What was the experience of those travelling by sea to the colonies? What stories of illness, longing and slavery did they recount to their families in Europe? These accounts have been preserved in the captured documents of the British Admiralty Court in London. In late summer 2019, a joint team comprising pupils from the Helene Lange School, students from the University of Oldenburg and staff from the Innovative University of Applied Sciences Jade Oldenburg (IHJO) and the Prizepapers project set out to trace these accounts.

Through intensive research using the digitised sources from the Prizepapers collection, students analysed the material from the perspectives of life in the colonies, life on board the ship, maritime trade and wars of privateering for a theatre project by Year 11 pupils. In a joint workshop between school pupils and university students, research findings and possible ways of incorporating them into the theatre project were discussed. This joint endeavour will continue in the coming summer semester with the aim of bringing the long-neglected insights from the Prizepapers to the stage. The play will be performed on 24 June 2020 at the Limonadenfabrik in Oldenburg! Admission is free.