UK: A celebration of East London’s Black allotment culture
‘Our Land’ Bafta award winning short Film
Waltham Forest Echo
Dec 13, 2023
Excerpt:
A gathering featuring film and photography in celebration of East London allotment culture will take place at the Vestry House museum in Walthamstow this weekend.
Happening between 2pm to 4pm on Sunday 16th December, the event will mark Abel Holsborough’s photography exhibition Small Things Are Possible, which documents Windrush Generation allotment holders in Waltham Forest. The exhibition, which combines audio and portraiture, has been split between the William Morris Gallery and Vestry House Museum, with the former hosting the portraiture and the latter having an installation in its garden.
During the Sunday event, Abel will be in conversation with chef and food writer Melek Erdal, about his practice, the exhibition, and the links between Caribbean identity and allotment culture in the UK.
The conversation will be followed by the screening of the BAFTA award-winning short film ‘Our Land,’ which tells the story of two black food growers from London as they search for land to launch their business. Another documentary, filmed and directed by Mark Aitken, follows a group of East London allotment holders who face losing their plots at the 100 year old Manor Garden Allotments in Hackney Wick as part of the 2012 London Olympic redevelopment plans.
