The Immigrants of Spitalfields Festival 2016

Come and be part of our celebration of the lives and multi-cultural heritage of Spitalfields. It was here that the Huguenots, the first refugees, chose to worship, live, work and settle. For our 2016 celebrations, we have joined with Sandys Row Synagogue and the Swadhinata Trust to include some of the other immigrants who settled in Spitalfields and, with the support of the City of London Corporation and King's College London, we have organised a three-day feast of walks, talks and events.

We are delighted to have as our festival patrons: John Biggs, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, the Rt. Revd. & Rt. Hon. Richard Chartres KCVO FSA, Bishop of London and the patron of the Huguenots of Spitalfields charity, Rushanara Ali MP and Michael Rosen, the novelist the poet.

By request, this year we are highlighting the East India Company, whose spectacular head office was located in Leadenhall Street and who, over the years, employed thousands of local residents – many of whom were our ancestors.  Referred by Nick Robins in ‘The Corporation that Changed the World’ as ‘the Company outstripping Walmart in terms of market power, Enron for corruption and Union Carbide for human devastation’, this vast organisation was responsible for bringing much of the silk (and tea) to Spitalfields from Bengal.  Professor Markman Ellis is the speaker on Monday 20th June at 3.00 pm at Hanbury Hall, E1 and his talk is called 'A Tea Drinking Nation: How Britain Came to Identify with a Migrant Alien in the Early 18th Century'  - £5 book via www.ateadrinkingnation.eventbrite.co.uk

Silk was not the only textile produced in Spitalfields. John Eversley will tell us about the tailoring, fur and leather trades in his talk 'Coats (and Dresses) of Many Colours: the history of clothing and textiles in Spitalfields'.   This will be held at 2.00 pm at Sandys Row Synagogue, E1 on Tuesday 21st June - £5, book via www.coatsanddresses.eventbrite.co.uk

If you haven’t already linked up to 'Spitalfields Life' you are in for a treat – this contains beautifully written articles and photographs about local life, rich in characters, traditions and culture with some stunning photographs, which are sure to captivate you.  

We are delighted that the Gentle Author has agreed to tell us 'All about the Irish' at the Water Poet, Folgate Street on Sunday 19th June at 5.00 pm. You will see the remarkable portraits of Horace Warner’s Spitalfields Nippers – photographs of the children of Irish immigrants taken around 1900.  £10, book via www.theirishinspitalfields.eventbrite.co.uk Regular festival-goers will be pleased to know that the Water Poet’s £12 Lunchtime Special, main meal and glass of beer/wine, will be on offer.

Spitalfields has always been a sanctuary for all nationalities to practice their faith.  Several historic buildings, active churches, and synagogues, as well as the Brick Lane mosque will be opening their doors during the Festival for you to visit.  See Spitalfields Silk at Bevis Marks synagogue, Huguenot pews at Sandys Row synagogue, hear about the German Lutheran community in a gem of a building in Alie Street run by the Historic Chapels Trust, visit the newly renovated Christ Church Crypt and, a short walk away, Nelson Street synagogue, where you will get a warm welcome from Leon Silver.  If there are questions you would like to raise about the different faiths, join Dr. Dan DeHanas for 'Three Faiths, One Humanity'.  Meet a Rabbi, Pastor and Imam and hear about their faiths and places of worship on Tuesday 21st June at 10.00 am. Meet at Sandys Row Synagogue, £15  book via www.threefaithsonehumanity.eventbrite.co.uk

We hope that you will want to hear about the culture of other local immigrants groups and support our Bengali and Jewish events. Join Rachel Lichtenstein and friends for 'Stories and Song' - an afternoon of literature excerpts and Jewish jokes with lively music from the Klezmer Klub, bringing Yiddish songs, characters and places to life. 4pm on Sunday 19th June - £12/£10 concessions book via http://www.storiesandsong.eventbrite.co.uk

