This session was inspired by the Autograph Gallery resource Exhibition in a Box: The Missing chapter. This resource includes many images of people from various parts of the British Empire who were either visiting Britain or resided here. The images challenge the general assumption of black histories in Britain as they showcase people from a variety of social positions, from Kings to choir members. The images date back to before the Windrush generation of the second half of the twentieth century dispelling the myth that people of BAME heritage arrived in Britain after the Second World War. The archive highlights that lack of general knowledge around black histories in Britain, but also highlights the gap in our knowledge because of the lack of archives highlighting these people and their history. This resource makes you question how archives are created and who oversees decides whose voices should be included? Archives shape a national histories and therefore our national identity, and are therefore when voices are erased the national history becomes skewed. The prompt for this session was to capture the multiple histories of Peckham by having a shared conversation between the students and residents of Peckham to add to the Hairytage archive.
In this Q and A session where Yr. 9 English students had the opportunity to explore the history of the community with two Peckham residents. Lynn who has lived in Peckham all her life and Eira who grew up in Peckham. Between them they shared a rich history of how Peckham has changed over many decades. The shift from Peckham being a predominantly white working class area in the first half of the twentieth century, through the Windrush era post World War 2, which saw a cultural shift in the local neighbourhood demographic, to more contemporary histories of the Peckham riots in 2011 and current gentrification. The history of Peckham is a microcosm of British history. Social inequalities and cultural differences that shape Peckham's history all directly link to British colonial heritage. Sharing experiences together offers a unique opportunity to have often difficult conversations around changing communities and which inevitably bring up issues of racism, classism and gentrification. Peckham is a snap shot of British colonial pasts that are often not discussed in schools or wider society. Creating a safe space for such conversations to happen highlights how such issues not only create change in areas, but also build community cohesion. Sharing stories between different generations provides insights into each others lives and helps to build a shared narrative.
In this Q and A session where Yr. 9 English students had the opportunity to explore the history of the community with two Peckham residents. Lynn who has lived in Peckham all her life and Eira who grew up in Peckham. Between them they shared a rich history of how Peckham has changed over many decades. The shift from Peckham being a predominantly white working class area in the first half of the twentieth century, through the Windrush era post World War 2, which saw a cultural shift in the local neighbourhood demographic, to more contemporary histories of the Peckham riots in 2011 and current gentrification. The history of Peckham is a microcosm of British history. Social inequalities and cultural differences that shape Peckham's history all directly link to British colonial heritage. Sharing experiences together offers a unique opportunity to have often difficult conversations around changing communities and which inevitably bring up issues of racism, classism and gentrification. Peckham is a snap shot of British colonial pasts that are often not discussed in schools or wider society. Creating a safe space for such conversations to happen highlights how such issues not only create change in areas, but also build community cohesion. Sharing stories between different generations provides insights into each others lives and helps to build a shared narrative.
Further Community and History Explorations