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Bengali arts and culture on show at the Museum of London Docklands family festival.

28 February 2018

PRESS RELEASE
28 February 2018
Bengali spring festival
Museum of London Docklands
Saturday 31 March & Sunday 1 April
12-4pm
FREE

The Museum of London Docklands will celebrate Bengali culture and the upcoming Pahela Baishakh festivities with a free family festival which will include performances and workshops organised in collaboration with the local community.

During the weekend, visitors will enjoy live music and dances from local artists, curated by renowned tabla and dholak musician Yousuf Ali Khan. There will also be craft activities and workshops, as well as a number of Bengali arts and cultural talks and discussions from leading figures in the community.

On Saturday 31 March, Shahida Rahman, author of the award-winning historical novel Lascar, will lead discussions exploring the historical links between Bengali travellers and London’s Docklands.

In addition, the Swadhinata Trust will host talks regarding the cultural impact of the Bengali community in east London. Founded in 2000, the Swadhinata Trust works to promote Bengali history and heritage amongst young people.

There will also be screenings of The Legend of the Loom, a 2017 short documentary which charts the 2000-year journey of fabric from Bengali society to the finest clothes available worldwide.

In addition, there will be a range of other family-friendly activities taking place, including:
• Free henna tattooing
• Spring headdress making, printing workshops and other craft activities
• Bengali springtime storytelling sessions
• Poetry workshops
• Chanachur snack making masterclasses
Aisling Serrant, Family Festival Coordinator, said:
We are excited to welcome guests to the musem’s Bengali spring festival. As part of our work with Arts Council England, our family-festival programme consistently collaborates and engages with the local community in east London and the boroughs surrounding the Museum of London Docklands. Within Tower Hamlets we are lucky to have one of the country’s youngest populations and most vibrant cultures, in the Bengali community.

-ENDS-

Notes for editors
For more press information please contact Aaron Stennett, Marketing and PR Officer at the Museum of London Docklands on 02070019809 / 07966367706 or [email protected]
About the Museum of London Docklands
The Museum of London Docklands is located at West India Quay in east London. Opened in 2003, this grade one listed converted Georgian sugar warehouse specifically tells the story of the port, river and city – focusing on trade, migration and commerce in London.

The museum is open daily 10am – 6pm and is FREE to all, and you can explore the Museum of London Docklands with collections online – home to 90,000 objects with more added regularly. www.museumoflondon.org.uk