HfH Project Feedback
This page contains some of the feedback received from individuals, groups, partner and participating organisations in the project. We hope the feedback gives you an insight into the impact of the Home from Home project.
On whether the Home from Home project has helped to better document and preserve the heritage of British-Nigerians
It does this through performing arts, which I think makes it interesting and accessible to a wider audience, especially those who may not think they are interested in heritage, and who don’t have any knowledge of Nigerian culture.
Dr. Ayshah Johnston, Learning and Engagement Manager, Black Cultural Archives.
I believe projects like this are necessary in various communities to create place-based connections for residents of Newham.
Anab Abdulkadir Hoffmann, Founder and Director, Healtogether CIC.
Yes. Home from Home is encouraging British-Nigerians and people of African and Caribbean heritage more broadly to look into different aspects of heritage, including organising tours of different museums, including ours. They have documented the trip with photos and blogs.
Shereen Hunte, Engagement Manager, Museum of London Docklands.
Definitely. I cannot think of any real official documentation of British-Nigerian heritage out there at the moment, so bringing focus to Nigerians past and present in Britain, which is what Home from Home is doing brilliantly with the talks, museum visits and other activities is great.
Lekia Lée, Founder Project Embrace.
Yes, by providing visibility, engagement and spreading awareness in the community.
Ciji Varughese, Community Neighbourhood Senior Officer, London Borough of Newham.
This project is helping to document and preserve the heritage of British-Nigerians. It is important for British-Nigerians to have access to these events, get involved and have the opportunity to share stories and experiences. It is also vital for community cohesion that people from other communities attend and learn more about how British-Nigerians have contributed to cultural and educational life in Britain and in particular, London.
Sarah Smith BEM, Libraries Development Manager, London Borough of Brent.
Yes, it’s raising awareness and sparking conversations.
Zoey Dixon, Community Hub Library Manager: Carnegie, Minet, Upper Norwood and Waterloo Libraries, London Borough of Lambeth.
Yes, definitely.
Focusing specifically on the Home from Home exhibition, which plays a crucial role in documenting and preserving the heritage of British-Nigerians. This exhibition offers a collection of “biographies” of British-Nigerians, highlighting individuals of Nigerian descent in Britain. By doing so, it brings their stories and contributions to the forefront, benefiting both the British-Nigerian community and the broader local communities.
The exhibition was very popular at all three locations.
Rhonda Brooks, Development Librarian: Celebratory Projects and Health & Wellbeing, Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure.
Heritage projects like Home from Home are important in helping to share and document cultural heritage not only with British Nigerians but wider communities as well.
Laura Lewis, Head of Community Partnerships, Learning and National Partnerships, The British Museum.
General Feedback
“Naija no dey carry last! I am Naija to the core and the Nigerian in me oozes out of every pore. I celebrate being Nigerian by being the best version of me.”
Dr Ruth Oshikanlu MBE
“Home From Home” signifies a place or community where I feel a profound sense of belonging and comfort, akin to my native home. It is a supportive environment where my cultural roots and personal values are embraced and celebrated, providing a sanctuary that nurtures growth, connection, and a strong sense of identity.”
Dr. Tunde Okewale OBE Founder of Urban Lawyer
I am really grateful for these pictures. You really made my day. I can’t thank you enough. I will really happy if you could contact me for future programme.
Please can you send me the video of my dances both first and second dance so my social worker will see how you guys help my mental health for the weekend and how i have been improve on my mood.
This is a good therapy for me. Thanks for having me. God bless your company.
Participants at our Sharing Day event at Stratford Library, London Borough of Newham.
One good thing I learnt from this project working on the microsite is that it is possible to use video to create a panoramic picture display. I have not done before, so I am learning.
Anthony Kolade, DGtal-Mind
Congratulations for your excellent “Home from Home” Launch @ Stratford Old Town Hall the other week. Sterling stuff. I look forward to trying to attend follow-up sessions.
Martin Pinder, Honorary Secretary, Newham Partnership for Complementary Education.
It was both a pleasure and a privilege to speak on a topic that I have been so closely connected to, for several decades, in professional practice and community engagement. Thank you for the opportunity.
Hassan Aliyu FRSA, President of the Nigerian Arts Society UK (NASUK).
Thank you again for the excellent workshop you delivered to our students in July.
Matthew Bournat, Assistant Headteacher, Newstead Wood School
All good wishes as you prepare for this exciting event! Thank you for all the work you do for engaging us with our culture.
Ekua Agha on Messenger
A great few hours spent today at the British Museum Africa collection, courtesy of Iroko Theatre, (Iroko Staff), as part of their “Home from Home” project. Guided tour and discussion with Laura and Sarah from the museum’s education dept. Of particular interest (for me) were the Nigerian artefacts, especially the Benin bronzes and wonderful carved doors and funereal screen.
Angela Ekaette Michaels, Theatre Director
I have been to the British Museum many times, and having a guided tour has to be the icing on the cake bring the historical elements of the collection and to learn more about them has to be priceless.
Gina on Facebook
Went to the museum today, very interesting and informative interactive session. Congratulations to the museum staff.
