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Home , East End of London

World in the East End

Links to QCA schemes of work KS1 Citizenship: Unit 05. Living in a diverse world RE: Unit 1A. What does it mean to belong? RE: Unit 1D. Beliefs and practice RE: Unit 2C. Celebrations Geography: Unit 5. Where in the world is Barnaby Bear? Art and design: Unit 9 (gen). Visiting a museum, gallery or site

KS2 Citizenship: Unit 05. Living in a diverse world RE: Unit 4D. What religions are represented in our neighbourhood? RE: Unit 6A. Worship and community History: Unit 12. How did life change in our locality in Victorian times? Geography: Unit 6. Investigating our local area Geography: Unit 13. A contrasting UK locality Geography: Unit 24. Passport to the world Art and design: Unit 9 (gen). Visiting a museum, gallery or site

Background notes The World in the East End gallery tells the stories of the different communities living in the East End of through objects, photographs, audiotapes, short films and interactive games. The Museum has defined the East End as the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham. Today this is one of the most culturally diverse areas in Britain, a result of its historical development as much as more recent migration. Historical development Roman London covered the one square mile of land now known as “the City”. Built on the north bank of the , it was surrounded by high defensive walls on its other three sides. When it began to overflow these boundaries in the 16th century, the west was preferred as a residential area. This was partly because the Thames flows from west to east and the prevailing winds blow in the same direction. The stench from the polluted river and streets, combined with smoke from houses and factories, was therefore carried to the east. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the West End developed as the fashionable residential area of London, with wide streets and grand houses and shops. To the east, industries related to shipping and “noxious trades” such as brewing and tar making grew . In the early 1800s, the docks spread eastwards, with new docks built on the . As the East End was unpopular as a residential area, it was the poorer classes, or foreign migrant workers newly arrived at the docks with little money, who tended to settle here.

1 Cultural diversity As a result, the East End has been culturally diverse for many centuries. In 1494 Sephardi were expelled from Spain; from 1664 they were allowed to settle in England, but not within the walls, so some chose and . During the , (French Protestants) fleeing religious persecution in France settled in the area. They brought with them their skills in silk weaving and created an important industry that still survived in the East End in the early 1900s. In the 1700s, African and Caribbean seamen and freed slaves lived in and . From the early 1800s, there were also Chinese seamen living in the docks area, leading to the development of Limehouse as the first in the 1880s. The docks also saw the arrival of Indian sailors, or , including Sylhetis from Bengal. Some colonial families returning from India brought with them their Asian Nannies, or Ayahs, who later settled in the East End. In the mid-19th century, thousands of Irish immigrants arrived, escaping from the potato famine. They worked in the docks and later in the construction, health and transport industries. The 1880s saw the arrival of thousands of Ashekenazi and Hassidic, or Charedi Jews, fleeing poverty and anti-Semitic pogrums in Eastern Europe. They brought with them their tailoring and wood working skills and established synagogues, kosher butchers and bathhouses. The resulted in the arrival of students and professionals from , the Caribbean and the Indian sub-continent. Likewise, many ex-servicemen from these countries, who served with the British armed forces during the World Wars, chose to settle here afterwards. After the Second World War, British public services were very short of staff. London Transport and the NHS recruited workers from the Caribbean, which led to significant migration during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. A number of South Asians, forced to leave East Africa because of Africanisation policies, also settled in the East End during the 1970s. More recent arrivals to the East End include Kurds fleeing persecution in Turkey, Iran and Iraq; Kosovan and Albanian refugees, and refugees from political conflicts in Africa. Migrants from Bengal, arriving particularly to work in the clothing and catering industries, have established mosques, schools and restaurants. This has led to the development of Bangla Town, around the area, whilst the former Jewish residents have moved out to suburbs such as and . In the 1890s, Friedrich Engels, the German social and political philosopher, described the East End as “the largest working class district in the world”. Up until the Second World War, the area was known for its poverty, but also its sense of family and community spirit, the latter being qualities that it still prides itself on today. Over the centuries some people have moved out in search of better work or housing, but others have brought new skills and traditions. Bengali children

2 World in the East End gallery The World in the East End gallery explores what it means to be an “Eastender” today. Its displays are grouped according to themes including: Work, Play, Journeys, Sport and Leisure, Festivals and Celebrations, Rituals and Rites of Passage. The toys and artefacts on display come from many different parts of the world, reflect different cultures and beliefs and help tell the stories of their owners. There is the kanga (cloth) that a mother carried her babies in across Rwanda during the Civil War in 1994, Quran chains (lockets) brought back from pilgrimages to Mecca and a model of a traditional wagon used by travellers. There are Turkish circumcision costumes, Diwali lamps, Christmas decorations and a child’s Eid costume. Home-made toys from Somalia are juxtaposed against computer games reflecting the different experiences of play of children and adults now living in the East End.

Discrimination experienced by Jewish children in the 1930s, Toy tiger from India, 19th century and more recently by Bangladeshi and traveller children can be listened to on audiotapes. Other oral histories are incorporated into short lively films including Being an Eastender. There are prints and photographs documenting the arrival of Ashekenazi Jews at the end of the 19th century, Sikhs sheltering in Spitalfields crypt in the 1930s and children arriving from Antigua in the 1960s. There are also photographs of East End street life and contemporary photographs of children from primary schools in Tower Hamlets and Hackney. All the material has been collected by and from the many different communities who live in the East End, including families who have lived in the area for centuries and more recent arrivals from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.

