On 25 March 2007 it will be 200 years exactly since a Parliamentary Bill was passed to abolish the Transatlantic slave trade in the former British Empire. The Bill of 1807 marked the beginning of the long road to the eventual abolition of slavery itself within the former Empire. Commemoration
 | | A programme from the London performance |
Numerous events are taking place across the country throughout 2007 to mark the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. In Newcastle, a national Quaker performing arts project called The Leaveners is organising a special performance of the cantata Woolman’s Witness, which will be rehearsed and produced over a period of five days. John Woolman was an 18th Century American Quaker who campaigned widely for the abolition of slavery. Quakers in both Britain and America were prominent in the movement to abolish the slave trade because of their religious belief in the equality of all people. Anti-slavery campaigner Woolman's Witness, which tells the story of John Woolman's life, has only been performed once before. | "Woolman was a passionate campaigner against slavery and travelled all over England to raise awareness of it." | | Alison Breadon |
"The cantata was first performed at the Royal College of Music a few years ago and the bicentenary seemed the perfect time to perform it again," explains The Leaveners co-ordinator, Alison Breadon. "Woolman was a passionate campaigner against slavery and travelled all over England to raise awareness of it. He was a sort of precursor to the anti-slavery campaign." The music will be performed by Quakers from across the country together with some local singers, who will practise together intensively in Newcastle from 4 April until the performance on Easter Monday (9 April). "More than 50 people will be coming to Newcastle from as far as Southampton and Kent to take part," says Alison enthusiastically. "We'll have five days of rehearsal from 9am to 9pm every day. It will be intense but we find that residential projects build a strong sense of community." Get involved
 | | Tyne and Wear museums are also holding events |
And if you are a singer who lives close to Newcastle it isn't too late to get involved. “People need a bit of experience of singing but we don't ask people to audition. "Usually I send people the music and they decide themselves whether or not they have enough experience to do it. Local people can still sign up to take part – and we're especially after a few more male singers!†If you would like to get involved you can e-mail Alison at alison@leaveners.org or phone The Leaveners on 0121 414 0099. Performance details: Time: Monday 9 April at 7pm Place: The Salvation Army, Newcastle City Temple Corps, 146 Westgate Road, Newcastle Tickets: £5 adults, £3 concessions Booking: Call The Leaveners on 0121 414 0099 or email enquiries@leaveners.org | 
