Speech and Prize Giving at the Chinese Oral History Project Launch and T-Shirt Competition

Shoreditch Library 4th November 2006

I was really proud to be invited to speak at the Hackney launch of the Chinese Oral History Booklet. This event included a prize-giving to children who had been involved in a cross cultural T-shirt making project, designed to engage with children from across London including in Hoxton.

The children had all taken part in small workshops making t-shirts inspired by their interpretation of British and Chinese Culture. The t-shirts were amazing and I was especially pleased to present an award to 4 year old Jade from the Arden Estate, Hoxton. The speeches from the volunteers and elders involved in the project were also inspiring. I wish them every success at the main launch next weekend.

The booklet is an educational resource book that has been fully researched, designed and edited by young volunteers of an Oral History Project that is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and organised by the Chinese Mental Health Association.

The Oral History Project has carried out over 20 interviews with the older Chinese generation living in London, and it is through this that they expressed the importance of the younger Chinese generation and the wider community to know about both Chinese and British culture.

This has been the inspiration for the group of volunteers to produce the booklet with lots of colourful activities that engages children to learn about these cultures. Local libraries have been very supportive and Shoreditch Library will soon have copies of the booklet.

Philip Glanville