Veronica, EastBank Seniors
Increased awareness of the presence and contributions of British-Nigerians has encouraged interest in heritage locally. People engaged well with the exhibition which was informative and thought-provoking. By bringing the stories of British-Nigerians to the forefront, the exhibition hopefully encouraged viewers to think about the presence, history and contributions of Nigerians to the local areas and communities.
Rhonda Brooks, Development Librarian: Celebratory Projects and Health & Wellbeing, Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure.
Absolutely loved the tour in the British Museum, absolutely loved it. It was so well organised, and the people were so clever. It was very interesting. Thank you very much for organising such a lovely trip.
Christel Eagling, EastBank Seniors
Thank you. I went and it was lovely. They made us feel special. That was great. Thanks.
Juliana, EastBank Seniors
I didn’t know how diverse the museum was on how it showed Nigerian culture/history. Now I know that there is much Nigerian history in London.
Participants aged 12-17, at the Museum of London Docklands
I wanted to extend my heartfelt gratitude for the amazing African storytelling workshop you conducted. It was an enlightening and enriching experience that left a lasting impact. Your passion and expertise truly shone through, and I feel fortunate to have been a part of it. Please convey my gratitude to the rest of the team.
Mike Lord, Participants at the Accessing Heritage through Oral Storytelling workshop
Feedback from Newstead Wood School
| First name | What did you enjoy the most about the drumming workshop? | What skills did you learn in the drumming workshop? | Let us know what you thought about the instructor? |
| Tibaba | The story | How to tell a story and be engaging | He was funny and made us try |
| Vaasvi | The sense of community | How to tell a story through drums | He communicated very well and his instructions were clear |
| Trisha | The drums | the different sounds you can make with the drums | Very entertaining and engaging |
| Aleesa | The preforming part | How to act like a Queen (I was in the acting workshop) | He was very nice and friendly |
| Ivanya | George | Call and response | Very clear instructions and very interactive |
We use Alex and the Iroko drumming workshop every year as part of our enrichment week. Alex is an inspiring musician and quickly establishes a supportive rapport with the students. Students enjoy the creative and fun sessions, whilst as staff we appreciate the excellent organisation, clear communication and reliable service. We love working with the Iroko Theatre Company and cannot recommend them highly enough!
Matthew Bournat, Assistant Headteacher, Newstead Wood School
Thank you for sharing the story. Very knowledgeable.
Anonymous, Willesden Green Library
I come from Africa. Senegal. If I see African like me, it makes me so proud and happy. This one will help me to push my children to be same people like them. Every time I tell my children you come from Africa. You were born here but you come from Africa.
Anonymous, Willesden Green Library
The exhibition is brilliant and a great insight into the achievement of British-Nigerians contrary to popular opinions.
Anonymous, Barking Learning Centre
Season’s Greetings to you all and thank you so much for all your hard work and amazing contributions and working together is always such a pleasure and IROKO is always one of the best organisations to work with and puts out such amazing sessions and engagement!
Emmerline Smy, Smy Goodness.
It was a brilliant day for all of the children! It was great for the children to develop their speaking skills and experience performing to an audience. The children also developed their listening skills – both listening to someone directing them, but also listening to each other. I really liked that the children had the opportunity to perform as a group and also as individuals!
As a teacher, it was useful to see how you teach drumming, dance and story telling. It gave me the inspiration and confidence to teach these skills myself.
However, my favourite part of the day was at the end when we invited parents, children and staff to take part in a drumming workshop after school. It was a rare opportunity for us to learn a new skill together and take part in a joint activity.
Overall, it was a day full of fun, energy and delight. Thank you so much!
Madeleine Clinton, Year 3 Lead Teacher, Rokesly Primary School, London Borough of Haringey.
Please be advised that the footfall for Botwell Green Library between 5.2.24 and 15.2.24 was 5853.
The exhibition was looked at by many customers and verbal feedback was positive, some people scanned the QR code and took pictures of your details.
Franka Aichour, Library Manager, Botwell Green Library, London Borough of Hillingdon.
I am Saghar, a TV journalist from the City University of London. I am reaching out for the Workshop: Oral Storytelling for Heritage. I found the workshop fascinating. We are making news packages as part of our university project, and we love to come and film this event and possibly talk to the organizers.
Student from City University of London
… It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of the event on Saturday, and I’m thrilled that my talk sparked such engaging discussions. I was truly delighted to see the interest in British-Nigerian materials. The feedback you shared regarding their learning experiences is incredibly encouraging, and it reinforces the significance of preserving and sharing our cultural histories.
I’m also glad to hear that the event was lively and successful overall. It was an honour to collaborate with you and the IROKO team, and I look forward to the possibility of working together again in the future.
Once again, thank you for your kind words and for organizing such a meaningful event. Please feel free to reach out if there are any opportunities for further collaboration or if you need any assistance from my end…
Harlynn Homan, Senior Archivist, The Black Cultural Archives
Thank you so much for the opportunity to be of service too. The insight and experience gained was tremendously helpful. I’ll be looking forward to publications of future events. Thank you again.
