Windrush Generation Projects
Caribbean Tea Party
In June 2018, in the wake of the Windrush scandal, Hackney Council held a tea party to celebrate the contributions of the borough’s Windrush generation. Hackney welcomed hundreds of older people from the Caribbean community to the town hall for an afternoon of performances, traditional food, music and dancing.
This was the start of a rich programme of community involvement that has reached one of Hackney’s hardest to reach communities, and transformed the Council's engagement with the Caribbean community. The intergenerational Windrush Generations Festival celebrating National Windrush Day and two winning public art commissions have been left as lasting cultural legacies in the borough. The programme is a winner of the MJ Awards and the Hearts for the Arts Awards and a Runner up for Apolitical’s Global Public Service Team of the Year.
Caribbean Recipe Book
The Windrush Generations Festival provided a wide range of cultural activities, appealing to different age groups. Every event celebrated African-Caribbean culture with an emphasis on bringing generations together.
A unique intergenerational baking project backed by local celebrity chef Liam Charles, allowed elders to share traditional recipes and memories with young people. We produced a Windrush recipe book that was retailed by bookshops throughout the borough and thanks to sponsorship was distributed to thousands of housing tenants, schools and libraries.
