Participatory art project bringing together more than 100 Lewisham residents with a migrant background creating a Blue-and-White dining room installation that tells personal and collective stories of identity and belonging, redefining heritage, celebrating different cultures and the journey to Lewisham.
Please read more about Come Dine in Blue project: An article by Miri de Villers for Eastlononlines and an interview by Ayokunle Oluwalana, community reporter for My London News.
Please visit our Come Dine in Blue Shop.
‘Blue Borough’ – Illustration by Tisna Westerhof
Buy it here
‘Redefining heritage’ – Illustration by Tisna Westerhof
Artists and art facilitators: Tisna Westerhof, Amanda Holiday, Rain Wu, Clive Burton, Nadina Ali, Kai Christodulou-lee, Mary McInerney, Carla Thomas, Tang Victoria Hoi Yi, Amelia Yang and WhittyGordon Projects.
Participants:
Ainhoa Oleas, Al S. Family, Alan Chong, Alex & Lavinia Bajko, Anaya Hyde, Angeline Espinosa, April Lam, Asmahan, Aylin, Bella Alexandrova, Bernard, Biheri, Channan Warmington Lewis Moore, Dana, Deborah Thomas, Dulce, Edward, Elisabeth Grace Enriquez, Fabiola Jimenez, Fanyi Zhang, Farozan Saleemi, Farhnaz Saleemi, Faten, Fr. Grant Bolton-Debbage, Fiona Quadri, Flynn Richards, Fox Thomas Butler, Franklin Jackduring, Fransesca Telling, Freya Ye, Georgiana Hyde, Gustavo Barboza, Hanadi, Lloyd Richards, Hang Luc, Harris family, Iyamide Thomas, Jada Perry, James Attwood, Jane Dolores, Jessenia Parrez, Jinying Gao, Joshua, Julia and Jim Wells, Julia, Julia Deng, Julia Scoble, Kai Christodulou-lee, Ke Bao, Kiki Wong, Kyrah Warmington-Lewis, Leyre, Lia Ayuino, Lilyana Karavacheva, Limah, Linda, Lueillia Joseph, Luisa Chicaiza y Salvador Herrera, Maliha, Marianela, Marie Wotay Kamara, Marilyn Alfaro, Martha, Mary Shephard, Mateo Espinoza, Melvasquez, Mia Olaya, Mia Scoble, Mong Lang, Mutiat Oyesile, Nadina Ali, Naiala, Najm, Nicolas Saez, Petia Pakozdi, Pokuaa, Qianhui Sun – Alice, Quan Cao, Randolph Andy, Remmie Akibo-Betts, Rihanna Daño Cali, Ruby Seasy, Sabah, Sachi Slate, Sally Shao, Sanaya Havaldar, Sena Appeah, Serafina Min, Shoko Sakuma, Silvia, Sweeta jan, Tania Patiño Ariana Ruiz, Tolu Elusadé, Tom V., Vaura & Noah Viner, Veronica Ashley, Violeta Luna Enriquez, Waeed, Wiliam, Wagma, Woman from Syria living in Lewisham with her family, Xuemei Hwang, Yalda, Yen Trieu, Yiyun Li, Zainab, Zhuoyuan Zhang, Zoila y Luis Lema.
Part of We Are Lewisham, Lewisham London Borough of Culture 2022
Exhibition opening:
Saturday 24th of September, 3-7pm
Exhibition open, Sunday 25th – Thursday 6th of October. Weekdays, 3-7pm, Saturday & Sunday, 2-6pm.
Programme of the opening day:
Launch of the Come Dine in Blue film created by WhittyGordon Project and the Come Dine in Blue publication.
Free creative family workshops available throughout the opening day.
Food and drinks made by the participating community groups.
Come Dine in Blue artworks, publication and gadgets available to purchase.
Partner community organisations:
Refugee Council – Lewisham
Migration Museum
The Confucius Institute at Goldsmiths, University of London
JOY & The Tai-Chi community at All Saints Community Centre
All Saints Church, New Cross
Be Seen Be Heard Youth Forum – Young black artists in Lewisham/SE London aged 16-25
The Latin-American community of Lewisham & SE London
The community of La Placita Mall
Funded by:
The Arts Council England
The Heritage Fund
Lewisham Council
The programme of 30 creative workshops was led by artist Tisna Westerhof and curated by Cristiana Bottigella, in collaboration with South East London based artists and art facilitators: Amanda Holiday, Rain Wu, Mary McInerney and Carla Thomas. The 100 participants engaged in various craft-based activities and learned new creative skills whilst sharing their personal and collective stories and memories of family rituals around food, domestic and national celebrations as well as the challenges of migration and building their home in a new country. The creative workshops varied from creating clay pots, decorating vintage crockery using onglaze enamels and decal transfers, embroidering and textile screen printing, spoken word and collaging extra-large cut outs, quilting, decorating tiles and kiln firing. All the artworks made during the workshops are featured in the Come Dine in Blue Exhibition. The gallery is divided in a dining room and a kitchen presenting The Table of Be-Longing, Two-Towels, The Story Tile of Joy, Messages to Blue, The Women’s Quilt of Pride, The Wish Dish Collection, Lewisham Toile and The Melting Pots.
Originated in China, the Blue-and-White ceramic technique has travelled the world. From Dutch Delftware to Portuguese Azulejos, from the Italian Maiolica to the English Willow Patterns and the tin-glazed earthenware from the British Isles. Often intended for the Middle Eastern market, the Blue-and-White ceramic was exported to Japan, Korea, South East Asia, Europe and as far as Africa and South America. The Blue-and-White is the unifying language through which the Come Dine in Blue participants tell their personal stories and recollect their memories, domestic traditions and ancestral words of wisdom.
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