Dem Live A Foreign
For 2022 we're planning an event called 'Dem Live A Foreign' where we plan on showcasing all of the wonderful contributions that communities from migrant backgrounds have brought to London. To do this we're asking you to fill in our short survey, as we want to give a true authentic showcase of the communities we'll be representing.
the theme for Red Light Busking this year is to flamboyantly showcase London's migrant communities and how they've helped bring a culture that has now become a part of the traditions of the capital.
To do this we have been in the heart of the community, venturing into all kinds of coffee shops, small cafes and businesses to talk with communities of migrant descent.
One particular Saturday we ventured into an Ethiopian cafe located on Forest Rd, Walthamstow near the Bell pub. We were talking with the owners and asked them questions from our survey, the question was What would you say is one of the main things your culture has contributed to the UK and especially London?
Their response was so simple, yet profound for me as they replied
'A lot of different people are here, more culture as more people from Ethiopia and Eritrea are here.'
I kid you not when I tell you I've been sitting down thinking about this response for days. Because when people think of culture we usually think about foods, clothes and traditions of old but how often do we give thought to the actual importance of the people, as they are the culture.
Let me explain this if I wanted to meet someone from Ethiopia or Eritrea typically I would need to travel halfway around the globe, spend thousands of pounds, and probably have a needle stuck in my arm for good measure! But living in London, I have the privilege that I can walk out of my home and be able to communicate with a person from Ethiopia or have a coffee with a Somalian or chat spiritual vibrations with Rastafarian neighbours while never having left the country.
Is this not special? As you get a glimpse of the world from the comfort of your home. For me, this is something powerful and worth fighting for.
Culture is around us all the time. Constantly. But like most things, in life, we only realise it's gone when it's no longer there.
Please take time to fill out our survey or share it with your contacts.
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=DQSIkWdsW0yxEjajBLZtrQAAAAAAAAAAAAN__pgb7-FUNjRFR0c0UlRUREtUUDZVVkNVQkNBUURDQy4u