Producers, Damali and Vanessa, reflect on the unfolding season
London Unseen’s exciting season of trails, tours and events gives prominence to the many layered histories that lay in wait in this city.
Unique in its bringing together of multifarious historical lenses and viewpoints, the tours have been expertly researched, delivered and shared by community heritage practitioners, artists and activists from across London. Offering Londoners rich opportunities to engage in the city’s heritage, it’s a project we have felt honoured to be able to curate and contribute to.
Developing the programme has been a fascinating experience. It’s been enriching to find out about, and pull together, such a compelling array of stories and histories of the city that we have both spent most of our lives in.
Being both mixed-heritage immigrants, our personal histories are, in so many ways, not disconnected from those we are learning about. It is gratifying to be able to witness the sharing of knowledge, which creates room for different communities in London to ‘see’ themselves in its public realm. And equally, to have opportunities to explore previously unknown histories; to have our eyes opened too.
The conversations that have emerged from the walks we have experienced have really brought to light the importance and urgency of this work. And of the opportunities it creates to share alternative viewpoints in safe spaces - and hopefully grow from these encounters.
The programme will continue to expand in the coming weeks and months, so keep an eye on the London Unseen website and look out for social media updates from the LDN culture team.
Browse through the growing heritage directory and dip into the self-guided walks section.
Finally, aside from tours, events and public workshops, we are so pleased to be sharing blog posts on the site, written by some of the heritage practitioners we are working with.
The first one, Re-Tracing Localities – Southall and Brick Lane, written by Raksha Patel (Artist and Senior Lecturer at UAL Camberwell College of Arts) talks about two walks which have emerged from the British South-Asian Visual Art Post Cool Britannia research group. We invite you to delve into it. And look out for more blogs coming up in the future.
Hope to see you on a walk soon!
Vanessa Ansa and Damali Ibreck, London Unseen curators