See a weaving demonstration at Hanbury Hall, once a Huguenot Chapel.  Look out for the Huguenot plaque outside Hanbury Hall paid for by public subscription, listen to the words of Nobel prizewinner, Rabindreth Tagore, in an eighteenth century silk merchant’s house. There are talks about East End literature with Ken Worpole at the Brick Lane bookshop; film screenings at Whitechapel Gallery; Refugee Day will be marked at the Close Up Film Centre in Sclater Street; help raise money for Médicines Sans Frontieres at a screening of 'In This World' – Michael Winner’s part documentary, part drama – at Toynbee Studios in Commercial Street.  For one truly colourful and entertaining evening, buy a ticket for 'Abhijan - Traveller to a New Destination' on Sunday 19th June at 6.00 pm. It is an evening of Bengali poetry, music and dance at Kobi Nazrul Centre, 30 Hanbury Street E1 6QR £10/£8, book via www.abhijan.eventbrite.co.uk

And of course there will be daily walks with our Festival Guides highlighting the Bengali, Jewish and Huguenot communities running throughout Refugee Week. There is a lot in common: textiles, entrepreneurs, faith, and British citizenship.  The full three-day programme can be seen via www.immigrantsofspitalfields.org.uk website and to book tickets, visit www.immigrantsofspitalfields.eventbrite.co.uk 

Look out for other events during Refugee Week We are supporting 'Crossing Borders: European migration throughout history' which is a panel discussion with Jon Snow in the chair. Admission is free but book seats at the British Museum on Monday 20th June, 7.00 pm to 9.30 pm with a private view of 'Sicily: culture and conquest exhibition' from 7.00 pm to 8.00 pm

We are delighted to announce that Robert Winder, author of 'Bloody Foreigners: the Story of Immigration to Britain', will join the distinguished historian Dr. Philip Mansel at the Crypt at Christ Church, Spitalfields on Wednesday 22nd June at 6.30 pm. Peter Dunne of the Water Poet is providing the Reception. Please note that the venue has been changed from Europe House to Christ Church. https://refugeesormigrants.eventbrite.co.uk and the topic is 'Refugees or Migrants? Huguenots, Jacobites & Louis XIV'.

A visit to Dennis Severs' house in Folgate Street is always a joy. It will be open during the Festival: Sunday 12-4pm (last admission 3.15pm), ticket prices £5 concessions, £10 adults, Monday 12-2pm (last admission 1.15pm) £5/£10 and Monday evening opening 5pm-9pm £15 flat price. Please note: the evening session takes place on Monday 20th June and not on Tuesday and that the hours of the opening are 5pm-9pm.

Note: The above Programmes may be subject to change so please check the relevant websites for up to date details.  Booking Fees may apply.

In association with this year’s Chelsea Fringe, Townhouse, Spitalfields is collaborating with a number of artisans to create an exciting programme of events called 'Garden Extracts'. Gardens, flowers, herbs and fragrances are all of interest to the Huguenot followers. This programme yields an assortment of sensory experiences, which involve everything from talks on perfume-making to floral infused cakes, from ceramic workshops to a display of 18th century botanical illustrations. For full details please visit their website www.townhousewindow.com

Spitalfields Open Gardens Day

This year’s Spitalfields Open Gardens Day is on Saturday 11th June (not 6th as stated in the last newsletter).  We are looking forward to meeting you. See www.ngs.org.uk

Huguenot Footsteps: Spitalfields

The first of this year’s Spitalfields Heritage walks start on Tuesday 3rd May with Tim Kidd as the guide. We meet at 2pm outside Christ Church Spitalfields, Commercial Street, E1. Tickets cost a donation of £10 for the educational fund. No need to book, just turn up on the day.

There is still time to book for the 'A Lasco: I am a Stranger' conference taking place 10-12th June at the Dutch Church, 7 Austin Friars, EC2N 2HA. For more details visit the Dutch Churchyard website or email info@dutchchurch.org.uk

Don't forget we have many other Huguenot Footsteps Walking Tours and City of London Walking Tours that we would be delighted for you to attend.

Thank you so much for your support, and for the donations we have received on the Virgin Money Giving page. It all helps the Huguenot Educational Programme.