The project will tell the story of the Yoruba community in Southwark through six interactive Yoruba Heritage walking trails, an online oral history archive, a pop-up
Yoruba community hub and six interactive wall murals across the borough of Southwark. Each trail and mural will have a QR code, taking visitors to an online oral history archive, where they can hear interviews linked to each stop on the trail.
CultureTree Centre will establish Southwark’s first Yoruba Community Group made up of residents and business owners of Yoruba heritage in Southwark. They will also produce a series of trail guides to help people explore the rich history and heritage of the Yorubas in the Southwark borough. The trail guides will cover a wide range of places, themes, and ideas of interest to tourists and locals alike. Each trail will contain a suggested walking route (or routes in some cases). It will also cover streets and buildings, legends, and true stories, meet the locals, answer burning questions about Yoruba’s rich culture and explore delicious Yoruba cuisine.
Renowned muralist, Polly Alakija has been commissioned to oversee the creation of the wall murals with schools and local community groups across the borough of
Southwark. CultureTree Centre are also partnering with The Tate Modern on the exhibition, A World in Common, which celebrates the variety and depth of contemporary African photography.
As part of this exhibition, members of the Southwark Yoruba Community
Group will be working with photographer, Ruth Ossai to create a series of studio portraits.
Speaking with The Guardian on this development, CEO, CultureTree, Gbemisola Isimi said, “We are very happy and honoured to have been awarded this funding. It will help us greatly in our efforts to celebrate Yoruba culture and raise awareness of Yoruba heritage and contributions in the UK, particularly in the Southwark borough.”
Registration to join the Southwark Yoruba Community Group is open till 12th May 2023 and more information can be gotten on CultureTree’s website.
