materials, thought and process throughout the life of the project.

2. Exhibition "People, Signs & Resistance: On the front-line"

Tim Blake: Installation exploring the origins of multi cultural Britain in Brixton. George Butler & participants: Video project researching groups active on Railton Road (the epi-center of the Brixton Riots) including; The Black Panthers, Anarchists, Activists and Rastas. Nada Prlja: Jesus dies for our sins (Neon sign - explores church spaces being used as something else). George Amponsah & participants: Youth documentaries (short films exploring the sus-laws & other subjects).

3. Digitization of 5 hours of footage

Video has been digitized and is accessible via www.samthewheels.co.uk/170
It is also to be deposited with the Black cultural Archives, Lambeth Archives and the Internet archive.

4. Engagement of local residents

We led a series of workshops over summer/autumn 2008 where we viewed Sam's footage, discussed and researched its origins and developed ideas/themes further explored through creative projects, shared skills in video production and web technologies.

5. Gathering Oral histories

Working across many sections of the project, both younger and older volunteers interviewed: Local activists, The police, Contemporaries of Sam's and Church leaders, providing context to many of the scenes contained within Sam's original footage and providing opportunity for volunteers to explore their own areas of interest. www.samthewheels.co.uk/248

6. DVD & Publication

Acting as both a 'keepsake' for the project and an opportunity to engage a wider audience with archive materials, 'Process' and themes explored during its development.