News
Belonging: Voices of London's Refugees
27 October 2006 to 25 February 2007, Museum of London
A new exhibition revealing the experiences and contributions of refugees in the capital opens at the Museum of London on 27 October 2006. "Belonging: Voices of London's Refugees" presents powerful interviews, photographs, objects, art, and film to tell the stories of why refugees come to London, the challenges of their new lives and the barriers they face, and the rich contributions they make to the city. People from more than fifteen communities from Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Latin America are included.
The voices of refugees are at the heart of the exhibition. The Museum of London has worked in partnership with the Evelyn Oldfield Unit, London Metropolitan University and fifteen refugee community organisations to collect more than 150 extraordinary in-depth life story interviews. The exhibition also includes work created through collaborations between local museums and community organisations as part of the London Museums Hub Refugee Heritage Programme. These are complemented by some of the Museum's earliest audio recorded interviews, with Jewish refugees who arrived from eastern Europe in the late nineteenth century.
A blanket from Ethiopia that provided comfort for its owner when he had to sleep at Heathrow on his first night in London; paintings by an artist from Ecuador who was transfixed by red telephone boxes, awards won by a Tamil local councillor for combating anti-social behaviour; and stunning images of people at work - a hairdresser, a bus driver, a restauranteur, a scientist, among others - are just some of the evocative items which, together with personal stories, bring home experiences of loss and struggle, and of finding one's feet and making a difference in London.
Professor Jack Lohman, director of the Museum of London, said: "This exhibition provides a space where the voices of London's refugees can be heard. It acknowledges the contributions that they make to every aspect of the capital while showing the challenges they face in creating a new life here. As the repository of London's stories, it is crucial that the Museum of London works in partnership to put on exhibitions which reflect the multicultural city we live in. Belonging does just this, drawing together people from many different backgrounds to reflect on how their lives have been influenced by London and how, in turn, they have helped to shape the city we know today."
Tzeggai Yohannes Deres, director of the Evelyn Oldfield Unit and one of the contributors to the exhibition added: "I am very pleased that the exhibition of the Refugee Communities History Project will be held, and the interviews archived, at the natural place - the Museum of London, which, both as an expert in the field and a valuable partner in our mission, has enabled us to share our experience with the general British society."
Belonging: Voices of London's Refugees
27 October 2006 to 25 February 2007
Museum of London
Admission free
Open Mon-Sat 10am to 5:50pm and Sun 12 to 5:50pm
Tube: St Paul's, Barbican and Moorgate
Notes to Editors:
- The Museum of London is the only museum to tell the story of London from pre-historic times to the present. Find out what Romans ate for dinner, experience the Great Fire of London, find out when pointy shoes first became fashionable, go window-shopping in our Victorian walkway and be amazed by the magnificent Lord Mayor's coach. Admission is free. To hear about our exciting events programme and start exploring London's history visit www.museumoflondon.org.uk or call 0870 444 3851.
- In February 2007 the Museum of London will begin an £18 million initiative to redevelop the galleries which tell stories of London from 1666 up to today. The Capital City project will also include a new learning centre, an information zone, a coffee point and a lecture theatre, which will open in 2009. For more information, including about how to support the campaign by "buying a year of London's history" and becoming part of the new display see www.museumoflondon.org.uk/buyayear or call 020 7814 5505.
- "Belonging: Voices of London's Refugees" is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Museums Library and Archives Council, the City Parochial Foundation, and the Home Office.
- The Refugee Communities History Project is led by the Evelyn Oldfield Unit, with partners including the Museum of London, London Metropolitan University, the Resource Unit for Mother Tongue and Supplementary Schools and fifteen refugee community organisations. This groundbreaking project is collecting, archiving and disseminating more than 150 in-depth life story interviews with people who came to London as refugees since 1951, together with photographs, objects and other items. Fifteen people from the communities have been trained in oral history interview techniques and each community organisation is holding it's own local exhibition using this material. Belonging is the final culmination of the project, bringing together material from all the communities. The Refugee Communities History Project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Trust for London.
- The refugee community organisations or partnerships participating in the Refugee Communities History Project are: Afghan Association of London; African Community Health and Research Organisation, with the Lwo Cultural Group; Bosnian Resource Information Centre; Kosovar Support; Chinese Information and Advice Centre; Council for Assisting Refugee Academics; Eritrean Education and Publication Trust; Ethiopian Community in Britain; Haringey Somali Community and Cultural Association; Imece Turkish Speaking Women's Group; Iraqi Community Association; Kurdish Association; Latin American Association; Latin American Women's Rights Service, with Latin American Disabled People's Project and Latin American Elderly People's Project; Roma Support Group; Tamil Relief Centre.
- The Refugee Heritage Programme involves four London museums (Hackney Museum, Croydon Clock Tower Museum, Ragged School Museum and Redbridge Museum) working collectively with local refugee communities and individuals to record their own heritage through short films, exhibitions, cultural events and celebrations. The projects give a unique and rich flavour of their living heritage while exploring the role of museums as cultural facilitators and public forum. It is supported by the London Museums Hub, which is funded by the Museums Libraries and Archives Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund through the 'Moving Here' programme at The National Archives.
- The four partnerships working on the London Museums Hub Refugee Heritage Programme are: Croydon Museum, with Nile Volunteers Network and Yes Africa; Hackney Museum, with people from the Kurdish community and Halkevi Kurdish-Turkish Community Centre; Ragged School Museum, with Ocean Somali Community Association; Redbridge Museum, with ARIANA, an Afghan organisation.
