Brynmawr Museum and Historical Society is shining a spotlight on this icon of local, sporting and Black British history through a documentary about his life.
Developed by young people, the film will tell the story of Francis’s childhood in 1920s South Wales, his rugby career and his experience as a Black man in the white-dominated world of 20th-century UK sport.
It will explore the history of Brynmawr in the 1920s and 1930s, including the ‘Brynmawr Experiment’, an effort to address poverty and unemployment in the town. Different generations, including volunteers and community groups, will contribute.
Professional filmmakers, animators and museum staff will equip the young creators with skills to record interviews and storyboard, film and edit the documentary.
The project is also creating bilingual teachers’ guides, worksheets and discussion prompts which can be used alongside the film in classrooms.
John Hill, Treasurer of Brynmawr Museum, said: “We are thrilled to have received this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players we are able to tell the incredible story of a man who was raised in Brynmawr and became a legend in the world of rugby league. Just as importantly, we can preserve the heritage of Brynmawr.”
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