This Christmas we are bringing back the Caribbean Living Room installation and engaging the borough in fun, workshops and culture to spread the joy of "old skool" skills like Crochet, Dressmaking, Poetry and Head-wrapping.
Young People and Elders from the borough can come together, enjoy some good old fashioned 1960s vibes whilst sharing stories, playing music, displaying art, doing workshops and exchanging ideas.
Because Shepherds Bush Market has been the home to diversity and creativity for many years and is the emotional heart of the Borough for many people who came to the area in the 1960s we will display specially developed samples of Poetry and Images around the Market together with QR codes for people to hear the pieces being read out.
In addition to this we will record "Caribbean Voices" talking about their History and edit and upload these into a BT Telephone Seat Listening Booth which will be donated to the borough Libraries.
What we'll deliver:
- A fully fitted and decorated 1960s interactive Living Room in a Shepherds Bush Market Unit.
- A quirky Vintage Seasonal spot to be enjoyed by all.
- A space for Elders to share Windrush Stories in a familiar setting.
- A safe space where young people can meet Elders and learn "old skool" skills.
- A space where young people can develop media and social skills.
- A place to step back in time experience the vibes of the Sixties and Seventies.
- An opportunity to enjoy a Retro Art Installation for people who rarely go to Museums or Galleries.
- A place to listen to "Caribbean Voices" telling their stories of what it was like coming to England in the sixties.
Why it's a great idea:
It's a great opportunity to bring together two generations in one big creative project that benefits the whole community. Using the Market as the backdrop for the pieces of art will create a Caribbean flavour that will trigger memories in the Elders and be fun and educational for the Young people who engage with it.
The festival will bring back the popular “Summer Reminiscence Room Exhibition” for people to visit and will be an engaging space to learn about our history and the Elders around us as well as understanding our Identity and role within our community over art, music, and good conversation.
Steps to get it done:
- Recruiting our Hammersmith and Fulham Volunteers and Artists.
- Recruiting our Delivery Team and briefing them in.
- Plan our Marketing, Design and PR.
- Write and issue press releases and design and print marketing.
- Source and Collect all our Exhibition pieces.
- Research and record our Community Caribbean Voices.
- Move in all the Art pieces and furniture into their location.
- Fit and Test the Video and Audio Tech.
- Erect the Exhibition Signage.
- Invite all the press and very important people to the Private View!
- Put out all our marketing leaflets and posters advertising workshops and exhibition.
- Complete the community Caribbean Voices audio mixing.
- Upload all our mp3s and programme them into our BT Telephone Seat Caribbean voices listening booth.
- Complete the event and donate the Caribbean Voices listening booth in a local library for all to enjoy.
- Organise and move the Touring Exhibition to it's next spot for Christmas and New Year.
The Exhibition will be educational as there will be interesting interactive artefacts on display as well as artefacts that are real and tangible.
We will also run free cultural workshops to increase engagement and pass on skills and these will include a poetry workshop where the finished pieces of poetry will be displayed in the market in December.
