IROKO Theatre Visits The Horniman Museum and Gardens in South London.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens in Forest Hill, South London was the location of the final museum visit on 2nd May 2024, organised by IROKO Theatre as part of the Home from Home project, celebrating British-Nigerian Heritage.
Accompanied by two community groups, The East Bank Seniors and The Manor Park Over 50s Group from Newham, members spent a day exploring the African artefacts held at the Museum and enjoying the beautiful gardens.
After a short trip from Stratford by coach, the team was welcomed by museum curators Korantema and Saava who gave an insightful tour of the Horniman’s music gallery. The gallery comprises some of the oldest instruments on display from around the world. Of particular interest were the African traditional instruments such as the Djembe drum from West Africa and the Gankoqui bell by the Ewe of Ghana, Benin and Togo.
Information on how different cultures use music to celebrate life’s milestones such as the Yoruba naming ceremonies of Nigeria was an interesting point of reflection, in the context of the Home from Home project.
In the World Gallery, a small collection of Benin bronze statues generated much conversation as the curators explained how the process of returning some of the artefacts back to their original homelands had already begun.
The icing on the cake for most of the participants was an unexpected visit to the Butterfly House with its wonderful collection of exotic moths and butterflies. The experience brought a delightful ending to the Horniman museum visit.
Feedback from the participants include:
- A Great experience! Interesting artefacts!
- It is nice to know about Nigerian culture and history.
The Home from Home project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Photography: Joseph Obasi
