Southall Resists Exhibition About to Open at Pitzhanger Manor
Features silk paintings, objects, and a film created by local children
Silk painting by Year 6 children from Khalsa Primary School, Southalll showing protestors passing the Himalaya Palace Cinema in 1979
September 12, 2024
Southall Resists 2024, an exhibition that combines art, local history, and anti-racism, is taking place from 21 September to 3 November.
It will showcase silk paintings, objects, and a film created by local children through the Young Voices programme—a Southall-based initiative dedicated to educating young people about their community's history.
Southall, often known as "Little Punjab" or "Little India," has been a significant hub for migrant communities since the 1950s. However, the area’s history is not just one of cultural richness but also of racial tensions, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s. Events, such as the murder of Sikh teenager Gurdip Singh Chaggar in 1976, the death of anti-racist activist Blair Peach in 1979, and the 1981 race riot at the Hambrough Tavern, have left a mark on Southall's collective memory.
Guided by local activists Janpal Basran and Suresh Grover, as well as artist Mahenderpal Sorya, the Young Voices programme engaged children in workshops, encouraging them to collaborate to visually represent and commemorate these pivotal moments. The exhibition includes eleven silk paintings, other artworks, and a film that reflect the children's interpretations of Southall's past, focusing on themes of anti-racism and the experiences of migrant communities.
The children's works were first exhibited at Villiers High School during Southall Resists Day on 23 April. This day, now commemorated annually, brought the community together to honour its history of resistance and resilience. Southall Resists 2024 at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery is the first major exhibition to celebrate this new commemoration, providing a platform for a broader audience to engage with the voices of Southall's youth and the enduring significance of its history.
Clare Gough, Director of Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, said, "We are incredibly proud to host the ‘Southall Resists 2024‘ exhibition at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery. This exhibition is a powerful celebration of Ealing's rich and diverse communities, particularly in Southall. It is a privilege to showcase the voices of local children as they explore and honour their history through art. We warmly welcome everyone to visit us and engage with this important reflection on our community's past and its ongoing journey towards unity and understanding."
Janpal Basran, Director of the Southall Community Alliance, said: "The 'Young Voices' project has been a fantastically successful collaboration between Southall Community Alliance, Southall schools and activists. Hundreds of school children were involved in learning about Southall's history of activism, and some stunning artworks were produced that record their understanding. We are now delighted that Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery will be the prestigious location for an exhibition showcasing the beautiful silk paintings made by the children. We hope this brings a renewed appreciation and pride in Southall."
Mahenderpal Sorya, the artist and workshop coordinator, added, "It has been a pleasure teaching art workshops on the 'Young Voices' project and witnessing children's connection to Southall grow through art. Children not only learnt about Southall's past but also created together whilst learning new and technically challenging art-making methods. The project film has also been inspiring to create and, I hope, demonstrates the children's passion and interest in learning about local history."
Southall Resists 2024 runs concurrently alongside Pitzhanger’s other exhibitions: the exhibition of Grayson Perry’s tapestries, The Vanity of Small Differences, William Hogarth: The Satirist, and Antoni Malinowski and Hélène Binet: Pigments and Photons. Access to the exhibition is with general admission to Pitzhanger Manor.
There is unlimited free access for Members at all times and Ealing borough residents can get free entry on Sundays 10am–noon and First Thursdays 5–8pm.
Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery is open from Wednesday to Sunday 10am–5pm , including Bank Holidays (First Thursday of the Month: 10am–8pm).
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive September 12, 2024 We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |