East Londoners recall culture, racism and discrimination

Voices of East Bank, created this year, consists of more than 100 audio recordings chronicling the diverse heritage, languages, and culture of east London from the 20th century to the present day.

The project was led by Community History Project freelancer Lydia Powell and was launched on Thursday (January 11) to mark Heritage Treasures Day.

It was supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and "brings to life personal memories about childhood, language, culture and food as well as experiences of racism and discrimination".

Lydia Powell, Voices of East Bank project lead (Image: London Legacy)

The project is aimed at fostering understanding, unity, and connection amongst the culturally diverse communities of east London.

You can hear the stories by visiting www.eastbankvoices.co.uk.

Lyn Garner, chief executive of The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), said: "This is such a wonderful project preserving deeply personal memories to help us to make sense of a rapidly changing world.

"Whether it’s someone’s memories of working life in Canning Town, finding community in Spitalfields after the Partition of India, or celebrating UK Black Pride on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the recordings provide a fascinating insight into east London life from the past to present."

The National Lottery Heritage Fund's head of engagement for England - London and South, Selina Papa, added: "We are thrilled to support the Voices of East Bank project which has preserved these unique and personal memories for generations to come.

"We hope that this project encourages more people across the east London host boroughs such as Newham to be inspired by, and proud of, their borough's rich heritage."

The audio recollections were recorded on and around Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park during 2023 by a team of oral history community researchers, volunteers, historians, artists, and storytellers, with support from UCL East, BBC History, and the LLDC.