Abayomi Dolls
Once they arrived, most of the children were taken away from their mothers to be sold apart. The dolls were a way for them to remember their mothers and stay hopeful that one day they would meet them again. Years later, the children could use their dolls to reunite with their families by finding the woman with its matching skirt.
The dolls became symbols of memory and resistance.
The workshops invites the public to make the dolls while reflecting in themes such as racism, equality, diversity, fairness
Abayomi means 'precious meeting' in Yoruba. During the voyage from Africa, in the ships, Yoruba mothers would sometimes tear pieces of cloth from their skirts and make these dolls for their children. The dolls consoled the children during the terrible voyages aboard the
Tumbeiros (the name given to the ships, meaning coffin or graves).
Maps of Ancestry
The project ‘Maps of the Ancestry’ invites its participants to map the history of their families, their memories and their routes to London, and more specifically to Evelyn Ward.
All families will have different reasons for migrating; whether this is due to economical, political or social welfare reasons, which is another area the project will look at.
Participants will investigate the history of their ancestors, the historic-cultural contexts of the territories they have come from and their existing relation with London, thus tracing parallels between different experiences. These discoveries will then be registered on a map together with an exhibition that will be shown at the end of the workshops.
My ID is a project where I dialogue with young people and we, together, explore the theme ‘Identity’.
Who am I? Where do I feel belong to? What connect me? Which symbols represent me?
After this first dialogue, the young people will see other artists who also had explored the Identity theme: Frida Kalo, Tracie Amy, Andy Warhol..., and so I will encourage them to create an art work to represent their own Identity.