Oluwafemi Shyllon, Event Volunteer from Liverpool
I really enjoyed working with the Team on Saturday and the event was really amazing. Thank you and will be grateful if I’m kept informed of future events.
Florence O, Event Volunteer
I just wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you for having me at the Nigerian-British ‘Home From Home’ event in Stratford on the 16th March! I had a great time, and it was so lovely to meet you. I also enjoyed doing a video interview on the day. Please do send it to my email address if possible.
My research looks at showcasing the rich culture within Nigerian/British heritage, that is often overlooked, within the field of Theology. So far, I have researched female Nigerian British novels, but I am keen to expand that further by looking into music, theatre and dance, which is very much within your expertise.
Your work is highly valuable in engaging the community beyond the ‘academic bubble’ and I would therefore love to keep in touch and possibly collaborate on a future project.
Dr Olabisi Obamakin, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Theological Education
Common Awards Team, Durham University, St John’s College.
Thanks for a truly uplifting performance at Stratford Library
Violet Morley
Thank you so much for your lovely exhibition which we have enjoyed hosting.
Kind regards,
Deborah Peck, Library Development Officer, London Borough of Newham
I’m so pleased that the exhibition was well received, I did see it myself and it was very good and informative. It would be great to have the exhibition again at another library for Black History Month. We have bigger libraries like Clapham who have more space and therefore would be to accommodate more of the pull-ups as well as people being able to view both sides. If there is a week in October which would suit you, please let me know.
Zoey Dixon, Community Hub Library Manager, London Borough of Lambeth
What an absolute beautiful day I had yesterday. Overcame my imposter syndrome after being invited to do a brief overview about African Spirituality and the Osun River Ritual by the @irokotheatre company. It is for their Heritage funded “Home from Home” project, locating the British/Nigerian connections, experiences and people.
Speaking about African Spirituality to this mostly Nigerian audience who were so welcoming and appreciative boosted my sense of the work I do and the why. Elders, young people, academics, authors and other professionals were brought together to share their multiple experiences and cultures at the heart of which is Nigeria. I attended the afternoon session so got a treat from Composer/singer Juwon Ogungbe who introduced some of us to the many Nigerian heritage musicians in the UK. Florence Olájídé, spoke about her identity, especially her experiences as one of the contributors of the documentary “White Nanny, Black Child”, and her own book (note to get) ‘Coconut.’ All had me rapt. Pressed a bit by being the last speaker, I was embraced by the love and appreciation I could feel coming from those in the audience. They wished to share so much with me so we in the diaspora can practice our indigenous Spirituality more confidently and with pride.
Spirit entered the room when the sister I’m hugging, Yewande gave her testimonial about returning to Nigerian and becoming initiated into the tradition. She had been dreaming a long time, she said of the ‘Virgin Mary’ only to much later learn, all the while it was Mami Yemoja!
I didn’t get to tell her this experience is recounted in Mama Lou Tales when the same same happened to my mother.
Mr Abiola and his gorgeous wife, I’m in the middle of, said they are from Osun state.
I give thanks to Iroko Founder Alex Oma-Pius for inviting me.
Michelle Yaa Asentewa of Way Wive Wordz, Speaker at HfH Conference on ‘The Legacy of People of Nigerian Descent in Britain’.
Last week Ruislip Manor Library had about 1600 visitors, while the exhibition was here, and we saw plenty of people taking photos and looking at the exhibition. Thank you,
Federico Ferrari, Ruislip Manor Library Manager
Thank you for the interview and for making my contribution to this project so enjoyable. Peace.
Dr Toyin Agbetu, Community Educator, Scholar-Activist @ The Ligali Organisation and IDPAD CIC (Hackney)
Great initiative by @heritagefunduk!
Promoting British Nigerians in business is key. Projects like HomeFromHome build a more diverse and innovative economy.
Adam Techie on X (Twitter)
“Thank you so much for putting together the conference “The Legacy of People of Nigerian Descent in Britain. It was a rich, inspiring, educative conference enriched with incredible calibre of speakers and talents.”
Conference Participants
On the talk by Juwon Ogungbe FRSA on “The Legacy of Musicians of Nigerian Descent in the UK’s Music Eco-system
It was very informative and well enjoyed. His (Juwon Ogungbe) singing was the icing on the cake.
It was a lovely mix of information and music. Juwon Ogungbe had a wonderful voice.
It was a very enlightening presentation. More detailed knowledge about Nigerian music and its influence on the British music scene.
Excellent presentation – a lot of important information which needs to be widely disseminated about the Nigerian influence which is, in some cases, hiding in plain sight.
We really enjoyed meeting you and listening to your event. In addition to the audience, our staff also enjoyed your talk and musical interludes.
Kate Elliott, Library Development Officer, Libraries, Arts and Heritage, Resident Services, Brent Council
On HfH interview with Author and Education Consultant, Florence Ọlájídé
Super interview. Warm, considered and an insight into how a person sees themselves as part of many communities with still an eye on grandma’s advice.
Gillian Lawrence (Facebook)