This free event invited local people to explore the connection between people, place and the natural world, through food, conversation and creative activities for all ages. At the heart of this event was a commitment to amplifying the voices of global majority women in Peckham; every activity at the event was specifically designed to amplify the voices and celebrate stories and histories of Peckham’s migrant communities.
All of the artists and creatives commissioned were of global majority heritage.
The day’s programme included:
- Creative activities led by local artist Nabisere Nicole, exploring reuse, repair and the natural world
- Vegan food from the Sisterhood Supperclub Collective, a Southwark-based social enterprise using cooking to connect women through diaspora heritages, bringing together elderly and younger local women to cook together, passing down traditional food recipes/techniques and building intergenerational relationships. They served a mix of African and Caribbean dishes which was an opportunity for people to learn about cultural heritages through food
- A makers market featuring small local producers and growers, with a focus on female and global majority-led enterprises. This built on the popularity of 2024’s honey tasting and tea workshops, and offered new ways to connect with local food, craft and environmentally friendly practices
- A chance to contribute to our community oral history archive, part of Memories for the Future, focused on collecting and sharing stories of migration in Peckham
- Music focused on African and diaspora songs, connecting with passersby from Mali, Kenya, Ethiopia and elsewhere
Circular Square supported our wider commitment to reconnect intergenerational communities to shared spaces, helping to strengthen civic pride and celebrate overlapping heritages, especially those at risk of being displaced.
The event was free, fully accessible and open to everyone.
Building on several years of working closely with our community partners, our starting point was Rye Lane’s iconic “Aunties”, the women business leaders who exemplify the realities of migration into Britain and the experience of rebuilding lives as part of a diaspora. Memories for the Future works to cherish and learn from these at-risk histories which illuminate Britain’s complex relationships with the rest of the world, and the foundational influence of these women on the communities living/working on Rye Lane.
This programme identifies, records, preserves and shares oral histories of Peckham aunties in conversation with younger generations in their families and communities to tell a multi-dimensional story of post-colonial commonwealth migration, British community responses, diaspora experience, and how Peckham became the mini-metropolis it is today. The outcomes of these conversations inform learning, family and community activities and a series of artist commissions, talks and events.
Memories for the Future is made possible with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, United St Saviours and the London Borough of Southwark’s Culture Together, Neighbourhoods and Cultural Celebrations funds and generous support from Arts Council England. Memories for the Future runs from June 2024 through to October 2025.