Useful websites www.movinghere.org.uk The UK’s largest database of digitised photographs, maps, objects, documents and audio items recording 200 years of migration to England. www.portcities.org.uk Includes the maritime , told in words and pictures, from Roman times to the 21st century. Features interactive games for children. www..co.uk/religion Information and answers to commonly asked questions about some of the world’s major religions.

3 Pre-visit activities Ask each child to bring to school an object that is precious to her or him (e.g. a toy, a photograph, a trophy they have won, a souvenir from a holiday), and make a classroom display of objects. KS2 pupils could each write a few sentences explaining why the object is special to her or him. Discuss the idea of “journeys” with children – from one place to another, from one stage in life to another. What journeys have they made in their own lives? Ensure that children are familiar with the terms: Festivals and Celebrations. KS2 pupils should also be introduced to the terms: Rituals and Rites of Passage. Can they give examples from their own experiences? Find out which countries in the world children have visited. Were any children born in a different country? Were their parents, or grandparents? Mark these on a large world map. What to see and do in the museum Look at the displays of toys, objects and photographs that reflect the cultural diversity of the East End. Listen to Eastenders talking about their lives and experiences on the audio phones. Watch the short films on the TV screen. Curl up on a cushion and look at the picture books, or read the stories, from around the world. Test your knowledge with the World Celebrations interactive. Post-visit activities Ask the children to complete a piece of personal writing, or draw a picture, using one of the themes from the gallery. It could be about a journey they have made, a rite of passage, or sports they enjoy playing. KS1: Using one of the themes in the galleries (e.g. play, sport, journeys, festivals), ask each child to bring in an object or photograph that would illustrate the theme. How will the class display their personal exhibition? KS2: See if the class can agree on five or six themes that would reflect the similarities and differences between them. They can use the ones in the gallery or suggest their own (e.g religion, clubs and societies, holidays). Ask pupils to choose which theme they would like to work on and then divide into groups to plan an exhibition. Suggest to children that they choose a range of items to illustrate their theme (e.g. objects, photographs, clothing, written evidence). Can they write a museum label for each?

4 KS1 Guide sheet

World in the East End The Museum has defined the East End of London as the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham. Today this is one of the most culturally diverse areas in Britain. Go to the World in the East End Gallery (on the upper floor) Find the Journeys display What different things can you see in the case? Have any of them come from different countries? Can you find a model of something you could travel and live in? What would pull this? (The caravan would be pulled by a horse.) Find the Festivals and Celebrations display Do you recognise any of the things in the cases that are used to celebrate festivals? (e.g. Christmas tree, Diwali lights, Eid waistcoat, Chanukah lamp) Do you celebrate any of these festivals in your family? What other events do you celebrate in your family? (e.g. birthdays) Find the Sports and Leisure display What different materials are the musical instruments made out of? (e.g gourds – the dried rinds of large ) Can you find any equipment that you would use to play a sport with? Do you play, or watch on television, any sports yourself? Which is your favourite? Find the Play display Have any of the toys or games been made in different countries? (e.g the wooden toys from ) What different materials can you find? (e.g. shells) Can you find any that are home made? (e.g. the Sindy and Barbie trailer) Have you ever made any toys or games yourself? Other things to see or do in the gallery Listen to Eastenders talking about their lives on the audio phones. Watch the short films on the TV screen and look at all the photographs. Curl up on a cushion and look at the picture books from around the world. Play with the World Celebrations interactive.

5 KS2 Guide sheet

World in the East End The Museum has defined the East End of London as the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham. Today this is one of the most culturally diverse areas in Britain. Go to the World in the East End Gallery (on the upper floor) Find the Journeys display What are some of the reasons why children, and their families, living in the East End of London have made journeys? (e.g. escaping war, holidays) What different countries have they travelled to or from? What objects have they brought with them to remind them of their journey? Find the Festivals and Celebrations display Can you find objects that people use to celebrate religious festivals? Do you know which religions and festivals they are associated with? (e.g. Chanukah lamp is used to celebrate the Jewish festival of light) Do you celebrate any of these festivals in your family? Find the Rituals and Rites of Passage display What is a ritual? (It is a ceremony, or a series of actions that must always be performed in a particular way.) What rituals can you see evidence for here? (e.g. prayer hat worn by Muslim boys when going to the ) What is a rite of passage? (It is a ceremony or event that marks a passing from one stage in life to another.) Have you been through one of these yourself, or attended someone else’s? (e.g. First Holy Communion, a wedding, a Bar Mitzvah) Find the Sports and Leisure and the Play displays What evidence can you find for different forms of entertainment? What different materials are the objects made out of? Can you find any that are home made? Or made in different countries? Have you played with any similar toys or instruments yourself? Other things to see or do in the gallery Listen to Eastenders talking about their lives on the audio phones. Watch the short films on the TV screen and look at all the photographs. Curl up on a cushion and read the stories from around the world. Test your knowledge with the World Celebrations interactive.

6 KS1 Activity sheet

World in the East End Pretend that you are going on a holiday around the world.

Choose four things from the World in the East End exhibition that you might bring back from your trip. Draw them in the boxes and write what they are called underneath them. Ask your adult helper to help you find out which country they have come from.

This is a This is a

It has come from It has come from

This is a This is a

It has come from It has come from

7 KS2 Activity sheet

World in the East End Look at the objects and photographs in the World in the East End exhibition.

Imagine that you are going on a long journey. Choose four different objects to take with you to use when you reach the end of your journey. You will need: 1. something to celebrate with 3. something to play with 2. something to wear 4. something else that you choose Write one or two sentences under each object explaining what they are and why you chose them.

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